From: punditster@gmail.com   
      
   On 1/31/2026 12:07 PM, Noah Sombrero wrote:   
   > On Sat, 31 Jan 2026 14:53:21 -0500, Wilson    
   > wrote:   
   >   
   >> On 1/31/2026 2:37 PM, Noah Sombrero wrote:   
   >>> On Sat, 31 Jan 2026 13:32:42 -0500, Wilson    
   >>> wrote:   
   >>>   
   >>>> On 1/31/2026 12:25 PM, Dude wrote:   
   >>>>> On 1/31/2026 8:47 AM, Noah Sombrero wrote:   
   >>>>>> On Sat, 31 Jan 2026 11:36:16 -0500, Wilson    
   >>>>>> wrote:   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>>> On 1/30/2026 4:46 PM, dart200 wrote:   
   >>>>>>>> On 1/30/26 7:27 AM, Noah Sombrero wrote:   
   >>>>>>>>> On Fri, 30 Jan 2026 02:11:00 -0800, dart200   
   >>>>>>>>>  wrote:   
   >>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>> we finally invented a type of good that has a zero-cost to copy,   
   >>>>>>>>>> and we   
   >>>>>>>>>> still can't seem to figure out how to build a production system   
   where   
   >>>>>>>>>> all the products are freely distributed, cause we're so concerned   
   >>>>>>>>>> about   
   >>>>>>>>>> getting payment upfront   
   >>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>> So there you have it.  This is why commercialism always fails.   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>> bruh i'm talking about digital goods that are zero-cost to copy   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>> real goods aren't the same,   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>> tho i might suggest we break out design vs production costs requiring   
   >>>>>>>> that the consumer pay production price upfront ... while the design   
   >>>>>>>> portion can be paid back as the consumer feels warranted   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>> this is moving more towards a gifting economy while dealing with the   
   >>>>>>>> reality that production has actual sunk costs   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>> i mean in the future maybe we will have the energy availability and   
   >>>>>>>> labor efficiency to totally transcend markets entirely, but i don't   
   >>>>>>>> feel   
   >>>>>>>> we're ready for such a stage   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>> Everything must be paid for because we all must pay each other for   
   >>>>>>>>> what others do for us with few exceptions.  The system depends on us   
   >>>>>>>>> all doing that.   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>> this especially fucks up computing. 99.99% of the industry has   
   devolved   
   >>>>>>>> into bullshit work that is not actually economically beneficial. but   
   >>>>>>>> people need to get paid, and markets just don't have the capability to   
   >>>>>>>> select for universal solutions to problems like we ought to be   
   >>>>>>>> implementing with computing (since they rely on competition and   
   >>>>>>>> therefor   
   >>>>>>>> competing systems/standards)   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>> computing systems are far more like governing systems than real goods   
   >>>>>>>> production and we haven't collectively recognized that reality yet   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>> The fault that devolves from that is that some of us get more pay   
   than   
   >>>>>>>>> others, have more status than others, live apart from us in mansions,   
   >>>>>>>>> work apart from us in skyscrapers in corner offices, so we have no   
   >>>>>>>>> access to, never even see those people as far as we know.  These are   
   >>>>>>>>> the people who make the decisions in society.  Their separateness   
   from   
   >>>>>>>>> us means that they are never held accountable for bad self serving   
   >>>>>>>>> decisions.   
   >>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>> When shit comes down, the blame goes to the person who enforces those   
   >>>>>>>>> decisions, not to the decider.  The enforcer is thrown under the   
   bus,   
   >>>>>>>>> quietly goes away, is fired or moved elsewhere.  In rare cases,   
   maybe   
   >>>>>>>>> even get some jail time.  But the decision stands.   
   >>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>> And the rest of us are powerless.  Why can't things be different?    
   '   
   >>>>>>>>> 1) because those who have the power like having power, will not allow   
   >>>>>>>>> things to be different.   
   >>>>>>>>> 2) because the rest of us like it that way too.  We are powerless,   
   but   
   >>>>>>>>> we are also blameless.  The guy in the corner office at the top of a   
   >>>>>>>>> skyscraper did it, not us.   
   >>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>> Too radical?  Of course it is, because this is the way things have   
   >>>>>>>>> always been, since humans stopped being hunter gatherers.  This is   
   how   
   >>>>>>>>> we know how to be.   
   >>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>> it's silly and entirely anti-consumer. it doesn't cost anything to   
   >>>>>>>>>> grant   
   >>>>>>>>>> a consumer access to the digital good, let them have the   
   >>>>>>>>>> experience and   
   >>>>>>>>>> decide after if it warrants payment for the experience. and for   
   >>>>>>>>>> continued development by creator. this will create a better feedback   
   >>>>>>>>>> system where people only pay for products they value after they   
   >>>>>>>>>> had the   
   >>>>>>>>>> experience, not before...   
   >>>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>> will some people cheat the system??? i guess, but that already   
   >>>>>>>>>> happens,   
   >>>>>>>>>> and we end up with a worse feedback system where people have to pay   
   >>>>>>>>>> speculatively upfront for the experience rather than paying back   
   >>>>>>>>>> for an   
   >>>>>>>>>> experience they valued enough to voluntarily pay for   
   >>>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>> never mind all the DRM and platform locking bull crap that just   
   >>>>>>>>>> wastes   
   >>>>>>>>>> everyone's time with utter nonsense   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>> you know what will make the rest of us not powerless noah?   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>     > consolidating our voice by committed consensus making   
   >>>>>>>>     >   
   >>>>>>>>     > #god   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>> something the rich are wholly incapable of doing even among themselves   
   >>>>>>>> since they've mostly been selected and filtered by late stage hyper   
   >>>>>>>> capitalism, so tbh they're powerless to set up a competing system of   
   >>>>>>>> consensus making. that's so far off their radar they can't even   
   imagine   
   >>>>>>>> it coming ??   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>> "Late stage capitalism"   
   >>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>> https://i.redd.it/6pz3jus402jc1.jpeg   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>> "No offense but," offense.   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>> The old deny what I am about to say before I say it trick.   
   >>>>>    >   
   >>>>> So, I told them both to invest their money, if they have any, in   
   >>>>> precious metals for economic stability and as a hedge against US dollar   
   >>>>> inflation.   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> The economic situation is clear:   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> The U.S. government ran a budget deficit of $1.8 trillion in fiscal 2025   
   >>>>> (ended Sept. 30), which sent the national debt to a record high of $38.5   
   >>>>> trillion.   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> "Throughout history, governments have opted to increase money supply to   
   >>>>> devalue their domestic currencies in order to make challenging fiscal   
   >>>>> deficits easier to manage. This time probably won't be any different,   
   >>>>> which is why gold soared by a whopping 64% last year.   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> Bitcoin, however, fell by 5% on the year, which puts into serious doubt   
   >>>>> the idea that it's a digital equivalent to the shiny yellow metal. This   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)