this post was submitted on 13 Aug 2024
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TechTakes

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Big brain tech dude got yet another clueless take over at HackerNews etc? Here's the place to vent. Orange site, VC foolishness, all welcome.

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[–] NaibofTabr@infosec.pub 91 points 4 weeks ago (3 children)

Kroger insists that “any test of electronic shelf tags is to lower prices more for customers where it matters most. To suggest otherwise is not true.” For some reason, nobody trusts them.

Then I'm sure they'll be completely transparent about the criteria used for making the price changes and how the algorithm works, right? Because they're trustworthy, right?

[–] henfredemars@infosec.pub 55 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (2 children)

You can absolutely depend on a publicly traded corporation that’s legally obligated to make decisions in the monetary interest of its shareholders—to behave in an altruistic fashion for the benefit of mankind.

[–] c0smokram3r@midwest.social 21 points 4 weeks ago

ALL HAIL! 💲

[–] barsquid@lemmy.world 7 points 4 weeks ago

Line go up, all praise the line.

No it's okay they're using an AI model, so inevitably they can point to the huge jumble of math and say "computer did it" when asked to defend the gouging. That's basically transparency, right?

[–] vrek@programming.dev 1 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)

If it is true, they just admitted to security fraud for not maximizing profits. I doubt it is true but would be interesting to see it in court if they decide to admit to lying in a public press release or security fraud not acting in the interest of shareholders...

[–] froztbyte@awful.systems 14 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (1 children)

they just admitted to security fraud for not maximizing profits

what the fuck kind of comment is this

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 0 points 4 weeks ago

Welcome to America.

[–] dgerard@awful.systems 10 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

security fraud for not maximizing profits

stop posting

[–] self@awful.systems 11 points 4 weeks ago (4 children)

programming dot dev has got to be an experiment to come up with a comment so confidently incorrect it kills on contact

[–] V0ldek@awful.systems 10 points 4 weeks ago

They're trying to kill the AGI by polluting the training data.

Project Wheatley

[–] froztbyte@awful.systems 7 points 4 weeks ago

they're certainly pioneers in researching the limits of bad takes density

[–] corbin@awful.systems 5 points 4 weeks ago

It's very funny that, of my two Lemmy accounts, the sneer-club account has better domain reputation than the programming-specialist account.

[–] dgerard@awful.systems 4 points 4 weeks ago

having just reviewed his other comments i've enabled the Egress-O-Matic

[–] henfredemars@infosec.pub 45 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)

Why not simply imprison the customers until they empty their wallets?

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 14 points 4 weeks ago

Disney is working on that with their streaming terms of service defence to poisoning a restaurant customer.

[–] BradleyUffner@lemmy.world 5 points 4 weeks ago

Just take a page from Musk and sue everyone who isn't purchasing your products.

[–] bitofhope@awful.systems 35 points 1 month ago (1 children)

EDGE (enhanced display for environment)

did not even try

[–] dgerard@awful.systems 37 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)

whoops! that was our error! It's actually "Enhanced Display for Grocery Environment" which is at least an acronym. Fixed.

[–] self@awful.systems 23 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

as a consumer, I love to be delighted by a grocery environment that only makes prices lower (than a baseline price Kroger themselves set based on factors like: lying about the impact of shoplifting; intentionally creating food deserts; colluding with other supermarket chains to keep prices high; vibes)

[–] self@awful.systems 22 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

maybe if I’m an extra good consumer they’ll replace all the freezer doors with pointless screens you can’t see through that are all constantly broken but still manage to waste a fuckton of energy

my consumer experience will really be improved when every one of those screens is recording my movements for the noble goal of knowing when to replace the animated ad for monster energy with an extremely inaccurate listing of the items contained in the freezer

motherfuckers

[–] froztbyte@awful.systems 11 points 4 weeks ago

oh god these ghouls are going to roll out personalized ads on door-thin displays the moment they can afford to, aren't they?

[–] bitofhope@awful.systems 14 points 4 weeks ago

Still 1/5 acronym.

  • Word unrelated to displays or groceries
  • Secondary meaning as a sexual term
  • Already used by Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution which is itself a mediocre acronym at best
  • Two of the four non-particle words, "enhanced" and "environment" are meaningless filler only there to make the acronym work.
[–] Rentlar@lemmy.ca 31 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)

Those e-ink screens were already trouble during the pandemic inflation period when so many item tags didn't match the price when rung up at the register.

Individual pricing is only going to cause more problems with register and shelf price mismatch.

[–] beefbot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 12 points 4 weeks ago

The more we disrupt them, the harder time they’re gonna have

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 7 points 4 weeks ago

Oh no, now they're going to be wirelessly connected. The problem I foresee is the price changing between when I see it and when I check out. Also, if that's solved and I see a bunch of people grabbing an item I may just hang out for another 40 minutes and ask for a price check at the register. See if it's come back down yet.

Either that or shop with a jamming device. Oops, nothing works.

[–] beefbot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 29 points 4 weeks ago

Some of us out here are gonna reveal our human powered Kroger gouger

[–] BallsandBayonets@lemmings.world 25 points 4 weeks ago (3 children)

Shopping there is already an exercise in gouge-tolerance. The cheapest options for any given product are always sold out or close to it, while the expensive name brands are stocked to the brim. Everything is getting smaller, pricier, and made with cheaper and cheaper filler. I don't think they even use flour in Kroger brand bread anymore.

[–] Phoenicianpirate@lemm.ee 10 points 4 weeks ago

What's even more fucked up is we are overproducing food on a scale that is destroying the soil and a huge portion of food goes to waste well before it is even processed for sale (don't feel upset for tossing away leftovers... all of our leftovers combined are a drop in the waste bucket).

Yet despite this they insist on cutting more and more corners. In the 19th they did this and produced highly toxic results... and it was not only outlawed, but American food production made the prices so cheap that it was not needed anymore.

Yet we have shit being done today that would still shock people back then.

[–] Chadus_Maximus@lemm.ee 4 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

What else would they use? Sawdust?

[–] jaemo@sh.itjust.works 5 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

Heavens no. They need to save that for the parmesan cheese shakers.

[–] corbin@awful.systems 5 points 4 weeks ago

At least it's still lactose-free~

[–] Alexstarfire@lemmy.world -2 points 4 weeks ago

I have never experienced that there.

[–] c0smokram3r@midwest.social 24 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (3 children)

Can’t wait to break em just bc 🔨 I wonder what it costs to replace those tags

[–] archonet@lemy.lol 6 points 4 weeks ago

I'll bet a little, pocket-sized center punch would kill them right quick.

[–] o7___o7@awful.systems 5 points 4 weeks ago

not just no, but Makhno

[–] YourNetworkIsHaunted@awful.systems 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Ned Ludd told me to do it.

[–] o7___o7@awful.systems 12 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (2 children)

Between this and the Japanese grocery store with the Company Face, I'm wondering how much are we going to have to ~~bribe~~ pay Charles Stross to write the book where the good guys win

[–] cstross@wandering.shop 9 points 4 weeks ago (2 children)

@o7___o7 (Checks …) you may like "A Conventional Boy" (coming next January 7th)? And if I ever get "Ghost Engine" (the space opera) done, that has a happy ending.

[–] froztbyte@awful.systems 4 points 4 weeks ago
[–] o7___o7@awful.systems 3 points 4 weeks ago

:D

Appreciate you!

[–] dgerard@awful.systems 7 points 4 weeks ago

about as likely as getting Charlie Brooker to write a good ending

[–] Preflight_Tomato@lemm.ee 9 points 4 weeks ago

Price gouge algorithms is a good name for them

[–] LH0ezVT@sh.itjust.works 8 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

I wonder if it is possible to confuse the cameras. Figure out what criteria make a price lower (skin color? time of day? no idea), then dress up like that / wear a mask with a face printed on it or something.

[–] dgerard@awful.systems 13 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] Linktank@lemmy.today 6 points 4 weeks ago

Good thing I already don't shop there!