In my ever more distracted state, I neglected to include the following. While at Sukiya, 4 other customers settled their bill with digital currency. The electronic voiced “PayPay” one hears when that service is used is a dead give away. All four used it. This is my wife’s preferred method of payment.
I, we can patronize only those places that accept cas for as long as they continue to do so, but we are few against multitudes.
The cashless society will herd us into a world without individual choice, the machine will tell you what to choose from it and will be limited and not what you want but who can argue against a machine. It is a depressing thought.
Yep, except it started even before cashless. As with Sukiya switching to their touch screen menus; I can not order an extra topping of cheese because it is not a menu item. It was not a menu item with the printed menu but I could ask for it and pay for it. Can’t now. Cashless just makes it worse, much worse. When they finish integrating the social credit scoring with it, that is the end.
I like options and the problem here is that it is not either, or. And yes, for digital, the risks definitely will outweigh the rewards if along with it is the surveillance state. If you can blockchain and your wallet and your recipients wallet are both encrypted on both ends, then the government is left out of the transaction. In a similar fashion if I sold you my old record player for 50$ for cash, the government was nowhere in the transaction. Nor should they also need to know about my taste in music or love for whatever form I buy my records in.
I haven't enjoyed the surveillance state for years. I am glad that my bank has security in place, but should one of the things on my to-do list have to be to inform the bank I am going on vacation so they don't inadvertently freeze my account?
Therein lay the rubs. My credit card company, insurance companies, Zoom, YouTube, phone company, pocket wifi (I think you in the States call these mobile hot spots), and the like do not have blockchain and all my electronic transactions are reported to the US as per FATCA. If I buy your used record player for any amount and pay through any kind of electronic transaction, you become known to the financial transparency surveillance state as a participant in a financial transaction with myself. Likewise if you buy one of my fountain pens you become known for the same reason, albeit the payer. Payee or payer, if you have any kind of electronic transaction with me, you are known to the surveillance state. The only way to avoid this is with cash, which is being phased out.
As far as any kind of crypto currency, you and I paying each other for our used goodies MAY, (I doubt very much that intel agencies are out of this loop.) escape detection but we become known entities as soon as we buy the digital currency and whenever we cash it out.
Are you sure your bank has the security you think it has? Banks in the US have cancelled accounts of those who dare publicly speak wrong think. In at least one case, not only the individual, DR. Mercola, but also his employees of and family members of employees have had accounts closed because of the legal activities he engages in violate the wishes of someone in power.
Oh no, when I say "I haven't enjoyed the surveillance state for years" I mean I know my bank is surveilling me, and I haven't enjoyed it for years.
On possible solution is to create a parallel economy. We start putting more into this alternative economy, the less money will be visible to the US and FATCA.
Here are some bonus thoughts! Or for others, just a gratuitous placeholder to be scrolled past for other serious and well thought out ruminations.
As far as touchscreens, it's a mixed bag.
I do a lot of online ordering, and most of the time, the order is wrong. They get the items wrong, or items are missing. Probably one of the reason for the high delivery fees is to offset the amount of credits they issue on a per-order basis. I remember spending three hours trying to get the one item I craved that they got wrong. The first time I ordered it, they forgot it. The second time I ordered it alone, and for some reason the driver canceled the order, until finally I managed to receive the item. I also got two refunds in the process, and it was three hours later, but they just didn't get it...I would have been fine without the refunds if they just had delivered the item.
And yes, it takes a lot more time. In a drive thru situation. Unless it was at the Popeye's Drive Thru as they probably still have people in line from the late 1980's. For other places though, the drive thru will have processed you before you complete your order. So I usually drive the the place, park, order, then get in line depending on the line length.
Why use an online app at all?
For a whole summer I got a Chicken Sandwich, and a Drink for three dollars. The big chains have deals going on, most likely as an incentive to get new app users, used to the experience of app ordering. I could tell even the workers were new to he process as they would often be confused and fumbling when I'd tell them I had an "online order."
But as far as ease of use, still easier to talk to a drive through speaker than to have to make the order. Even then though, miscommunication can occur. 25% of the time I would often have to repeat my order at the window. And although I hated doing it, very often I would look to see if my order was correct after receiving it right at the window to avoid having to go through the line again.
There are more invisible bad effects as well.
The risk of bad social interactions. One of the the problems with less face time and more screen time is it reduces our ability to properly socialize. The way we interact with people is important. Take it from someone who thought he was being caring by not being so present in others lives, it comes with a cost, and that cost is people not caring as much as they once did..
I can tell you, some of the most rewarding experiences over the last years has been when I fought the cocoon of isolation and reached out and spoke to others in a positive manner. I don't do it enough. By the convenience of screen interaction though, we could then maintain and overcompensate by being more social. The screen takes the transactional aspect of the relationship and minimizes it. So the currency now is all social, is it not? So why not make it as positive as possible?
There are so many things wrong with QR Code menus and touch screen ordering and you touch on many of them. For a long time it was just annoying but as more and more places implemented them, it became apparent that a result is ever less social interaction. I posted earlier on this. In college and for some years after, it was fun to flirt with the cashiers and waitresses and to be flirted with by same of my customers when I was a cashier or waiter. As abhorrent as flirting is to many now, it is an important human interaction. At the time it was just fun, but humanity is far less humane without it.
Beyond flirting, just the interactions with waiters and waitresses has long been an important social interaction. Entire movies and weekly TV shows have been based upon them. Who hasn’t had a favorite waitress or waiter or sales clerk at the many places we patronize? The server who knows exactly how you like your eggs or coffee, for example?
In Japan, it is not just touch screen ordering, many places used robots to “serve” your order. Imagine going to a family restaurant, ordering on a touch screen, either provided by the restaurant or on your idiot phone via their QR Code, and then have your order brought to your table by a robot. The only time you interact with anyone outside your group is when you pay, if even then. I have not seen the self check out systems in a restaurant yet, but have in various stores and fast food. It’s just a matter of time.
The human interaction between clerks and servers is more than just flirting and chewing the fat. Important information is often exchanged. Additionally, human can read facial expressions, as long as masks are not interfering, and see if the customer is confused and offer help. I know that this needed help may not be offered as often as it should, but the possibility exists and at worst, the confused can ask for help. A human can pick up that something is not “right” with the group they are serving. Potential victims of sexual assault, humman trafficking and other crimes have been saved by alert and discrete employees. Not possible with touch screens.
But this human interface is more important than any of the above. It is the basis of our species. We are a social animal but we are allowing them to force each of us to be an island. I had to “teach” English as a foreign language to a blank screen for 3 and 1/2 years. At least one professional sport player in the US refused to play to an empty arena. We all know it exists, many lampoon or belittle those who seek it, thrive on it and especially those we judge to need it; ignoring that we all need it. We need feedback on our efforts. Especially on efforts to communicate. When we attempt to commune with a lifeless thing, regardless how life like it may appear or act, something is missing and we know it. It a very real way, it drains us of our humanity as we give it but it is not returned. A machine cannot return humanity to us. An electronic likeness and voice of a friend or family member on a screen does not meet this need of having our out pouring of humanity returned. It doesn’t cut it. Better than nothing, perhaps, but it doesn’t pass muster and it is evil to force it upon innocent beings.
In my ever more distracted state, I neglected to include the following. While at Sukiya, 4 other customers settled their bill with digital currency. The electronic voiced “PayPay” one hears when that service is used is a dead give away. All four used it. This is my wife’s preferred method of payment.
I, we can patronize only those places that accept cas for as long as they continue to do so, but we are few against multitudes.
The cashless society will herd us into a world without individual choice, the machine will tell you what to choose from it and will be limited and not what you want but who can argue against a machine. It is a depressing thought.
Yep, except it started even before cashless. As with Sukiya switching to their touch screen menus; I can not order an extra topping of cheese because it is not a menu item. It was not a menu item with the printed menu but I could ask for it and pay for it. Can’t now. Cashless just makes it worse, much worse. When they finish integrating the social credit scoring with it, that is the end.
I like options and the problem here is that it is not either, or. And yes, for digital, the risks definitely will outweigh the rewards if along with it is the surveillance state. If you can blockchain and your wallet and your recipients wallet are both encrypted on both ends, then the government is left out of the transaction. In a similar fashion if I sold you my old record player for 50$ for cash, the government was nowhere in the transaction. Nor should they also need to know about my taste in music or love for whatever form I buy my records in.
I haven't enjoyed the surveillance state for years. I am glad that my bank has security in place, but should one of the things on my to-do list have to be to inform the bank I am going on vacation so they don't inadvertently freeze my account?
Therein lay the rubs. My credit card company, insurance companies, Zoom, YouTube, phone company, pocket wifi (I think you in the States call these mobile hot spots), and the like do not have blockchain and all my electronic transactions are reported to the US as per FATCA. If I buy your used record player for any amount and pay through any kind of electronic transaction, you become known to the financial transparency surveillance state as a participant in a financial transaction with myself. Likewise if you buy one of my fountain pens you become known for the same reason, albeit the payer. Payee or payer, if you have any kind of electronic transaction with me, you are known to the surveillance state. The only way to avoid this is with cash, which is being phased out.
As far as any kind of crypto currency, you and I paying each other for our used goodies MAY, (I doubt very much that intel agencies are out of this loop.) escape detection but we become known entities as soon as we buy the digital currency and whenever we cash it out.
Are you sure your bank has the security you think it has? Banks in the US have cancelled accounts of those who dare publicly speak wrong think. In at least one case, not only the individual, DR. Mercola, but also his employees of and family members of employees have had accounts closed because of the legal activities he engages in violate the wishes of someone in power.
Oh no, when I say "I haven't enjoyed the surveillance state for years" I mean I know my bank is surveilling me, and I haven't enjoyed it for years.
On possible solution is to create a parallel economy. We start putting more into this alternative economy, the less money will be visible to the US and FATCA.
Sorry Jimmy. I have become so sarcastic that I think I read sarcasm where it does not exist.
Am alternative or parallel Economy needs to get off the ground quickly. It is running out of runway.
Here are some bonus thoughts! Or for others, just a gratuitous placeholder to be scrolled past for other serious and well thought out ruminations.
As far as touchscreens, it's a mixed bag.
I do a lot of online ordering, and most of the time, the order is wrong. They get the items wrong, or items are missing. Probably one of the reason for the high delivery fees is to offset the amount of credits they issue on a per-order basis. I remember spending three hours trying to get the one item I craved that they got wrong. The first time I ordered it, they forgot it. The second time I ordered it alone, and for some reason the driver canceled the order, until finally I managed to receive the item. I also got two refunds in the process, and it was three hours later, but they just didn't get it...I would have been fine without the refunds if they just had delivered the item.
And yes, it takes a lot more time. In a drive thru situation. Unless it was at the Popeye's Drive Thru as they probably still have people in line from the late 1980's. For other places though, the drive thru will have processed you before you complete your order. So I usually drive the the place, park, order, then get in line depending on the line length.
Why use an online app at all?
For a whole summer I got a Chicken Sandwich, and a Drink for three dollars. The big chains have deals going on, most likely as an incentive to get new app users, used to the experience of app ordering. I could tell even the workers were new to he process as they would often be confused and fumbling when I'd tell them I had an "online order."
But as far as ease of use, still easier to talk to a drive through speaker than to have to make the order. Even then though, miscommunication can occur. 25% of the time I would often have to repeat my order at the window. And although I hated doing it, very often I would look to see if my order was correct after receiving it right at the window to avoid having to go through the line again.
There are more invisible bad effects as well.
The risk of bad social interactions. One of the the problems with less face time and more screen time is it reduces our ability to properly socialize. The way we interact with people is important. Take it from someone who thought he was being caring by not being so present in others lives, it comes with a cost, and that cost is people not caring as much as they once did..
I can tell you, some of the most rewarding experiences over the last years has been when I fought the cocoon of isolation and reached out and spoke to others in a positive manner. I don't do it enough. By the convenience of screen interaction though, we could then maintain and overcompensate by being more social. The screen takes the transactional aspect of the relationship and minimizes it. So the currency now is all social, is it not? So why not make it as positive as possible?
There are so many things wrong with QR Code menus and touch screen ordering and you touch on many of them. For a long time it was just annoying but as more and more places implemented them, it became apparent that a result is ever less social interaction. I posted earlier on this. In college and for some years after, it was fun to flirt with the cashiers and waitresses and to be flirted with by same of my customers when I was a cashier or waiter. As abhorrent as flirting is to many now, it is an important human interaction. At the time it was just fun, but humanity is far less humane without it.
Beyond flirting, just the interactions with waiters and waitresses has long been an important social interaction. Entire movies and weekly TV shows have been based upon them. Who hasn’t had a favorite waitress or waiter or sales clerk at the many places we patronize? The server who knows exactly how you like your eggs or coffee, for example?
In Japan, it is not just touch screen ordering, many places used robots to “serve” your order. Imagine going to a family restaurant, ordering on a touch screen, either provided by the restaurant or on your idiot phone via their QR Code, and then have your order brought to your table by a robot. The only time you interact with anyone outside your group is when you pay, if even then. I have not seen the self check out systems in a restaurant yet, but have in various stores and fast food. It’s just a matter of time.
The human interaction between clerks and servers is more than just flirting and chewing the fat. Important information is often exchanged. Additionally, human can read facial expressions, as long as masks are not interfering, and see if the customer is confused and offer help. I know that this needed help may not be offered as often as it should, but the possibility exists and at worst, the confused can ask for help. A human can pick up that something is not “right” with the group they are serving. Potential victims of sexual assault, humman trafficking and other crimes have been saved by alert and discrete employees. Not possible with touch screens.
But this human interface is more important than any of the above. It is the basis of our species. We are a social animal but we are allowing them to force each of us to be an island. I had to “teach” English as a foreign language to a blank screen for 3 and 1/2 years. At least one professional sport player in the US refused to play to an empty arena. We all know it exists, many lampoon or belittle those who seek it, thrive on it and especially those we judge to need it; ignoring that we all need it. We need feedback on our efforts. Especially on efforts to communicate. When we attempt to commune with a lifeless thing, regardless how life like it may appear or act, something is missing and we know it. It a very real way, it drains us of our humanity as we give it but it is not returned. A machine cannot return humanity to us. An electronic likeness and voice of a friend or family member on a screen does not meet this need of having our out pouring of humanity returned. It doesn’t cut it. Better than nothing, perhaps, but it doesn’t pass muster and it is evil to force it upon innocent beings.
Masks are little different.