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Brazil Retailer Using Facebook Likes On Its Clothing Hangers
TheGift73 writes "Retailer, C&A, is putting 'real-time Likes' counters on its hangers in locations around Brazil. The Like data is taken from C&A's Facebook page, where the company has listed its various wares for people to interact with. When a person Likes an item, that Like shows up on the hanger. It is meant to help customers with purchasing decisions. If they are unsure of one item, they can see how many people online think the product is a good buy."
WoW, I wonder who thought that up.
It was thought up by someone who lacks the basic self-esteem required to choose their own clothing.
You can never know everything, and part of what you do know will always be wrong. Perhaps even the most important part.
Fashion is always about wearing things other people find good looking.
You mean pretty much everyone? Because girls go out shopping together, either with friends or their boyfriends so that they can get their opinions on how something look. Likewise, many times men have their girlfriend or wife buy them clothes.
And you know what, there is nothing wrong with that. It's socializing and often in life it's good to get other people's opinion on things because most of the time your own are self-constrained and wrong. I guess in introvert geeks mind asking other people for help shames them as they feel it's some kind of competition to be aware and knowledgeable about everything. In normal people's mind it's ok and actually makes them feel good that someone else values their opinion. This is basic human socializing.
Girl like clothes. Man like beer. Me big sexist.
C&A is from Netherlands - http://www.c-and-a.com/uk/en/corporate/company/about-us/ca-international/
You mean pretty much everyone? Because girls go out shopping together, either with friends or their boyfriends so that they can get their opinions on how something look.
They don't want that opinion if that dress makes her ass really look fat.
bickerdyke
My clothes and various bodily appendages have Like buttons attached to them and when you push them it adds to the counter on the related page of my facebook account.
This is basic human socializing
I don't get it
I NEVER have other people with me when I shop. They just pick out stuff they like or looks good. I could care less about it. That is generally the stuff I don't want. It's uncomfortable. :)
So why not express that to them instead of complaining about it on Slashdot? Tell what you like. They can't read your mind.
You mean pretty much everyone? Because girls go out shopping together, either with friends or their boyfriends so that they can get their opinions on how something look. Likewise, many times men have their girlfriend or wife buy them clothes.
I highlighted the important bit of what you said. I'm OK with people getting opinions from friends about stuff.
But tfa is about people getting recommendations from complete strangers. And imho, this is a whole new level of needy.
You can never know everything, and part of what you do know will always be wrong. Perhaps even the most important part.
White clothes enhance size/fatness, black clothes hide it, and hide you too. Which is also why many nerds wear black clothes =P
Geeks wouldn't care too much about what they wear, but those that actually take the time to 'like' an item of clothing on C&A's Facebook page typically do. And they will typically also care about what others think about the clothing they wear. Then, bringing this online voting system into the real world is clever and functional. Those who care about it now have it at their finger tips. Those that don't care about it, well, don't have to care about it.
The boyfriend isn't there to offer opinions. Anyone who can get a girl friend knows the importance of lying when asked about clothes. The boyfriend is taken to serve as a pack-mule.
I've always found "I don't care how I look" to be the geek equivalent of the general public's "I don't understand maths". Both are shouted proudly, to separate oneself from the other group (those vapid socialites who base everything on appearance/those sweaty geeks who spend their lives in the basement with lines of code rather than people), when really neither are attitudes to be proud of. Of course there are times when there's no harm in looking a mess, but that's rarely what people seem to mean - it's often more of a day-to-day lack of care.
Sure, in an ideal world, people wouldn't judge on appearance, but that's not the planet we live on - there's no need to be uncomfortable, or look like a corporate drone, or even stand out particularly if you don't want to, but a high quality pair of jeans (the difference between good and crappy is vastly noticeable, even if you can't put your finger on exactly why that is) paired with a well-fitted button down shirt, a decent belt, and a good pair of shoes takes no more real effort than cargo pants and a t-shirt. Both are socially acceptable, but the former will immediately make a better impression on pretty much everyone you meet - they're better disposed to you, you feel more confident as a result, and so it goes on. The latter, to most people, would be the equivalent of needing to take out your phone to calculate a simple tip while you're out to dinner with a bunch of engineers - again it'd probably pass without comment, but it'd leave a subtle negative impression and modify people's disposition (conscious or otherwise) towards you as a result.
It was thought up by a marketing dweeb who thinks they can artificially increase the perceived popularity of higher margin items.
Log in or piss off.
But tfa is about people getting recommendations from complete strangers. And imho, this is a whole new level of needy.
Don't forget that this can also be used to determine what not to buy. A lot of people like this? Then I'm not going to buy it because I don't want to look like everyone else. Now, where's the rack that's beta testing the new "Don't Like" button?
Or is there some RFID tag by which the hanger identifies the actual piece of clothing hanging on it? Doesn't look like it, as the picture near the article shows a row of empty hangers happily showing a count... And would be difficult to implement anyways if ever this is used in a rack which is much more packed, where a hanger might detect the piece of clothing hanging on the hanger next to it...
The green t-shirt would feel depressed because it only got 4 likes.
This is unfortunately a one sided review system. The big problem with facebook's "like" system is that there's no "dislike" button. As such a product with seriously polarised opinions would look the same as any other popular product because people can't voice their dissatisfaction.
yeah, I prefer my wardrobe to conform with the genre of those incredibly interesting people that play farmville and mafia wars.
Real men don't need signitures!!!
again it'd probably pass without comment, but it'd leave a subtle negative impression and modify people's disposition (conscious or otherwise) towards you as a result.
IMHO, this is the most important part of your post. I offer that we should continue to dress and calculate as we please (regardless of 'effort' as you put it) and other people should continue to respond to it in any way they feel socially inclined. There are those of us that really, truly don't care about a person's disposition towards us, and there's nothing wrong with that as long as we can productively operate within the bounds of society. No man is an island, but that doesn't mean some of us haven't created a very nice peninsula for ourselves to live on with like-minded individuals. And the rest can fuck off if they don't like our jeans :).
Please stop pushing homogeneity (yes, that's what it is: our current idea of 'social acceptability' is essentially being differently the same) or any more tips on how to effortlessly pass as homogeneous. Posts like these are the general public equivalent of the geek's "I know you don't understand [or care] about math, but here's how to easily [for my own personal measure of easy] do it anyway -- because you should."
I don't think "social acceptability" means "homogeneity" unless you consider "putting thought into one's decisions" to be a homogeneity to frown upon.
There are plenty of individual styles that work for unique individuals, based on their personalities, body shape, and mannerisms, to forever preclude a homogenous society where there is free will to make one's own clothing choices. And honestly, I'm happy that people are willing to put that much careful considering into something, as it shows the general public can when sufficiently interested. Now they just need to become interested in privacy or freedom or responsible politics or something else besides (or in addition to) fashion - which is a much smaller leap than generating interest in someone who has none at all.
It doesn't hurt to be nice.