I often hear, “You should never cheap out on a good office chair, shoes, underpants, backpack etc…” but what are some items that you would feel OK to cheap out on?

This can by anything from items such as: expensive clothing brands to general groceries.

      • Kras Mazov@lemmygrad.ml
        3·
        10 months ago

        Yeah, but Chinese private companies are still that, private companies that are profit driven. There’s exciting and even cheap to buy stuff coming out of China, like IEMs for example, but it’s still a good ideia to keep expectations in check for the motivation of these companies.

          • Kras Mazov@lemmygrad.mlEnglish
            2·
            10 months ago

            I agree with you, I was just giving a simple example of more simple product, I didn’t mean to imply that the relations are exactly the same to the ones in a capitalist country, neither that China isn’t responsible for basically all the production in the world and affordable access to said production.

            Still, while most private companies can’t just do whatever they want like in the rest of the world, the fact of the matter is that profit is still the primary concern for a lot of consumer products made in China, and it’s something worth to keep in mind. The existence of gacha games like Genshin are a perfect example of this.

              • Kras Mazov@lemmygrad.ml
                3·
                10 months ago

                Again, I agree and I’m aware of the stuff you talk in the first paragraph. I’m from Lemmygrad, I defend China as an AES country.

                Now for the second paragraph, I’m not trying to blame China for gacha, I’m just pointing it out as an issue that also exists there. That comes with their acceptance of capital, and is something they can be criticized for. My criticism is not to belittle them, but because I believe they can do better.

                There was recent news of China clamping down on lootboxes and predatory monetization in gaming, which would be great and would set a precedent for the rest of the world, but last I saw they walked back on it.

                I don’t play Genshin, I only used it as an example, but I play League Of Legends, which is owned by Riot Games that is owned by Tencent and recently there has been the inclusion of gacha mechanics for skins that heavily relies on fomo for people to spend money on, and it’s really expensive. Meanwhile Riot also just fired 530 people worldwide and killed multiple projects and iniciatives inside the company, while starving other projects too. This is a billion dollar worth company owned by Tencent, and it all deserves criticism like any other games and companies.

                  • Kras Mazov@lemmygrad.ml
                    2·
                    10 months ago

                    Gachas and lootboxes are addictive and money grubbing. You cannot do much about them. Casinos, gambling and lootboxes have existed for thousands of years, with not just capital but objects, kingdoms and even people used as bets. Now in modern world its just some currency bills as bets.

                    I get what you’re saying, but there’s a difference between me gambling 50 currency with my friends on who is gonna win X match and a full blown casino or videogame that uses every psychological tactic possible to manipulate me into spending more and more money at every turn. One is a social interaction between people, the other is an exploitative tactic to make you spend. You can a 100% allow one and ban the other.

                    I have a principle set in stone as a belief and basis for all things in life and beyond, Pareto’s principle. I think morality, communism/altruism and all these things are also not 100% applicable, but only 80% (or 85, 90% whatever). So we will always be stuck with that 10-20% of capitalism, for example. And beyond that is diminishing returns. It is better to accept that, and work towards efficiency and optimal results.

                    I don’t want in any shape, way or form to disrespect what you believe and since you said it’s set on stone I have no intent on changing it whatsover, but I think a more materialist approach could help here.

                    The DPRK exists and it is full on socialist. Sure it isn’t communist yet, and won’t be until the rest of the world becomes socialist, but there’s nothing to suggest we can’t fully achieve it.