Idiocracy incoming!

That's a really nice story. :)

Russia actively used conspiracy theories and such to create division. And now the Ukraine support is stuck because of right wing maga loonies and russia is advancing because of shortage of supplies...

Aren't they already doing this? Especially with illegal immigrants, stealing their passports and forcing them to work is disturbingly not as rare as one would think. Then there's the whole "moving production to overseas" with child labor and massive exploitation.

Planned obsolescence....

Apple got sued over something like this. They were releasing software updates that purposefully slowed down older phones and devices

Common misconception. Planned obsolescence doesn't mean designing an appliance to break down on purpose. It means designing an appliance according to a reasonable projected life span and use case, without wasting money on overdesigning and overengineering parts. The ultimate goal is to build a product with the right market price, that serves its purpose at least until using/repairing it is not economical anymore and replacement is more efficient.

Not once as a consumer has this happened to me. Maybe that's because I always buy quality brands instead of cheap junk.

If we want something to last a seriously long time, it will need to be constructed from more expensive parts, Then we go into the shop , look at the price of the high-quality stuff and walk on by. You can't expect high quality for low price, but so many people buy on price. We are our own worst enemy.

My washing machine broke on a sunday the very last day of the warranty. Fortunately the customer line was open on sundays. It was the solenoid valve.

Washer-dryer combo in my house is 35 years-old and I've been using it for 25. During that timeframe I've replaced the gear 'dogs' in the washer twice (about $20) and the switch on the dryer door once (which I think was around $15). Friend of mine had a two year-old, high-tech, electronic bells & whistles Samsung combo he was willing to just give to me - he was moving out of state - and I turned it down. Things break no matter how much they cost so I prefer things that can be fairly easily fixed. Simpler tends to be better.

They try to add more bells and whistles, instead of just making a tried and true basic washer

It's very true. Was at a client's home yesterday and checked on her dryer that wasn't working. It's just over 50 years old. Was working fine until then.

Crapple intentionally designs batteries (which cannot be replaced) to break down 1-3 months after the warranty ends. You can't fix it, they won't, so the suckers end up buying the next one.

That's something I just can't believe. My cellphone is 5 years, only now starting to bug, my parent's phones aren't 3 years each and have been long broken or had to be fixed. Difference is, I take care of my phone, they don't. Maybe planned obsolescence is true in other countries or true for high end stuff, but for us poor people of my country things always last a lot, even cause we have to make them last.

there actually is evidence for this

We bought an old house that came with appliances from the early 90s. Washer\dryer, stove, fridge, all pre-1995. We've been here 11 years and haven't had to replace any of them. Meanwhile my mom has been through two brand new washers and two refrigerators in the same time period.

I had to fix one in bout 4

There 8 billion people on this planet. Everyone has to work for the basics. So, if manufactured goods last for years and years nobody has a job or the basics. Become accustomed. This won't change anytime soon.

Back in the early years of personal computers, I met a guy that worked for a sw house. He entered some code lines that stopped the programs at random intervals, and showed the user a message urging them to call the programmer to fix the problem. Since there were no flaws, he did so to have some extra income

"Planned Obsolecense" was a hot topic in the 1970s.

My <5 year old washing machine has gears that are made out of PLASTIC. I don't know how much I'd have to spend to get on that doesn't.

So far, neither my washer or dryer have needed any more than minimal repair and it's been 25 years.

My mum had to call repairman for washing machine barely 4 years old. It was fixed, but then she went on obvious how first washing machine lasted for 20 years. I reminded her that as far as I remember it was being repaired at regular intervals as something broke and had to be replaced.. That's said, at least it was repairable, unlike modern appliances

For sure. My Dads house came with a washing machine from the 70s that still worked in 2020 only broke recently

My best buy ever was computer mause R.A.T. 5. It's planned obsolescence was very good (in average). My copy wasn't average. It broke 2 weeks before the warranty expires. They gave me money back :D

This is true.

Bought a printer in July. I've replaced the ink cartridge 3 times already and have not printed more than 50 pages

Depends on how much you spend, buy a cheap appliance then yes, I work for a high end appliance company we will stock parts for your machine for 20 years & give a 10 year warranty

Well known fact.

Also cars. You can fix most cars over 15 years old but can be much harder if they're new.

Not only do they break easier, but they're harder and more expensive to repair.

Things that the consumer does not maintain properly break down faster.

I see this in the car repair shop where I work. There are certain faults build into the vehicle for the dealerships to make make money.

Oh, absolutely!

Reptiles release a different hormone than mammals in response to safety and happiness. This hormone is released in the presence of humans in captive bred reptiles. They do recognise their people, pick favourites, seek play, and seek attention from their person. I've worked with reptiles and have cared for sneks.

They definitely taste better with cane sugar instead of the other stuff.

This is not speculation. This a very well documented fact.

I treat this "belief" and ROCK SOLID TRUTH. I hope the Tech executives take note, because if this is ever proven true, I believe the backlash would be unhinged.

But look at that face...

Money laundering through art is not something without evidence, it very much known about.

Whether true or not, it is time to decouple health care insurance from your job.

An apple and an apple cut by mom are two different kinds of fruit

I can appreciate the rational here, but there are some pretty angry, dumb people too.MAGA anyone?

Excellent example of something we really can't prove, yet still feels true

Whimsy is an underrated characteristic. It should never be quashed or ruined.

The night my grat grandmother died, a country away, I dremed of her. We had a chat on a bench at a lake. The next morning my mother called and I just said great granny died...

They're chosen to represent their voters.