7mo ago

You might get a discount or free coffee but you’re also being played by the multi-billion dollar gamification industry.

theconversation.com You might get a discount or free coffee but you’re also being played by the multi-billion dollar gamification industry

There’s a good reason why an increasing number of businesses are using games and challenges to attract customers - they work.

45 comments

Temu: contribute to the irreversible heat death of your own planet just to save some money on useless, piss poor quality trinkets created out of cancer-causing, hazardous materials using slave labor coupled with unfair market practices that are then shipped thousands of miles over the oceans using the world's worst polluting container ships.... like a billionaire.
That should be their slogan.
edit: added slave labor, unfair market practices edit: added hazmat
- You forgot the parts about slave labor, unfair market practices and piss poor quality products.
  
  I got you, fam(ily). It has a real smooth, simple ring to it. ;)
- I definitely get the billionaires using slave labor to get ahead - just like Elon Musk's family.
- I get slave labor... It seems usa companies did not care until it started hurting their bottom line.
- A lot of stuff on "western" platforms is just the same stuff rebadged for 3-10x the price. I see no reason to pay that much more for the same stuff.
  
  I've completely lost faith in places like Amazon. Used to be able to find decent stuff there but unless you're looking for a specific brand/item, it's all crap. Wanted to find some relatively decent priced workout shorts with a compression liner built in. There's so many shitty brands that all have the same damn images for the shorts. They're all just going to be drop shipped BS from China with no one actually standing behind the product. I'm back to B&M stores now like Dick's and their DSG line is actually reasonably priced and good quality.
- Spot on!
- Don't forget: highly likely made from strongly cancer causing chemicals. But hey, a saved dollar is a saved dollar.
  
  Edited. Good call.

are there still people who don't automatically assume anything that flashes up or pops up or otherwise interrupts the content to be bullshit?
- Everything about temu screams surveillance and scam to me. I don't understand how anyone could install that and use it regularly.
  
  When the alternative was to pay more for the exact same things on Amazon, it's logical to pay less. Every app tracks you so idk...
  
  It's great for pet shit and buying low quality junk in bulk. Kid bday party, school fair, need 2000 zip ties - perfect for that. Annoying as hell to use that app, but you can bypass the markup on junk from China if you specifically need junk from China.
- I see it at the checkouts. Particularly older women are so prone to feel obliged to read and respond to absolutely every last prompt of dialogue on a self checkout display. As though missing a detail will have massive, irreversible ramifications.

It's naïve to think that marketers have any interest in doing things ethically, unless there's a legal or business reason to do so.

TEMU is a terrible company: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClrNmq7cPSw

Been using Ali express, it's the same shit, but generally you can just ignore it, the popup ads for some sale or other are just annoying.
And if you are using the app then disable notifications!
- I used to have the app but it's half a gigabyte, slow and filled with ads
  
  Mine currently has 700 mb and 90 mb background network usage, which I quickly disabled.
  Temu also uses background data!

gamification in health
"Click the button spin the wheel!"
rumble rumble bing
"Sorry, no replacement organ for you this time 😮‍💨 Roll once more? ($69.000 per roll. Non refundable*)"

I really don't care if I can save even more bucks just by watering some virtual plant on ali's app, I can do that while shitting. I'll continue to get the same portable emulators from there without paying a local seller way more money.
- Yeah because the seller just resell you the Temu/AliExpress junk with a markedup price.
  And some of them even just dropship stuff.