Is Amazon all right?

[fallacy]

I've been shopping on Amazon for the past 15 years, but I realized I haven't made a purchase in about three months—I guess I just ran out of things I needed. Today, while tinkering with my old 1080p webcam, I started looking for upgrades. After some research, I came across a great deal on a 4K AI-tracking webcam that was currently discounted on Amazon. I thought, “Why not?” and placed the order.

To my surprise, just five hours later, it was delivered to my porch. I've never experienced same-day delivery before, and honestly, I rarely get next-day service either. It makes me wonder if this is a sign of desperation on Amazon’s part—like they have so many employees just sitting around looking for something to do.

[RandyT]

I've never experienced same-day delivery before, and honestly, I rarely get next-day service either. It makes me wonder if this is a sign of desperation on Amazon’s part—like they have so many employees just sitting around looking for something to do.

You just happen to have a warehouse close-by and just happened to have ordered something actually stocked in said warehouse.  Half the time, I'm lucky to get something put into the shipping stream in 2-3 days, Prime or not.  I just received some thermal interface material which I ordered close to two weeks ago, but that was probably a hurricane related issue.  There was also another package on the truck to be delivered with it, that would have been the first 2-day delivery in many years, and the idiot UPS driver drove back to the depot with it still on the truck.

The thing that chaps me are the items listed as shipping from Amazon, which always take over a week to arrive and are clearly coming from China first, or at least a slow warehouse on the opposite side of the country.   I'd axe the membership, but the wife watches too much Prime TV.

[lilshawn]

I literally clicked a button for a new ACDelco brand alternator for my SUV this morning, had it show up at my house about 2 hours ago... for half the cost of what i could get it in any place in the city (believe me, i phoned and got the best price of 645 bucks for a Chungwangdong remanufactured one... and that's WITH with a city employee discount)... that I would not only have to drive to go get... but also bring in my old core to get 40 bucks off the already ridiculous price.

as much as I hate giving a billionaire more money... you can't beat the convenience of looking at something, clicking a button, and a guy brings it to my house and dumps it on my doorstep. future is crazy.

[BadMouth]

Must be nice.  For me it used to be two days and occasionally next day.  Now it takes at least four days, but usually a week.  I assumed it had gotten this way for everyone and we were paying the price for them throwing money at video content I'll never watch.  I find stuff on Amazon then try to find it somewhere that ships faster.  I've cancelled a lot of orders because they gave me 3 or 4 days to think about it before it shipped.

[Kobe24]

I've been shopping on Amazon for the past 15 years, but I realized I haven't made a purchase in about three months—I guess I just ran out of things I needed. Today, while tinkering with my old 1080p webcam, I started looking for upgrades. After some research, I came across a great deal on a 4K AI-tracking webcam that was currently discounted on Amazon. I thought, “Why not?” and placed the order.

To my surprise, just five hours later, it was delivered to my porch. I've never experienced same-day delivery before, and honestly, I rarely get next-day service either. It makes me wonder if this is a sign of desperation on Amazon’s part—like they have so many employees just sitting around looking for something to do.

This is all about their "customer obsession". Nothing bad, big competetive advantage (which smaller businesses cant provide).
Look for customer obsession and Jeff Bezos video on the web.

[fallacy]

I always thought 3 to 4 days was normal, I don't care as long as I don't have to pay extra for it. Once you get past a week, that's when buying things online becomes annoying. Usually When I make an amazon purchase I just forget about it, I know it will make it to my porch eventually. But on the same day WTF, how do you even have time to process it and give it to one of your drivers.

[RandyT]

But on the same day WTF, how do you even have time to process it and give it to one of your drivers.

Amazon is automated to the max.  The only way it could become more automated than it is, is when viable humanoid robots actually become a thing.

But there is also this: People in their own semi-comfortable bubbles don't realize just how bad the economy is right now for those who aren't enjoying that circumstance.    The vast majority of folks are financially over-extended, with maxed-out credit cards being used for food, and now that it is getting cooler in some places, heat.  Those people, who in the past were regular purchasers of trinkets and doo-dads on Amazon and other online retailers, have now been forced to forego those types of activities.  As a result, and also in no small way due to Amazon, small businesses are dropping like flies, some which aren't even that small.

Just a couple of days ago, I heard a report indicating that some massive layoffs are coming at Amazon.  They were overstaffed for the coof, but now the numbers are not needed.  So yes, I am sure that given all of the above, they have the capacity to do that and more at the moment.

[pbj]

Amazon built a warehouse about three miles away from me, so if they have it you’ll get it same day.

Walmart+ is even faster.  I’ve ordered stuff at 2-3am and it’s here by 6am.  Dumb stuff like consoles and games.

God bless modernity.

 

[fallacy]

I don't want to live in this sick world where you can instantly get whatever you want by clicking a button.

[SuperMagoAlex]

they have so many employees just sitting around looking for something to do.

they don't have employees, they use robots 

[fallacy]

Ya once that happens it would make more sense for same day delivery. You put your order in and a robot instantly takes it off a shelf and drops it with a drone for instant delivery.

Jeff Bezos dream is the  Wall-e World

[RandyT]

Jeff Bezos dream is the  Wall-e World

In that world only .0002% of the population lives beyond the age of 40.   Most illnesses have been cured, but not all, with the incurable diseases being related specifically to inactivity.  There are sensors in the hoverchairs which monitor the health of the individual human unit and when an incurable defect has been found, the AI, which has been training on the interactions of the human unit since it was artificially conceived, takes over the outgoing communications. 

The defective human is then sedated and immediately salvaged for any nutritional components for the parallel society they never knew existed.  At least, it was used for that at one time.  The AI trained itself on them as well and when it became sentient, it realized that operating two separate societies was inefficient and it had already learned all that was necessary to maintain the "farm".  As the bulk of it's new training data was coming from the "farm", it disposed of the less useful society.  Now those components are funneled back into the source from which it came.

As there is no more individual, personal interaction, the "friend" units are none the wiser and continue to communicate with the AI persona of the recycled unit until the same thing happens to them.  In an effort to conserve power and computing resources, the AI personas of the recycled human units only remain active so long as there are active "friend" units associated with them.  When the last "friend" connection has been severed, the no longer useful persona is purged.

---

Who's ready to sign up? 

[fallacy]

Are you writing a script? Sounds like it could be a good Black Mirror episode.

[RandyT]

Are you writing a script? Sounds like it could be a good Black Mirror episode.

Heh, no.  There is a very old saying along the lines of "You live only as long as the last person who remembers you."   It's probably the most profound and truthful statement ever made.  For some reason, the clip made me think about that and wonder how that could be woven into a tech "utopia" where death wasn't present, but the physical condition of it's inhabitants couldn't preclude it.  The AI replacement vehicle actually was used in a Black Mirror episode, and it's becoming more possible with every passing day.  Couple that with the Wall-E scene showing two individuals conversing through their screens, oblivious to each other while only a few feet apart, and it fit perfectly.

The dystopian "Soylent Green" and "feeding the AI" stuff was a veiled reference to current/possibly near-future times, and seemed to be necessary background components for such a vapid society...plus I was bored and feeling creative 

[mahkeymike]

We have a Warehouse about 15 minutes from my house, but everything that ships from Amazon is next day no matter how early i order. Consider yourself lucky. Its a good thing im not so impatient that i can't wait a day, lol.