The Story of Stuff

[SpaceBooger]

I agree with some of what she's saying, I was just being a little facetious with my comment.
However, everything in a computer is user replaceable, I don't think any computer on the market has a warranty sticker like a console (except laptops, maybe?). Computers are getting faster because there is a demand for it, not to just try to screw consumers over continuously.

No, I went through this with HP this summer. I have always built my own PCs, but last summer for the first time I bought an HP - the financing was better than spending one lump sum of cash. This summer the Motherboard went out. Yeah the parts are interchangeable, but only a HP motherboard can be tattooed so I can use the OS that came with my system. I could have bought another motherboard (the same one) cheaper but add in another copy of windows and the cost was more than paying to have HP fix it... So this proves that everything is interchangeable, but the corporations make it so you have to buy their product.

Note: I am not saying I agree 100% with this video. While I do agree with some of it, I love to play devils advocate to see other sides of arguments and learn new stuff.

[Jrecee]

Hippies.

We feel the need to save earth because we feel its important. But it's only important to the beings that live on it. We are completely irrelevant in the grand scope of the universe (see post about the universe from a few weeks ago).

Not to say we shouldn't try to make the earth better for those of us who live on it. We should just gradually stop having children and let the whole planet go extinct. Or we could just keep doing what we're doing. It really doesn't matter.

Basically I blame christians.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

Smart, but ultimately flawed video to anyone with half a brain.

[SpaceBooger]

Smart, but ultimately flawed video to anyone with half a brain.

I wouldn't say flawed... I would say biased.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

Smart, but ultimately flawed video to anyone with half a brain.

I wouldn't say flawed... I would say biased.

That would be what I consider a flaw.

[Jrecee]

I agree the video took a big tumble once she started talking about perceived obsolescence. It went from scary and eye opening to conspiracy theory.

The idea that companies make products that will last long enough to make the consumer happy but short enough that they'll buy another was probably talked about at some point by some execs and designers. But no product is going to last forever and I believe that most companies are trying to make products that will last as long as possible.

And it's not simply that companies are forcing new products on us. We demand new products. It's what defines progress. Throughout history people have wanted the latest and greatest, but we are now at a point where technology is progressing so rapidly that the latest and greatest is coming every year instead of every 20 years.

Computers improve because we realize we can make our own flyers at home. Hey, we can make our own videos at home. Hey, I can make my own video, but I want it to look better and load faster. . . make me a new computer that can do that.

Wow, air conditioning in a car?! Wow, air bags! I want that on my car! etc.

Fashion changes because someone has an idea and they want it to be realized. They create that idea and others see it. They like it. They want it.

Consumerism and Creativity go hand in hand. Consumerism and progress go hand in hand.

But yes, it is excessive. Christmas makes me sick. I look back and remember some seriously massive christmases. Between all the parties with different parts of my family I probably got 50 presents a year. I could probably tell you 10 gifts I got over 10 years.

The most eye opening part of everything she said was that after 6 months we're only using 1% of what we bought. Although I have to wonder if that includes stuff like toothbrushes, condoms, and toilet paper.

[Xonticus]

It did it's job by making you think about how things affect your lives and how you can affect your environment. It is designed so pretty much anyone can watch it and get something from it.

I hafta say I enjoyed the video. And with the bias accusation, I think that side of bias might be needed as opposed to the side it is condemning. In short, a little bias doesn't hurt anyone, especially when it tries to make you self aware.

I see what she is trying to say, and it isn't that we should stop doing everything now and convert; it is that we could strive to mend our ways to better ourselves and each other. And from some of the comments maybe that point was missed by some, or interpreted differently anyways.

[Xonticus]

But yes, it is excessive. Christmas makes me sick. I look back and remember some seriously massive christmases. Between all the parties with different parts of my family I probably got 50 presents a year. I could probably tell you 10 gifts I got over 10 years.

And yes from working retail for 3 years at walmart I can agree with you easily... Thanksgiving through Easter is consumer whore heaven. Actually last year I was striven to give gifts that were from local artisans or shops, or made my own presents and I will admit, it made me incredibly happy inside to give a gift that I still see people using/enjoying almost a year after.

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

People are materialistic shits, but I guess I can't really argue.

Although after working my first X-Mas season at GS last year I can tell you some people and the current state of the season is disgusting.

[Jrecee]

I've worked retail at christmas time too. It's horrible. It's not just the consumers though. It's the retailers.

They buy such excessive amounts of product. A lot of stuff goes on clearance at the end of the season, and a lot just goes into boxes and is stored until the next year. The amount of food product that is wasted though is disgusting. And not just at holidays.

I remember having to "damage out" 2-3 shopping cartfulls of candy one day. Meaning it gets tossed into the crusher. Their justification for all this waste is that they "donate" to charities. Except that a digital money transaction does not negate the destruction of irreplaceable resources on our planet.

And this sort of waste happend at least once a week. At a Walgreens. Now imagine a Wal-mart. And multiply by the number of Wal-marts.