Is it just me, or is this not really that much of a cautionary tale? The Wok Shop, as far as I can tell, is still in business and doing fine. It got a bump in sales that it couldn't keep up with,...
Is it just me, or is this not really that much of a cautionary tale?
The Wok Shop, as far as I can tell, is still in business and doing fine. It got a bump in sales that it couldn't keep up with, as it's a small store; it got some negative reviews and all that. But like, the business still exists, the owner has an upbeat attitude about everything that happened, and nothing really horrible seems to have occurred.
I think it's interesting how the Internet has created this culture of, "The Best". This thing is The Best and everything else sucks and isn't worth looking at. I mean, I get it. I want to make...
I think it's interesting how the Internet has created this culture of, "The Best". This thing is The Best and everything else sucks and isn't worth looking at.
I mean, I get it. I want to make sure my money is going towards something that will last or give me a good experience or whatever. But do I really need to figure out what TV is The Best TV? Do I really need to know what The Best oil filter is? The Best clock? Whatever?
I feel like it's become an obsession for many people when the basic thing that's within your price range and freely available will do the job just fine.
It makes more sense in a world where so many decent-looking products are total crapshoots in terms of quality. Reviews can be faked, realistic-looking review sites can be spun up (or bought), and...
It makes more sense in a world where so many decent-looking products are total crapshoots in terms of quality. Reviews can be faked, realistic-looking review sites can be spun up (or bought), and even formerly trusted brands can be hollowed out and enshittified without warning. So it's less about getting "the best" and more about avoiding getting burned.
Tbh, why not in most cases? If The Best and the not as good are both on Amazon, there’s no reason not to get The Best. Even in a case like the article describes, the only cost to getting the...
Tbh, why not in most cases? If The Best and the not as good are both on Amazon, there’s no reason not to get The Best.
Even in a case like the article describes, the only cost to getting the better product is a longer ship time. For a lot of items, that just doesn’t matter much.
Getting the good enough made sense when physical availability mattered. If I have to drive 3 hours to another city to buy a nicer pan, then yeah I’ll take what I get. But if I just have to wait 3 more days for shipping who cares. Why not get the best?
A lot of times price is the greater factor. Why would I pay $200 for the best something when I can find something that completely meets my needs for $80? I'm obviously going to look for the best...
A lot of times price is the greater factor. Why would I pay $200 for the best something when I can find something that completely meets my needs for $80? I'm obviously going to look for the best value, but trying to get the ultimate everything is a bit overconsumeristic in my opinion.
Wirecutters definition of the “the best” isn’t just the most expensive. It’s most holistically good, value for dollar included. For any given price range, there exist a best in that range. How so?...
Wirecutters definition of the “the best” isn’t just the most expensive. It’s most holistically good, value for dollar included. For any given price range, there exist a best in that range.
but trying to get the ultimate everything is a bit overconsumeristic in my opinion.
How so? Trying to get the most for your dollar when the costs are just reading an article on the internet for 5 second just seems like a no brainer. There’s no virtue in buying worse products.
Along with this, there’s also the issue of unknown unknowns for some items. I don’t know what cons might make or break something before I’ve actually used it, so why not spend a little extra if it...
Along with this, there’s also the issue of unknown unknowns for some items. I don’t know what cons might make or break something before I’ve actually used it, so why not spend a little extra if it means ruling out potential problems? At best I’m saving myself some trouble and at worst I’m out a few extra dollars.
After learning that some retailers (like Amazon) scrap or shred perfectly good returned items I’m even more inclined to do this. No point in forcing unneeded waste playing the returns game when I can just start with a known good option.
This is Wirecutter’s whole shtick. Where other review sites might have reviews of a dozen choices with star ratings, they decided to just pick what they thought was the best one for most people....
This is Wirecutter’s whole shtick. Where other review sites might have reviews of a dozen choices with star ratings, they decided to just pick what they thought was the best one for most people. You don’t even need to read the rest of the review if you don’t want to.
Sometimes it’s doubtful whether it’s really the best, but it’s likely to be a pretty good choice, so people who aren’t picky can just buy the one they recommend and move on. So in a way it’s the opposite of obsessing over a buying decision. It’s for people who don’t really care about that purchase and are happy to go with someone else’s choice.
Despite that, they often do give a few extra choices like an “upgrade pick”, one to buy if you’re on a budget, or an alternate if their first choice sells out. They often admit that some of the also-rans are also okay despite one thing they didn’t like as much.
That makes total sense to me. If I'm honest, I have never actually read Wirecutter, ever. I was trying to get at the point I was attempting to make here.
That makes total sense to me. If I'm honest, I have never actually read Wirecutter, ever. I was trying to get at the point I was attempting to make here.
I think anyone will acknowledge that "the best" is rarely one thing, but a sliding scale. The best... Per dollar, per watt, per volume, per weight, in durability/longevity, in price range bucket,...
I think anyone will acknowledge that "the best" is rarely one thing, but a sliding scale. The best... Per dollar, per watt, per volume, per weight, in durability/longevity, in price range bucket, feature set, alternative to <thing/company> that's objectively better for <reasons> but morally bankrupt...
"The best..." is the search of someone who doesn't know what they're looking for. Usually when people Google "best <thing>" they're really searching for "<thing> buying guide + recommendations." We're drowning in products/brands so curated opinions on what products/brands make up the pareto frontier is genuinely useful. It's also a quick way to discover what you don't know, i.e feature/brand/terminology/product discovery and use that to inform what your person definition of "best" is.
To run with your oil filter example. There's different types of oil filters, different sizes, etc. When people search "best oil filter for <their car>" they're really asking what filters are compatible for their car and maybe looking for a brand recommendation. And if there's other gotchas or points/qualities of consideration, they're usually brought up in the review of what makes <this filter> the best one.
If I'm looking for "the best projector", I quickly learn that supported and native resolutions are very different things, about lumens, etc. All of these things can help inform my choice and hunt for whatever it is I value more. If it's for indoor use in a dark theater room, maybe lumens is less important than native resolution. Certain connectivity modes may/may not be preferable. If it's a permanent installment, size/portability aren't that important, etc.
That's a fair point. I suppose the point I was trying to make is that it feels like theirs this Zeitgeist that surrounds, "The Best" thing. This idea that if you don't have "The Best" you may as...
That's a fair point.
I suppose the point I was trying to make is that it feels like theirs this Zeitgeist that surrounds, "The Best" thing. This idea that if you don't have "The Best" you may as well not even try. As an example here, one time I was out on the trail with my Jeep, which, at the time had smaller 29" tall tires; quite large really, but in the Jeep world, tiny.
There was a spot on this trail that was a very rocky decline, narrow with some pretty big rocks to get over and not a lot of options for going around. I had done it no problem in my own Jeep, simply by taking it very slowly and strategizing my way around; where I would place my tires, how I would like my front end to dip, etc, etc. With this approach, I had zero issues and it was quite fun to navigate.
Later I met a guy taking a break and he warned me off that particular spot, "You'd better not even try unless you have at least 35s!" he'd said to me. This is an attitude I've encountered actually quite a lot in both the Jeep world, as well as lots of video games, "Don't bother with this thing unless you have X+Y (i.e. "The Best")" and I just find it irksome. Look at how the "Meta" emerges with any given game, whether that's a video game or a tabletop based one. Look at PC builds. You must have a 4k monitor, you must have an Nvidia video card, you must have an AMD processor, you have to spend at least two-thousand dollars because that will at least get you a lot of "The Best" and if you're not going to do that, why bother?
It feels to me that there's this attitude that takes hold and once "The Best" thing is decided on, people are completely unwilling to even look at other options. It becomes, again, this Zeitgeist that runs through the culture and this thing is put on a pedestal, irreproachable, beyond even questioning and if you try something that isn't "The Best", well, you're wasting your time. That's what I was trying to get at in my original post, but I didn't have the mental capacity or the time at in that particular moment to elucidate further.
But I do agree with you, I am guilty of such searches and yes, it usually is a starting point for further research and deciding what really fits my needs and is also in my budget.
I wonder how many of these people were aware that it was a small shop. Maybe they did and didn’t care. Either way, her answer makes me laugh. Plenty of websites have terrible warranties that are...
One reviewer recounted asking about a warranty. Chan’s response, according to the review: “You are buying a wok, not a diamond! It is a stupid question!”
I wonder how many of these people were aware that it was a small shop. Maybe they did and didn’t care. Either way, her answer makes me laugh.
Plenty of websites have terrible warranties that are impossible to use, including from some sellers on Amazon. At least she’s honest about it.
Is it just me, or is this not really that much of a cautionary tale?
The Wok Shop, as far as I can tell, is still in business and doing fine. It got a bump in sales that it couldn't keep up with, as it's a small store; it got some negative reviews and all that. But like, the business still exists, the owner has an upbeat attitude about everything that happened, and nothing really horrible seems to have occurred.
Mirror: https://archive.is/dXKH7
I think it's interesting how the Internet has created this culture of, "The Best". This thing is The Best and everything else sucks and isn't worth looking at.
I mean, I get it. I want to make sure my money is going towards something that will last or give me a good experience or whatever. But do I really need to figure out what TV is The Best TV? Do I really need to know what The Best oil filter is? The Best clock? Whatever?
I feel like it's become an obsession for many people when the basic thing that's within your price range and freely available will do the job just fine.
It makes more sense in a world where so many decent-looking products are total crapshoots in terms of quality. Reviews can be faked, realistic-looking review sites can be spun up (or bought), and even formerly trusted brands can be hollowed out and enshittified without warning. So it's less about getting "the best" and more about avoiding getting burned.
Doubly so since we've moved from seeing and feeling things in a brick and mortar shop to rolling the dice online.
Tbh, why not in most cases? If The Best and the not as good are both on Amazon, there’s no reason not to get The Best.
Even in a case like the article describes, the only cost to getting the better product is a longer ship time. For a lot of items, that just doesn’t matter much.
Getting the good enough made sense when physical availability mattered. If I have to drive 3 hours to another city to buy a nicer pan, then yeah I’ll take what I get. But if I just have to wait 3 more days for shipping who cares. Why not get the best?
A lot of times price is the greater factor. Why would I pay $200 for the best something when I can find something that completely meets my needs for $80? I'm obviously going to look for the best value, but trying to get the ultimate everything is a bit overconsumeristic in my opinion.
Wirecutters definition of the “the best” isn’t just the most expensive. It’s most holistically good, value for dollar included. For any given price range, there exist a best in that range.
How so? Trying to get the most for your dollar when the costs are just reading an article on the internet for 5 second just seems like a no brainer. There’s no virtue in buying worse products.
Along with this, there’s also the issue of unknown unknowns for some items. I don’t know what cons might make or break something before I’ve actually used it, so why not spend a little extra if it means ruling out potential problems? At best I’m saving myself some trouble and at worst I’m out a few extra dollars.
After learning that some retailers (like Amazon) scrap or shred perfectly good returned items I’m even more inclined to do this. No point in forcing unneeded waste playing the returns game when I can just start with a known good option.
This is Wirecutter’s whole shtick. Where other review sites might have reviews of a dozen choices with star ratings, they decided to just pick what they thought was the best one for most people. You don’t even need to read the rest of the review if you don’t want to.
Sometimes it’s doubtful whether it’s really the best, but it’s likely to be a pretty good choice, so people who aren’t picky can just buy the one they recommend and move on. So in a way it’s the opposite of obsessing over a buying decision. It’s for people who don’t really care about that purchase and are happy to go with someone else’s choice.
Despite that, they often do give a few extra choices like an “upgrade pick”, one to buy if you’re on a budget, or an alternate if their first choice sells out. They often admit that some of the also-rans are also okay despite one thing they didn’t like as much.
That makes total sense to me. If I'm honest, I have never actually read Wirecutter, ever. I was trying to get at the point I was attempting to make here.
I think anyone will acknowledge that "the best" is rarely one thing, but a sliding scale. The best... Per dollar, per watt, per volume, per weight, in durability/longevity, in price range bucket, feature set, alternative to <thing/company> that's objectively better for <reasons> but morally bankrupt...
"The best..." is the search of someone who doesn't know what they're looking for. Usually when people Google "best <thing>" they're really searching for "<thing> buying guide + recommendations." We're drowning in products/brands so curated opinions on what products/brands make up the pareto frontier is genuinely useful. It's also a quick way to discover what you don't know, i.e feature/brand/terminology/product discovery and use that to inform what your person definition of "best" is.
To run with your oil filter example. There's different types of oil filters, different sizes, etc. When people search "best oil filter for <their car>" they're really asking what filters are compatible for their car and maybe looking for a brand recommendation. And if there's other gotchas or points/qualities of consideration, they're usually brought up in the review of what makes <this filter> the best one.
If I'm looking for "the best projector", I quickly learn that supported and native resolutions are very different things, about lumens, etc. All of these things can help inform my choice and hunt for whatever it is I value more. If it's for indoor use in a dark theater room, maybe lumens is less important than native resolution. Certain connectivity modes may/may not be preferable. If it's a permanent installment, size/portability aren't that important, etc.
That's a fair point.
I suppose the point I was trying to make is that it feels like theirs this Zeitgeist that surrounds, "The Best" thing. This idea that if you don't have "The Best" you may as well not even try. As an example here, one time I was out on the trail with my Jeep, which, at the time had smaller 29" tall tires; quite large really, but in the Jeep world, tiny.
There was a spot on this trail that was a very rocky decline, narrow with some pretty big rocks to get over and not a lot of options for going around. I had done it no problem in my own Jeep, simply by taking it very slowly and strategizing my way around; where I would place my tires, how I would like my front end to dip, etc, etc. With this approach, I had zero issues and it was quite fun to navigate.
Later I met a guy taking a break and he warned me off that particular spot, "You'd better not even try unless you have at least 35s!" he'd said to me. This is an attitude I've encountered actually quite a lot in both the Jeep world, as well as lots of video games, "Don't bother with this thing unless you have X+Y (i.e. "The Best")" and I just find it irksome. Look at how the "Meta" emerges with any given game, whether that's a video game or a tabletop based one. Look at PC builds. You must have a 4k monitor, you must have an Nvidia video card, you must have an AMD processor, you have to spend at least two-thousand dollars because that will at least get you a lot of "The Best" and if you're not going to do that, why bother?
It feels to me that there's this attitude that takes hold and once "The Best" thing is decided on, people are completely unwilling to even look at other options. It becomes, again, this Zeitgeist that runs through the culture and this thing is put on a pedestal, irreproachable, beyond even questioning and if you try something that isn't "The Best", well, you're wasting your time. That's what I was trying to get at in my original post, but I didn't have the mental capacity or the time at in that particular moment to elucidate further.
But I do agree with you, I am guilty of such searches and yes, it usually is a starting point for further research and deciding what really fits my needs and is also in my budget.
I wonder how many of these people were aware that it was a small shop. Maybe they did and didn’t care. Either way, her answer makes me laugh.
Plenty of websites have terrible warranties that are impossible to use, including from some sellers on Amazon. At least she’s honest about it.