Way past its prime: how did Amazon get so rubbish? (Guardian)

[flvegan]

31. The Great Enshittening has been upon us since the 80's.

Good article/better rant, though.

Remember when cable tv came to town, and it arrived with more channels, flawless "reception" and NO commercials? Yeah, that was a good couple of years. Remember when home appliances, like your fridge, washing machine and even your tv lasted for decades? Good times. We've been well trained to just suck it up, this is how it is.

I'm not defending Amazon. Full disclosure, I've been a Prime member for years. I will say that I greatly appreciated it during the pandemic, as it limited the need to go out amongst the general public. Shit, still do and for that very same reason. If it costs me an extra dollar (which I'll save in gas, but whatever) to keep me ensconced away from the fucking mouthbreathers and their poorly parented children then so fucking be it.

I don't blindly consume, and I do shop around (online) for the best deal. Unfortunately, most of the time it's still Amazon.

And there's that word, "consume" right there. We've been trained to do just that. Maybe you don't NEED the newest iPhone, or 14 pairs of shoes, or a 247" television. Maybe that new fridge with the cool tv screen on the door that will show you more fucking ads isn't such a great choice. Most of us (and I count myself in that measure) could do a little better and live a little more simply and not just consume. But then, that's not what we've been trained to do.