Snake oil

[cprobertson1]

I think I just got Poe'd...

[Mr. Scram]

I think I just got Poe'd...

The 102.5% gives it away.

[cprobertson1]

I think I just got Poe'd...

The 102.5% gives it away.

I did wonder, but I couldn't be sure!



Urgh... I've just came across cryogenically frozen VIDEOphile grade cables while ebaying for a UV filter. Ooft! I hear they allow you to zoom in further into your digital images than you can normally - just like in the movies - which, by the way, will look awesome because the electrons will be aligned better...

Doesn't seem as big a market as the audiophile market does though - I didn't spend long looking though

[KNSSoftware]

In the UK we have a higher end department store that sells snake oil; parting the fat stupid women of their phat cash!

https://www.johnlewis.com/rodial-snake-booster-oil-30ml/p2691273

[bd139]

I have come to the conclusion I'm in the wrong business.

The thing that gets me is, would I be a bad person if I sold people tiny bottles of shit and shiny cables for a fortune?

Is taking money from idiots bad or a justifiable punishment?

[coppice]

In the UK we have a higher end department store that sells snake oil; parting the fat stupid women of their phat cash!

https://www.johnlewis.com/rodial-snake-booster-oil-30ml/p2691273

That is definitely a web page which needs to be cited more often. 

[CJay]

I have come to the conclusion I'm in the wrong business.

The thing that gets me is, would I be a bad person if I sold people tiny bottles of shit and shiny cables for a fortune?

Is taking money from idiots bad or a justifiable punishment?

I've long been of that opinion about my own career, there is a yuge resource of idiocy out there just waiting to be exploited, in fact they're often begging to be exploited and will hand over their money with a smile on their face, but even better, they'll then tell other gullible idiots how great the deal was and be completely sincere about it.

It is absolutely clear that in the majority of cases of audiophoolery that there isn't any downside (other than mild, easily ignored ridicule) to selling the BS because people *want* to be conned, they want to believe they are somehow special, golden ears listeners.

I'm thinking I may have to visit my local stone merchant and see if they'll sell me some of their waste stone offcuts.

[Z80]

Snake oil exists wherever there is a market involving the general masses, everyone is at it.  Doesn't matter if it's audio / video or brightly coloured bottles of liquid to pour into your car, BS is everywhere.  Just read some of the outrageous claims made on your wife's beauty products, the cosmetics industry makes audiofools look like rank amateurs  .

[CJay]

Snake oil exists wherever there is a market involving the general masses, everyone is at it.  Doesn't matter if it's audio / video or brightly coloured bottles of liquid to pour into your car, BS is everywhere.  Just read some of the outrageous claims made on your wife's beauty products, the cosmetics industry makes audiofools look like rank amateurs  .

I'd have to look at someone else's wife's cosmetics as I haven't and never have had one, frankly, looking at someone else's wife's cosmetics is a bit weird so I'll have to take your word for it.

The only real difference I suppose between cosmetics snake oil and audiophoolery is that we know enough about the technology to know it's BS, knowing enough about chemistry and biology to be able to debunk cosmetics is a more rare knowledge set...

[cprobertson1]

Snake oil exists wherever there is a market involving the general masses, everyone is at it.  Doesn't matter if it's audio / video or brightly coloured bottles of liquid to pour into your car, BS is everywhere.  Just read some of the outrageous claims made on your wife's beauty products, the cosmetics industry makes audiofools look like rank amateurs  .

I'd have to look at someone else's wife's cosmetics as I haven't and never have had one, frankly, looking at someone else's wife's cosmetics is a bit weird so I'll have to take your word for it.

The only real difference I suppose between cosmetics snake oil and audiophoolery is that we know enough about the technology to know it's BS, knowing enough about chemistry and biology to be able to debunk cosmetics is a more rare knowledge set...

Now there's an interesting point... if anti-ageing creams actually worked*... would there still be a market for them?

*to be fair, some do actually hide wrinkles - usually by plastering a protein/carbohydrate/plastic (yes, plastic) over the skin that contracts as it dries, pulling the skin taut - at least until you wash your face. Still not worth £50 for a 30ml tub, though...

[bd139]

I actually bought a tube of solder paste a while ago and my wife was shocked at how much it cost (was about £25). Then I pointed to her makeup bag and there was enlightenment.

[CJay]

Now there's an interesting point... if anti-ageing creams actually worked*... would there still be a market for them?

*to be fair, some do actually hide wrinkles - usually by plastering a protein/carbohydrate/plastic (yes, plastic) over the skin that contracts as it dries, pulling the skin taut - at least until you wash your face. Still not worth £50 for a 30ml tub, though...

And there's the other problem with marketing BS, there's a sweet spot somewhere for every product where selling price and perceived value match, if you're lucky that price point is high enough to make a business viable, if you're outlandishly lucky/skilled you can separate cost and price by a huge margin.

That's why so many cosmetics and other, generally low manufacture cost, BS products are in ever more luxurious packaging, if the product is perceived as being expensive then it has 'value', if you can convince someone to buy your expensive product then human nature makes them want to believe they've got value so they will defend their choices if confronted and thus the marketing wank begins to gain traction.

Once there's an established market for BS products then it becomes easier to make even more outlandish claims for efficacy of your own product.

[Cyberdragon]

Snake oil exists wherever there is a market involving the general masses, everyone is at it.  Doesn't matter if it's audio / video or brightly coloured bottles of liquid to pour into your car, BS is everywhere.  Just read some of the outrageous claims made on your wife's beauty products, the cosmetics industry makes audiofools look like rank amateurs  .

I'd have to look at someone else's wife's cosmetics as I haven't and never have had one, frankly, looking at someone else's wife's cosmetics is a bit weird so I'll have to take your word for it.

The only real difference I suppose between cosmetics snake oil and audiophoolery is that we know enough about the technology to know it's BS, knowing enough about chemistry and biology to be able to debunk cosmetics is a more rare knowledge set...

Here's a simple guide to the biggest bullshit cosmetics (I learned this from TV and common knowledge, so not an expert)

-essenial oils, , they can say that about anything
-detoxifying, total utter , it's not possible to remove chemicals out through skin (skin is one way)
-random organic bits (X extract, essence of X, exc), these are more tricky, this is where you need to know organic chemistry to know if they will actually effect the skin, but alot of it is just for smell anyway
 

[CJay]

Here's a simple guide to the biggest bullshit cosmetics (I learned this from TV and common knowledge, so not an expert)

-essenial oils, , they can say that about anything
-detoxifying, total utter , it's not possible to remove chemicals out through skin (skin is one way)
-random organic bits (X extract, essence of X, exc), these are more tricky, this is where you need to know organic chemistry to know if they will actually effect the skin, but alot of it is just for smell anyway

There are lots, they use all sorts of fancy, exotic and or scientific names for common as dirt ingredients, handy guide to some of them here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Nomenclature_of_Cosmetic_Ingredients

[bd139]

I’ve worked out my scam idea now.

I’m going to scam the scammers by setting up the best independent cable conditioning service in the business. You mail your cables to me and I’ll freeze them, burn them in and then run them through an audio VNA of my own dubious creation which will determine the best direction of the electron flow, label them up and provide a report as good as a your average Chinese AD584 paper report. I will charge $100 per cable plus shipping.

What will actually happen: fuck all other than unpack it and stick it in a nicer box and stick a piece of paper in with a plausible looking bode plot plus  some random noise from excel’s RNG in it.

[daqq]

I’ve worked out my scam idea now.

I’m going to scam the scammers by setting up the best independent cable conditioning service in the business. You mail your cables to me and I’ll freeze them, burn them in and then run them through an audio VNA of my own dubious creation which will determine the best direction of the electron flow, label them up and provide a report as good as a your average Chinese AD584 paper report. I will charge $100 per cable plus shipping.

What will actually happen: fuck all other than unpack it and stick it in a nicer box and stick a piece of paper in with a plausible looking bode plot plus  some random noise from excel’s RNG in it.

For bonus points you can put all the extra electrons that fell out of the cables during the burn in in a little sealed bag, you know, if they ever need replacement parts.

[bd139]

Hahaha 

[Specmaster]

You also forgot to tie the cable ends in a knot to prevent any further electrons falling out.

[CJay]

Ah no, you need to place it into a box that's previously been used to house electrons from the highest spec cable you can find on the net, that way they can diffuse into the cheaper cable.

[Specmaster]

I wonder how many people would actually take that service up??

[Cyberdragon]

When you open the box, it must play the Doctor Who theme, that way they know it's alien technology.

[Specmaster]

When you open the box, it must play the Doctor Who theme, that way they know it's alien technology.

No, that would add too much cost into the equation.

[StillTrying]

I’m going to scam the scammers by setting up the best independent cable conditioning service in the business. You mail your cables to me and I’ll freeze them, burn them in

How much do you charge for burning in and giving direction to fiber optic cables.

[Cubdriver]

I’m going to scam the scammers by setting up the best independent cable conditioning service in the business. You mail your cables to me and I’ll freeze them, burn them in

How much do you charge for burning in and giving direction to fiber optic cables.

How much ya got?   

-Pat

[bd139]

Let me do the math. So we take the price of a Tesla model X, add income tax and accounting fees, operating costs, massage service and divide by 1000 and we set the minimum batch size of 1000 and there you go!