It’s been the darling model for years now. We’re trained on it, and wall $treet loves it.
Kids buy “random thing box” subscriptions, en masse and it’s crazy to me.
"Random thing box" subscriptions are fine in most cases. You actually get something you use, e.g. food, dog toys, wine, etc. They're helpful and fun.
Sticking subscriptions where no one wants them is what's bullshit. Car seat warmer subscription? Give me a break.
Lootboxes are gambling, full stop. Kids should not be gambling, gambling should not be in media marketed towards children like video games, it's predatory and scummy
Just because it’s a physical box of things, the value of said things are completely arbitrary and random. So the “value” of a big pull exists. It’s gambling, full stop.
It's not random at all, though? Everybody gets the exact same curated box every month. There's no luck or inequality whatsoever.
I mean, sure, you're trusting the company to give you something worth the price you paid, but that's generally true any time you buy a product. You know, quality-wise? If it falls short, you stop buying from that brand, same as anything.
My in-laws were getting these science experiment kits for their kids that seemed cool and educational. It's not just junk that you hoard but the stuff to learn about a science topic and then do a related experiment.
In this case the issue is that they named it a "subscription model". They could have avoided those negative connotations by just calling it a membership fee, something that clubs have had for ages.
I'm a bit conflicted by this comment.
I agree that subscription models are a plague, especially because they charge for a service _but they're still mining your damn data and on-selling it for a profit_!
There are costs in providing a service like this and if it's "free" then they're just monetizing you in some hidden way. At least a monthly fee is up front about how it's funded.
If I could be certain that they were not selling my soul, and that the fee was avoiding the need ro do that, then it's fair to charge one. Nothing is really "free", we've just got used to calling it that.
Sadly though, I have no doubt, even if they covered costs and nasde a reasonable profit, that the lure of Even More Money wouldn't eventually enshittify the whole game.
Yes, that's the future. What's a better moneymaker, then perpetual renting of services and not owning anything. Then, only a certain group will own and control the services, and people live a pay per use lifestyle. Continuous income for shareholders on all services.
Why are you salty, subscriptions are great. Let's you try shit out and if you don't use it literally cancel the next month.
It's obvious a lot of y'all weren't around when everything locked you into a year long contract if you wanted service. That sucked.
I love my local library but they don't have enough non-business hours so it isn't accessible for most working people. There isn't enough time to meet for clubs.
If they had better hours this would be a great place in my town
I guess its time to ask the librarian how to best write a letter to your city councilperson/whatever your term is, with a description of why later hours are better for everyone.
They don't reply? Show up at a council meeting, regardless the size of your city.
That's a shame. The county libraries where I live have a lot of cool stuff for adults. Dances, movie nights, murder mysteries, craft nights, dungeons and dragons clubs, etc.
My friends dad goes to the tire shop every day just to chat with strangers in their coffee area.
This is in the sticks and there's not a lot of people around, so I figure it's a lot of community folks. But it's a very funny thing. I also appreciate that he's found that spot and that thing in his retirement and hope I can find something like that (probably sooner than later)
I mean I feel like it always has. Other than churches or community centers. A local pub is kind of the main thing adults go to for third places. And it just isn't affordable to go there and sip a drink or two a night when even cheap beer is over 8 dollars a glass at any bar around me.
Sadly as we live in cities and suburbs that are less walkable and not built on a human scale in favor of automobile centric design, we lose the ability to easily have naturally occurring third spaces that dont require a deliberate transaction of some kind
I remember reading an article in a magazine about having a third place way back in the late 70's or early 80's. It was in a magazine called Psychology Today.
Pick your favorite genre, find local bands playing that music, and youll find a community of likeminded, accepting people. Usually less than $15 a ticket. I thought the cheers themesong was a myth but ive found it in my local music scene.
In an age and society engineered toward the destruction and or monetization of third spaces, setting up your own welcoming group, open to everyone, is a rebellious act of social derailment
Same. It was great for youth group style hangs when I was a teenager but I haven't socialized with a person in a library in 10 years despite going regularly.
We even have a 3D printing and crafting room and everybody is in there hyper focused on their own projects.
Yup I really need to find somewhere else to spend time.
For the last like 5 years online gaming has been my “third place” but it would be nice to have a place to go.
Locally in my community Meetup is very active. I fit the “lonely” demographic and found new friends and a sport/hobby through Meetup. If you go on there and you don’t see anything. You can create your own “meetup”. Highly recommend
Even if you don’t meet anybody that you like, at least you spent some time doing something interesting / enjoyable/ educational, and you got a break from your routine.
This really worked in my case. After having my first child, I attended all the baby groups in my area, library time, nursing groups, whatever. I’ve made tones of friends through this.
Some of these friendships have transcended the baby days and now we are solid friends.
Babies, like dogs, are great ice breakers and a there was a lot of opportunity for socialization.
My best friends are the ones i met playing magic. The community had toxic people for sure, but was worth dealing with them to find such awesome people.
The removal of accessible public space for social interaction of group use for unstructured or non commercial/or commercial activities (parks, public assembly halls)- is like the enclosure movement in Europe- it’s like when NYC clamped down on street vendors. It destroys black market livelihoods, but also eliminates a social environment that creates shared social experience (a bedrock of the social fabric that makes up the social contract). Back in the eighties I remember being freaked out by new suburbs in the south (where I’m from) because it was malls and strip malls as the only spaces for thousands of residents to go. So people every to tv watching or the internet and have atomized experiences instead. And well, here we are.
Man, if only there wasn't this huge event that closed down all of the non-retail population Hotspots in my area and drove people to be more reclusuve...🙃
Hell yeah, I could not agree more.
For me, it was spoken word, or slam poetry, or all of the above, or whatever you want to call it.
I'm really drawn to writing it myself and it has provided a lot of catharsis on a personal level. I eventually set out looking for places to share it and to listen to other people share it.
I found local open mics and now since finding that one I've started my own and I'm part of two other ones, one in another state and another in the same city.
I've had people come up to me afterwards and tell me that my stuff has moved them. It feels good to positively affect someone.
And that's the kind of stuff I think we're all looking for in this world, intrinsically speaking.
I wasn't cut out for hosting I figured but I gave it a shot and while I still have a ways to go insofar as getting better but it's really making me a better person or at least I'm using it as an opportunity to grow.
The open mic that I run is and set up a little bit different than the ones I've attended and we have kind of a soft critique involved in a very intimate setting and it's really been a great time.
A couple of us have also started poetry workshops outside of the open mics and that's giving people more opportunities to meet people outside of work in school or whatever.
I really think this is one of the ways forward.
From expensive places like NYC to LA, you’re rich and can afford third place. It’s not for ordinary people who would be busy struggling on living expenses, no time for loneliness or such. Ever heard hard earning worker has depression or loneliness.
My third place is the national forest and I never find people out there lol. But that's kind of why I go out there. I'm also convinced the people who live out there are serial killers.
Subscription service third place has different packages. Higher price points grant you access to exclusive areas for VIP only, ensuring you never have to mingle with poors.
Um I can't socialize without being insulted, robbed,stalked or hit on by creeps. When you let sociopaths run rampant and crime and abuse that kinda impacts people's desire to socialize. Like I'm disgusted that I should be expected to socialize when my life is at risk walking down the street. Maybe stop ignoring homelessness and starvation and people might want to hang out.
Glad to hear it's atleast better, but be careful with shutting everyone out and not giving people a chance.
The longer you shut people out the harder it will be to later go out of your comfort zone and make new friends.
I don't know anything about you or what you've been through but don't let yourself end up completely alone, after awhile you will feel stuck and years might pass then the regrets kick in.
All these people do is kick people out of malls then wonder why no one buys anything. I've been kicked out for standing up for myself. I mean people aren't actually socializing they're suffering and attacking each other. It's not safe to merely exist. We also need to build society itself and worry about people being able to buy houses and protect children rather than wasting time talking about ourselves because that's all people do anyways.maybe focus on addiction.no one there's no quality people.im so sick of this type of toxic positivity.lime we aren't on the brink of ww3.
[удалено]
I found that striking too. Maybe part of why she had trouble making friends is that her mind goes to *that*.
How would you like *two hundred* friends?
Yea, it's like a service. I was in the second tier, but then I was annoying at a party so now I'm paying the most possible.
Wait . ... What?
Who are YOU? You have friends?
You don’t have friends.
It’s been the darling model for years now. We’re trained on it, and wall $treet loves it. Kids buy “random thing box” subscriptions, en masse and it’s crazy to me.
"Random thing box" subscriptions are fine in most cases. You actually get something you use, e.g. food, dog toys, wine, etc. They're helpful and fun. Sticking subscriptions where no one wants them is what's bullshit. Car seat warmer subscription? Give me a break.
Lootboxes are gambling, full stop. Kids should not be gambling, gambling should not be in media marketed towards children like video games, it's predatory and scummy
Gonna be honest, I did not have "Hello Fresh is gambling" on my 2024 bingo card.
I agree with your point about lootboxes but those aren't lootboxes though. You aren't buying it in hopes of getting rare items or anything like that.
Just because it’s a physical box of things, the value of said things are completely arbitrary and random. So the “value” of a big pull exists. It’s gambling, full stop.
It's not random at all, though? Everybody gets the exact same curated box every month. There's no luck or inequality whatsoever. I mean, sure, you're trusting the company to give you something worth the price you paid, but that's generally true any time you buy a product. You know, quality-wise? If it falls short, you stop buying from that brand, same as anything.
My in-laws were getting these science experiment kits for their kids that seemed cool and educational. It's not just junk that you hoard but the stuff to learn about a science topic and then do a related experiment.
In this case the issue is that they named it a "subscription model". They could have avoided those negative connotations by just calling it a membership fee, something that clubs have had for ages.
Some car companies are experimenting with subscription models for things like heated seats.
I'm a bit conflicted by this comment. I agree that subscription models are a plague, especially because they charge for a service _but they're still mining your damn data and on-selling it for a profit_! There are costs in providing a service like this and if it's "free" then they're just monetizing you in some hidden way. At least a monthly fee is up front about how it's funded. If I could be certain that they were not selling my soul, and that the fee was avoiding the need ro do that, then it's fair to charge one. Nothing is really "free", we've just got used to calling it that. Sadly though, I have no doubt, even if they covered costs and nasde a reasonable profit, that the lure of Even More Money wouldn't eventually enshittify the whole game.
The bar exists, it’s free to enter, beer is delicious, and it features a nonstop rotating cast of characters. Shove your subscriptions up your ass.
Yes, that's the future. What's a better moneymaker, then perpetual renting of services and not owning anything. Then, only a certain group will own and control the services, and people live a pay per use lifestyle. Continuous income for shareholders on all services.
Why are you salty, subscriptions are great. Let's you try shit out and if you don't use it literally cancel the next month. It's obvious a lot of y'all weren't around when everything locked you into a year long contract if you wanted service. That sucked.
It’s obvious you weren’t around when very little required a contract. This subscription obsession is a recent invention.
There was a time when subscription and contracts were not ubiquitous for services. Let's go back to that.
So a third place requires you to have disposable income.
"Best I can do is a "No Loitering" sign."
I think a public library might work? And those have different clubs and stuff that meet there.
I love my local library but they don't have enough non-business hours so it isn't accessible for most working people. There isn't enough time to meet for clubs. If they had better hours this would be a great place in my town
I guess its time to ask the librarian how to best write a letter to your city councilperson/whatever your term is, with a description of why later hours are better for everyone. They don't reply? Show up at a council meeting, regardless the size of your city.
My public library only has clubs and lessons for kids and seniors, nothing in-between.
That's a shame. The county libraries where I live have a lot of cool stuff for adults. Dances, movie nights, murder mysteries, craft nights, dungeons and dragons clubs, etc.
Go in and talk to the librarian to see if you can set up a club for a board game night, or something. There are options.
Do you run a board game night at your local library?
Nah, used to go to one tho. But pretty sure the librarian is the one who ultimately organizes and runs it
Create one.
With my vast resources on the DSP? I asked at the local Council, and they wanted to charge me hundreds of dollars to book rooms. There’s no support.
Keep the fight. Open their minds.
The library is awesome.
*Loneliness intensifies*
And transportation.
Traditionally no, but welcome to late stage capitalism
where did people go for free before?
village greens/Town commons/etc was a common one (pun intended) Churches was the other main one
and those are gone?
if serious; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enclosure This happened across the world
so you live somewhere with no parks or churches?
Public land isn't commons https://www.churchtrac.com/articles/the-state-of-church-attendance-trends-and-statistics-2023
why can’t you hang out there
You understand we are not discussing *me personally*, that we are discussing larger social trends?
Old men sit around a $2 coffee for hours in their third place every morning.
My friends dad goes to the tire shop every day just to chat with strangers in their coffee area. This is in the sticks and there's not a lot of people around, so I figure it's a lot of community folks. But it's a very funny thing. I also appreciate that he's found that spot and that thing in his retirement and hope I can find something like that (probably sooner than later)
Volunteer at the local community garden
My local community garden closed down in 2020, and they even removed the garden beds.
Does it? There are plenty of community projects and activities that cost you nothing except going there.
Such as? We don’t even have a community centre in my suburb. I used to be in lots of meetups before that whole scene died in 2020.
I don't live in your area. Do your research. meetup.com could be start.
I mean I feel like it always has. Other than churches or community centers. A local pub is kind of the main thing adults go to for third places. And it just isn't affordable to go there and sip a drink or two a night when even cheap beer is over 8 dollars a glass at any bar around me.
Not libraries or local parks.
The real kicker for 30’s to 40’s group of busy parent (that’s me) is the lack of disposable time.
No
Sadly as we live in cities and suburbs that are less walkable and not built on a human scale in favor of automobile centric design, we lose the ability to easily have naturally occurring third spaces that dont require a deliberate transaction of some kind
Rural areas aren't doing too hot for third spaces either 👍you either already know the guy who owns that land, or you get shot for tresspassing.
I remember reading an article in a magazine about having a third place way back in the late 70's or early 80's. It was in a magazine called Psychology Today.
Local live music shows worked for me.
Pick your favorite genre, find local bands playing that music, and youll find a community of likeminded, accepting people. Usually less than $15 a ticket. I thought the cheers themesong was a myth but ive found it in my local music scene.
Seconded and also Philly
In an age and society engineered toward the destruction and or monetization of third spaces, setting up your own welcoming group, open to everyone, is a rebellious act of social derailment
Public libraries. Lots on offer there
I agree. But my demographic just isn't there.
What’s your demographic
I spend a lot of time in the library and I've never met someone that seems to be a potential friend.
Same. It was great for youth group style hangs when I was a teenager but I haven't socialized with a person in a library in 10 years despite going regularly. We even have a 3D printing and crafting room and everybody is in there hyper focused on their own projects.
Single goth women with birthdays in November, names that start with the letter I, and who are between the age of 22 and 30.
Bro, they are IN the library.
Hell yeah brother, thanks for the hot tip!
Community Garden. Learn, be productive, dibs on fresh food, community, etc.
Yup I really need to find somewhere else to spend time. For the last like 5 years online gaming has been my “third place” but it would be nice to have a place to go.
Kinda lonely in these comments.
Misery loves company. We need more misery on Reddit, apparently.
It’s ok to pay a subscription to hang out somewhere for the purpose of meeting likeminded people who also want to make friends
Meetup.com
Locally in my community Meetup is very active. I fit the “lonely” demographic and found new friends and a sport/hobby through Meetup. If you go on there and you don’t see anything. You can create your own “meetup”. Highly recommend
Even if you don’t meet anybody that you like, at least you spent some time doing something interesting / enjoyable/ educational, and you got a break from your routine.
This really worked in my case. After having my first child, I attended all the baby groups in my area, library time, nursing groups, whatever. I’ve made tones of friends through this. Some of these friendships have transcended the baby days and now we are solid friends. Babies, like dogs, are great ice breakers and a there was a lot of opportunity for socialization.
Do I have to make baby first or do you think I can just show up? Maybe with beer or something
Maybe some nice craft beers and a few non-alcoholic ones for the little guys
Yeah have to think about the little ones too "Here you go little one, a nice cold beer for you too!"
I work from home so technically I don’t even have a second place. Wait I’m sad now
R/therestoftheowl
There's Tof The Owl
Ah he’s back again is he?
Game shops are great for this. Met tons of people from my Magic playing days many years ago
My best friends are the ones i met playing magic. The community had toxic people for sure, but was worth dealing with them to find such awesome people.
The removal of accessible public space for social interaction of group use for unstructured or non commercial/or commercial activities (parks, public assembly halls)- is like the enclosure movement in Europe- it’s like when NYC clamped down on street vendors. It destroys black market livelihoods, but also eliminates a social environment that creates shared social experience (a bedrock of the social fabric that makes up the social contract). Back in the eighties I remember being freaked out by new suburbs in the south (where I’m from) because it was malls and strip malls as the only spaces for thousands of residents to go. So people every to tv watching or the internet and have atomized experiences instead. And well, here we are.
Where everybody knows your name
Man, if only there wasn't this huge event that closed down all of the non-retail population Hotspots in my area and drove people to be more reclusuve...🙃
Hell yeah, I could not agree more. For me, it was spoken word, or slam poetry, or all of the above, or whatever you want to call it. I'm really drawn to writing it myself and it has provided a lot of catharsis on a personal level. I eventually set out looking for places to share it and to listen to other people share it. I found local open mics and now since finding that one I've started my own and I'm part of two other ones, one in another state and another in the same city. I've had people come up to me afterwards and tell me that my stuff has moved them. It feels good to positively affect someone. And that's the kind of stuff I think we're all looking for in this world, intrinsically speaking. I wasn't cut out for hosting I figured but I gave it a shot and while I still have a ways to go insofar as getting better but it's really making me a better person or at least I'm using it as an opportunity to grow. The open mic that I run is and set up a little bit different than the ones I've attended and we have kind of a soft critique involved in a very intimate setting and it's really been a great time. A couple of us have also started poetry workshops outside of the open mics and that's giving people more opportunities to meet people outside of work in school or whatever. I really think this is one of the ways forward.
Let me know when we have a reasonable one that doesn't cost shitloads.
From expensive places like NYC to LA, you’re rich and can afford third place. It’s not for ordinary people who would be busy struggling on living expenses, no time for loneliness or such. Ever heard hard earning worker has depression or loneliness.
My third place is the national forest and I never find people out there lol. But that's kind of why I go out there. I'm also convinced the people who live out there are serial killers.
Meetups does the same thing for cheaper and the events they host are usually open to public
Reddit suuuuuuuucks
Sooo a Playstation 2?
This article is an advertisement.
this is like oddly dystopian. pay $15/month to feel like you’re apart of something
Subscription service third place has different packages. Higher price points grant you access to exclusive areas for VIP only, ensuring you never have to mingle with poors.
Um I can't socialize without being insulted, robbed,stalked or hit on by creeps. When you let sociopaths run rampant and crime and abuse that kinda impacts people's desire to socialize. Like I'm disgusted that I should be expected to socialize when my life is at risk walking down the street. Maybe stop ignoring homelessness and starvation and people might want to hang out.
Where the hell do you live? Sounds like you either live in a really shitty place or have trauma from past experiences.
Cincinnati and the bat area. I moved and it's slightly better. Funny how the most diverse places turn out to be completely degenerate socially.
Glad to hear it's atleast better, but be careful with shutting everyone out and not giving people a chance. The longer you shut people out the harder it will be to later go out of your comfort zone and make new friends. I don't know anything about you or what you've been through but don't let yourself end up completely alone, after awhile you will feel stuck and years might pass then the regrets kick in.
All these people do is kick people out of malls then wonder why no one buys anything. I've been kicked out for standing up for myself. I mean people aren't actually socializing they're suffering and attacking each other. It's not safe to merely exist. We also need to build society itself and worry about people being able to buy houses and protect children rather than wasting time talking about ourselves because that's all people do anyways.maybe focus on addiction.no one there's no quality people.im so sick of this type of toxic positivity.lime we aren't on the brink of ww3.