zeptillian

zeptillian t1_jbgfkbr wrote

Reply to WIRED computer mouse. I'm particularly interested in one with a cable that will not fray. They seem to fray very shortly after I get them. I want the cable to be like a quarter of an inch thick. I don't care if the thing weighs 5 lbs. My budget is $200. by TheJawsofIce

Logitech G MX518. It will not necessarily last a lifetime but I would expect at least 10 years or more of service.

Buying a new one every decade would probably be better than using a grungy old mouse for several decades just because you paid so much for it.

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zeptillian t1_izqfd2i wrote

Reply to What makes one product cheap junk that breaks in a week and another that lasts a lifetime? by SirCheeseAlot

I think about this every time I use a spray bottle I bought at Target. They decided to use as small of a screw on connector as possible and as a result, if you hold the bottle by it's fucking handle when it's full, it's likely to disconnect because of the weight of the liquid is too much for the fraction of a turn they decided to make the screw part.

As a grown ass adult, I have used countless spray bottles over my lifetime. Everything from ones specifically bought to numerous products that come in spray bottles. I have never had any one of those other bottles come apart because I picked it up by the handle. I have never spilled an entire bottle of cleaning fluid because the company was so fucking cheap they didn't want to spend the extra few pennies to use an adequate amount of plastic to make a functional product.

I still have this bottle because I hate wasting things and don't want to create additional waste. But every time I use this product and the handle comes off I curse the name of Target and their penny pinching bullshit of making your customers suffer to generate extra profit. Did they really need to squeeze out those pennies? Couldn't they have just passed the cost on to me? Did they not realize how spilling a few dollars worth of cleaning product because of a improperly cheap product pisses people off? Did they not realize I would immediately see the little Target logo on the bottom of the bottle each time it happened and blame them? They spend so much money to advertise and make me associate good things with their brand. Why did they make something so horrible it would fail to do something so basic?

It doesn't make any sense to me.

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zeptillian t1_it9vegt wrote

Reply to comment by Soupkitchn89 in Many countries have a "hidden welfare state" for incumbent homeowners, as governments subsidize homeowners through the tax system. The homeownership welfare state is strongest in the US and other Anglophone countries, but weakest in the Scandinavian countries. by smurfyjenkins

You can make buying up existing housing to make money less profitable by charging a higher rate for properties that are not lived in by the owners, or have a graduated tax rate where it becomes cheaper the longer you live in your home.

Businesses bought up over 20% of the housing since the pandemic started. That's a huge upward pressure on price.

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zeptillian t1_it9usw3 wrote

Reply to comment by ThePhysicistIsIn in Many countries have a "hidden welfare state" for incumbent homeowners, as governments subsidize homeowners through the tax system. The homeownership welfare state is strongest in the US and other Anglophone countries, but weakest in the Scandinavian countries. by smurfyjenkins

That also explains the conflicting views on housing affordability in the US.

Rising home prices are a benefit for those who already own homes and a detriment to those who do not. Each side wants to benefit, but helping one hurts the other.

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