1. Both Google and Yahoo have been criticized for censoring their search results in China. What are your feelings about this? Why should Google, or why should Google not, produce different search results for different countries?
Of course living in the United States, we are given not only the privilege but the right to information free of censorship (well, at least outlined as so in the Constitution but not necessarily enforced or followed given various pressures from advertisers, and higher-up's political agendas etc but that's a whole different story.) Having never lived in, nor visited a country like China, it is difficult for me to understand their way of life. It is difficult for me to understand a more strict society and without any deep knowledge of their culture, commenting on this aspect of it would be ignorant and naive.
From Google's standpoint, however, initially I couldn't understand why it was their problem to begin with. I realize however that if Google does not cooperate with these requests, then they will be banned al together. If they are banned, their goes the cash. If they are banned altogether, there's no place to stick ads and therefore no way to collect on one of the largest populations in the world.
The Chinese government wants to stay in control and limit the amount that western culture influences their own. Preserving their history and way of life is important. Google and Yahoo do not have the responsibility to assist in this, but they do have the responsibility to ensure that their own businesses stays in business. Even though I would hate it if I couldn't look for episodes of Hard Knocks or watch streaming videos form the Tour de France, I can understand, from a financial standpoint why Google and Yahoo would limit searching.
2. Chapter 2 revealed the reason behind grocery loyalty cards. How do you feel about the use of these cards that offer us discounts at the cash register? Do you feel your purchasing privacy is worth a discount?
First off, the store cards are a joke. A responsible consumer would not trust a grocery store's own "discount." You can buy peaches from Food Lion for $1.99/lb, but with your MVP card -and oh man do I feel valuable with this card! - with your MVP card you can save 20 cents per pound. Wow...20 cents! That's terrific, right? Wrong. You can get the same deal on peaches form your local farmer on Saturday mornings under the awning downtown. Super Wal Mart is such a massive force and can force low low prices form their vendors (and because they pay their workers 4 dollars below the average retail mega center wage.) Peaches at Walmart cost $66/lb....more than half off.
Just like any business, the grocery store is out to make money - and there is nothing wrong with that - but consumers need to realize that just like retails outlets like Gap or a bike shop, grocery stores have to purchase their product from other vendors. Then they mark it up to pay back what they owe, their business costs, and net some profit. The "discount" is the marked up price, what they expect to be paid. The rest is just butter!
Having said that, every week I am forced to choose between the limited yet delicious selection at the farmers market, the fake discount, and my moral problem with shopping at a place that crushes family business by driving prices into the ground and never paying overtime to their employees who already earn minimum wage. And just like the business looking for ways to make more money and save more money, I the consumer, am looking for ways to save it and spend less. So when I am at places that offer the "discount" of course I use it. Type in my phone number, swipe my MVP card...yup I do it.
But the real solution: Sharp Shopper. Bulk and excess food that the grocery giants cant get rid of find a foster home in Sharp Shopper. Two 32 OZ tubs of peach Yoplait yogurt...50 cents each. And if you can stand Fruit O's from Iowa based grocery store Hy-Vee (Kurt Warner stocked shelves here before winning a superbowl) rather than Fruit Loops, you are in the right place. And there is no MVP card. Everyone is VIP there.(Just be careful, some things are close to expiration.)
Curtis - your second question was difficult to read - I had to keep scrolling to the right and read your gray text over the background. See if you can't fix this next time around.
ReplyDeleteI learned a lot about smarter shopping in your post this week. I agree, we should be more local buyers and save by giving back to local growers and food producers.