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'Black Friday Is Dying' (fastcompany.com)

A reader shares a report: For years, Black Friday signaled the beginning of Christmas shopping. The day after Thanksgiving was a frantic day of driving to the store at the crack of dawn to fight off other shoppers for great deals. For people who truly hated the ritual, I have some good news for you: Black Friday is going away. That's according to data from GPShopper, which tracks consumer behavior. It turns out, customers are really not into Black Friday. A full 81% of us feel stress surrounding the notion of Black Friday, and 45% of us believe it is the most stressful time of the year. And with online shopping, consumers are increasingly realizing they don't need to do all their shopping on one day. The majority would prefer to shop in the second week of December. Weirdly, a full 12% of consumers would prefer to shop after Christmas, to capitalize on the post-holiday sales, even though their recipients would get their presents a little late.

290 comments

  1. We are going to celebrate Festivus by jabberw0k · · Score: 5, Funny

    on January 6. Problem solved.

    1. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by jellomizer · · Score: 2

      Some christian cultures, celibate Christmas on January 6th, as it is traditionally considered the Epiphany (the time where the 3 Magi had offered the gifts of Gold, Incense and Muir) so the aspect of sharing gifts during this time seems more appropriate.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    2. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Is Black Friday really dying?

      Has Netcraft confirmed it?

    3. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by Baron_Yam · · Score: 2

      >celibate Christmas

      Admittedly it's mostly a cheery-but-sombre holiday and usually focused on the kids... but if it's going celibate I'm not going to observe Christmas any longer!

    4. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by damn_registrars · · Score: 1

      (the time where the 3 Magi had offered the gifts of Gold, Incense and Muir)

      The scripture does not specify a number of Magi, it only specifies a number of gifts. It is implied that there were more than one, but how many more is not stated. Could one Magi have brought multiple gifts? Could multiple Magi have brought the same gift?

      --
      Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
    5. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Its like opening magic cards. You get the one pack that drops the rare foil (gold) and the 6 packs that all give you the worthless rare(stupid frankensense.)

    6. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by TWX · · Score: 2

      Maybe they pooled resources and several kicked-in money to buy one gift.

      --
      Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    7. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I call it 'Black Christmas' in honor of the three kings.

    8. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by XxtraLarGe · · Score: 1

      Some christian cultures, celibate Christmas on January 6th

      It's mostly Armenians. I thought it was all Orthodox Christians that celebrated it on that day due to sticking with the Julian instead of Gregorian calendar. It turns out Dec. 25 on the Julian Calendar is Jan. 7, and it's only Copts & Ethiopian Orothodox that celebrate it on that day. Most other Orthodox churches have moved to the Gregorian calendar and celebrate on Dec. 25 now.

      --
      Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
    9. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 4, Funny

      No idea but I'm pretty sure it will be integrated into the next version of systemd.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    10. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by ColdWetDog · · Score: 2

      Russian Orthodox as well.

      I always thought there were advantages to living in a multi cultural environment - Regular Christmas, Russian / Eastern Orthodox Christmas, Hanukah, Solstice and probably a couple of others.

      Be sure and collect them all!

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    11. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by gaiageek · · Score: 1

      Some christian cultures, celibate Christmas on January 6th

      It's mostly Armenians. I thought it was all Orthodox Christians that celebrated it on that day due to sticking with the Julian instead of Gregorian calendar. It turns out Dec. 25 on the Julian Calendar is Jan. 7, and it's only Copts & Ethiopian Orothodox that celebrate it on that day. Most other Orthodox churches have moved to the Gregorian calendar and celebrate on Dec. 25 now.

      In Spain they celebrate Christmas on the 25th and Epiphany on the 6th, the latter being the more important date, it seems. Epiphany is also celebrated in Austria, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland, Ethiopia (but on different date that varies annually), parts of Germany, Greece, Italy, Slovakia, Spain, and Uruguay with national holidays.

      Other countries actually celebrate Christmas itself on Jan. 7th (sometimes starting on Jan 6th with Christmas Eve), and Epiphany (if they celebrate it) 12 days later, on Jan 19th. This list includes Russia, Ukraine, and maybe others (can only do so much research this morning).

    12. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by Jason+Levine · · Score: 3, Funny

      Then there was that one Magi who said "Hey, can I sign my name on the card and say that myrrh is from me too?"

      --
      My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
    13. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by Jason+Levine · · Score: 2

      Honestly, the only reason Chanukah is such a big deal for Jews is that Christmas is around the same time and Jewish kids wanted to get presents also. So the "8 days of presents" was invented. You're not really supposed to give gifts on Chanukah. Actually, our gift giving holiday is Purim (around March) where we dress in costumes, give gifts, and are religiously commanded to get drunk.

      --
      My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
    14. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by omnichad · · Score: 2

      (around March) where we dress in costumes....and are religiously commanded to get drunk.

      I thought that was an Irish Catholic holiday.

    15. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by filesiteguy · · Score: 1

      Just don't make me participate in the feats of strength or the airing of grievances.

    16. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by Hylandr · · Score: 2

      Pretty sure the song 'Oh cum all ye faithful' has that covered.

      --
      ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
    17. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      For an Irish Catholic that holiday is always "today."

    18. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by i286NiNJA · · Score: 2

      Actually, our gift giving holiday is Purim (around March) where we dress in costumes, give gifts, and are religiously commanded to get drunk.

      I didn't know about this but I'm going to start doing this with my girlfriend. We can take the day off, get drunk, and exchange little gifts. March needs a holiday badly and I love drinking.

    19. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by thegreatbob · · Score: 1

      Since we're going after systemd, I'll drop my offtopic whining here: got bit in the ass by its default configuration (in the context of Debian) last night... apparently, by default, logind murders all user process upon logging out of a session. doesn't matter if it's tmux/screen/whatever, it just kills them off. I'd love to hear the rationale behind that one. Thanks, Pottering, for a fair number of hours straight down the shitter... to whom might I bill my lost time?

      --
      There is no XUL, only WebExtensions...
    20. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by Curunir_wolf · · Score: 1

      Some christian cultures, celibate Christmas

      Well I never get laid on Christmas anyway, so I guess I've been doing that most of my life.

      --
      "Somebody has to do something. It's just incredibly pathetic it has to be us."
      --- Jerry Garcia
    21. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by Curunir_wolf · · Score: 2

      (the time where the 3 Magi had offered the gifts of Gold, Incense and Muir)

      The scripture does not specify a number of Magi, it only specifies a number of gifts. It is implied that there were more than one, but how many more is not stated. Could one Magi have brought multiple gifts? Could multiple Magi have brought the same gift?

      There are 3 in the nativity, it has to be true. It's right there in the Town Square!

      --
      "Somebody has to do something. It's just incredibly pathetic it has to be us."
      --- Jerry Garcia
    22. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Where does myrrh fall? Is that the worthless common?

    23. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Some christian cultures, celibate Christmas on January 6th

      It's mostly Armenians. I thought it was all Orthodox Christians that celebrated it on that day due to sticking with the Julian instead of Gregorian calendar. It turns out Dec. 25 on the Julian Calendar is Jan. 7, and it's only Copts & Ethiopian Orothodox that celebrate it on that day. Most other Orthodox churches have moved to the Gregorian calendar and celebrate on Dec. 25 now.

      In Spain they celebrate Christmas on the 25th and Epiphany on the 6th, the latter being the more important date, it seems. Epiphany is also celebrated in Austria, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Poland, Ethiopia (but on different date that varies annually), parts of Germany, Greece, Italy, Slovakia, Spain, and Uruguay with national holidays. Other countries actually celebrate Christmas itself on Jan. 7th (sometimes starting on Jan 6th with Christmas Eve), and Epiphany (if they celebrate it) 12 days later, on Jan 19th. This list includes Russia, Ukraine, and maybe others (can only do so much research this morning).

      In the USA, Christmas is over at store closing time on December 24th

    24. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by Mordaximus · · Score: 1

      Some christian cultures, celibate Christmas on January 6th, as it is traditionally considered the Epiphany (the time where the 3 Magi had offered the gifts of Gold, Incense and Muir) so the aspect of sharing gifts during this time seems more appropriate.

      If Christmas is celibate, those cultures are doing it wrong.

    25. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "On the eighth day, the Good Lord created whisky so the Irish wouldn't take over the world."

    26. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by jwhyche · · Score: 2

      Actually, our gift giving holiday is Purim (around March) where we dress in costumes, give gifts, and are religiously commanded to get drunk.

      Sounds like being Jewish is more fun. So can just anyone sign up?

      --
      I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
    27. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by Jason+Levine · · Score: 2

      In all seriousness, when it comes to conversion, Judaism is the exact opposite of evangelical Christianity. Where evangelicals will go out and try to convert all non-believers, Jews push potential converts away. (This comes from the story of Ruth where Naomi was heading back to Israel after the death of her sons. Her non-Israelite daughters-in-law wanted to come but she refused three times. One daughter-in-law returned to her parents, but Ruth persisted and stayed with Naomi.) We will turn potential converts away three times before accepting them. Once accepted as a potential convert, you must then go through intensive study sessions. This weeds out those who aren't serious about converting. At the end of the conversion, any males who are converting need to be circumcised - or have blood drawn if they're already circumcised. (To forestall a side argument: I'm well aware that many people oppose circumcision. I'm just mentioning it here as a fact of current Jewish practice - not a value judgement of "this is the right thing to do.") Women just get dunked in a ritual bath.

      --
      My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
    28. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    29. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by damn_registrars · · Score: 2

      (the time where the 3 Magi had offered the gifts of Gold, Incense and Muir)

      The scripture does not specify a number of Magi, it only specifies a number of gifts. It is implied that there were more than one, but how many more is not stated. Could one Magi have brought multiple gifts? Could multiple Magi have brought the same gift?

      There are 3 in the nativity, it has to be true. It's right there in the Town Square!

      Someone should ask Santa, he was there. On December 24th of the year 1, he delivered the baby Jesus. Then they rode away on the back of a dinosaur I'm told.

      --
      Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
    30. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes! Just chop off all your dickskin and cover your bald spot with a coaster. Done!

    31. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by Gr8Apes · · Score: 1

      Thanks, Pottering, ... to whom might I bill my lost time?

      I believe you have the answer, if you'll only look.

      --
      The cesspool just got a check and balance.
    32. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by haruchai · · Score: 2

      on January 6. Problem solved.

      I have very close Ukrainian friends with whom I've spent Xmas several times which is on Jan 7th. So anything I buy for them is at a discount.

      --
      Pain is merely failure leaving the body
    33. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by haruchai · · Score: 1

      Where does myrrh fall? Is that the worthless common?

      Myrrh is useful medicinally, as an antiseptic & painkiller

      --
      Pain is merely failure leaving the body
    34. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by jwhyche · · Score: 2

      Not sure I'm ready for that much commitment. I think I'll just get drunk that day and call it good.

      On another note, I just picked up the 3 books of yours I could find on Amazon. Look forward to reading them. From the plot summery they look interesting.

      --
      I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
    35. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    36. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by youngone · · Score: 1

      So can just anyone sign up?

      My sister became a Jew as a favour to her new mother-in-law because apparently Judaism comes from the mother, not the father.
      Turns out it's quite a lot of work, and she said if she had known how much work it was going to be, she might have thought twice before agreeing to it.
      So anyway she popped out a couple of little Red Sea pedestrians and hasn't been back to the synagogue since.

    37. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by Jason+Levine · · Score: 1

      Three books? I've only published one so far. (The "Ghost Thief" one linked to below.) I'm currently writing the second book/sequel. I have plans for a third book as well as a completely different series (targeted at kids), but nothing else published. It's possible there are other "Jason Levine"s out there that have published other books - it's a pretty common name.

      --
      My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
    38. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by thereitis · · Score: 1
      Black Friday isn't even one day anymore. It's a Beowulf cluster of days.

      By popular demand - Black Friday held over for another week! Give me a break.

    39. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by jwhyche · · Score: 2

      I looked up your book and clicked on the Author name and the top 3 books are by "Jason Levine." Oh well. I've added all 3 to my to be read pile. All 3 of them look interesting.

      --
      I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
    40. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by Rolgar · · Score: 1

      Catholicism is the source of Mardi Gras (the eve of Ash Wednesday), St. Patrick's day, Easter, Halloween (The eve of the feast of All Souls day) and Christmas, plus dozens of other Holy Days (holi-days) that secular people aren't aware of (but only really mean anything if you are invested in Christianity). Of course, Christianity has far fewer rules to follow than Judaism, which seems more fun to me.

    41. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by lsatenstein · · Score: 1

      on January 6. Problem solved.

      I noted a 10% increase in the cost of many goods last week, two weeks before black Friday. Consumers are not stupid, they will wait to shop in January.

      --
      Leslie Satenstein Montreal Quebec Canada
    42. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      Some christian cultures, celibate Christmas on January 6th,

      So that's why I never get any sex that day!

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    43. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      Black Friday isn't even one day anymore. It's a Beowulf cluster of days.

      By popular demand - Black Friday held over for another week! Give me a break.

      And beforehand as well. So many places have Black Friday events at seemingly random times after Labor day that it means nothing. I went to a Lowes in early September. I needed some lawn stuff. Had to get an assistant to go back to the storage area to find it. The entire area where the stuff should have been was taken up with Christmas shit. It's like 88 degrees, no one's shopping for your stupid Christmas stuff.

      But they are worried so much that someone else is going to sell someone one single Christmas doodad that they must decorate teh stores for Christmas the day after labor day. Why not just make every store in the land only sell Christmas stuff?

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    44. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      >celibate Christmas

      Admittedly it's mostly a cheery-but-sombre holiday and usually focused on the kids... but if it's going celibate I'm not going to observe Christmas any longer!

      Observe? Non-celibate? You must get a lot of guests at your kickass naughty Christmas celebrations.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    45. Re:We are going to celebrate Festivus by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      (the time where the 3 Magi had offered the gifts of Gold, Incense and Muir)

      The scripture does not specify a number of Magi, it only specifies a number of gifts. It is implied that there were more than one, but how many more is not stated. Could one Magi have brought multiple gifts? Could multiple Magi have brought the same gift?

      We do know that they shopped at Lowe's for them.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    46. Re: We are going to celebrate Festivus by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And everything you just said is a lie.
      The Christ was born during the fall harvest.
      Dec 25th has always been a pagan observance. Sun worship.

  2. I hate that phrase by XXongo · · Score: 0

    And I hate that song.

    1. Re:I hate that phrase by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But it is friday!

  3. First by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    First yo!

    1. Re:First by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      *third

    2. Re:First by XXongo · · Score: 1

      First yo!

      *third

      But it was the first "yo!"

  4. Good. by mcmonkey · · Score: 2

    SSIA.

  5. Not a very good poll by jfdavis668 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Black Friday was never a majority event. It was always a dedicated minority who were either looking for great deals or just had nothing better to do that day. I think most people always hated it. Online shopping just gave them another way to shop, instead of just avoiding the mall that day.

    1. Re:Not a very good poll by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      People say they hate a lot of things. But they continue to tolerate them and engage in them anyway, and Black Friday is no different.

      Despite the fact that you can easily shop from home in your underwear, we will continue to have hordes of stampeding morons and other assorted nigggorrs trying to kill each other so they can save an insignificant amount of money on some piece of shit that they don't need .

    2. Re:Not a very good poll by nine-times · · Score: 1

      Black Friday was never a majority event.

      It always seemed like some kind of marketing gimmick that someone invented. As far as I can remember, it wasn't really a thing when I was a kid.

      I mean, the day existed. It's not like after Thanksgiving Thursday went straight to Saturday. People sometimes referred to it as "Black Friday", but it was more of a bit of trivia that some people were aware of. A lot of people happened to spend the day after Thanksgiving doing their Christmas shopping, since, for a lot of people, it was going to be their last day off before Christmas. So the term existed, but it was pretty common for someone to be unaware of it. It wasn't a whole big thing.

      As far as I can remember, it wasn't until the early 2000s that stores started having "Black Friday" sales (that were marketed as such), opening early, having crazy deals for limited-supply items, and causing near riots. It seemed to spring up out of nowhere, but everyone acted as though things had always been that way, like it was some long-time tradition.

    3. Re:Not a very good poll by jellomizer · · Score: 2

      Black Friday is for the extroverts, who wants to feel the rush of the season hit them like a brick, be around people and come up with what seems to be interesting stories to tell people.

      Still even before the days of online shopping, a lot of people would do their shopping after a couple of weeks after black Friday where the stock has been replenished, and the crowds are more festive, and less aggressive.

      I think part of the problem today, is that the stores have been aggressive in their sales and marketing, so people feel like they will need to rush in and purchase before it is sold out and the deal is no longer available, so this had changed from a time of high volume sales, to an aggressive competition to win the shopping game and get the best deal ever.

      Because the #1 American sin is to purchase something that isn't the best value. Why do you think people are so angry at the $1000 iPhone, it is because they want it or something similar to it, but cannot justify the cost especially compared to its competition, they can afford it, but it isn't the best deal. And if they get it then they have made a bad purchasing decision. Which is really Bad! Even though the product may bring enjoyment to their lives for a good deal of time.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    4. Re:Not a very good poll by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      The one and only time I stood in a Black Friday sale line was in 1998. Zelda:OOT had been released on Tuesday for pre-orders, but wasn't available to walk-ins until Friday. The local Target store had 17 copies in stock. I showed up at 6:00 AM for a store-opening of 7:00 AM. There were maybe a dozen people in line, and I took my place. Everyone else was hyped up about winning a car or something. The first 25 people would get a key that might (but probably wouldn't) start that car! By the time the doors opened, there were probably 300 people lined up to the far end of the building. I ran past the guy handing out keys, made a beeline for electronics, got my copy of Zelda, and got back to the checkout line and got the hell out of there before true insanity took over. There were still 100+ people in line, slowly inching their way into the store as I left.

      I beat the Deku Tree dungeon before I went to work that morning. Never did finish the game. Got bored with it around the time I got to the Shadow Temple. It's not my favorite Zelda game, not by a long shot. (Unintentional Zelda joke!)

    5. Re:Not a very good poll by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I never went that far, but I did do the Black Friday thing once, about 15 years ago. Walmart had an exclusive that I was interested in, so I woke up early and got there just after they opened. One look at the line and I turned around and went to the next Walmart instead. No line and a pallet full of the exclusives. Which were still there two months later. Never again. These days, I just wake up on Thursday morning, look online for any cheap stuff marked down to next to nothing, and then go back to bed. No pants required.

    6. Re:Not a very good poll by bws111 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      You are off by decades. The term 'black Friday' was used starting in the 60s. It was used not by the retailers, but the police, who used it to describe the incredible traffic jams and crowds that occurred on that day. The day after Thanksgiving crowds were already a thing in the 1950s. It was indeed 'a whole big thing' way back then. I don't know when the special sales started, but they were certainly in place when I worked at a department store in the 70s. We had to be there at 4AM to retag all the merchandise before the store opened at 6AM (instead of the usual 10AM),

    7. Re:Not a very good poll by gfxguy · · Score: 2

      Because the #1 American sin is to purchase something that isn't the best value. Why do you think people are so angry at the $1000 iPhone, it is because they want it or something similar to it, but cannot justify the cost especially compared to its competition, they can afford it, but it isn't the best deal. And if they get it then they have made a bad purchasing decision. Which is really Bad! Even though the product may bring enjoyment to their lives for a good deal of time.

      I understand what you are saying, but "best value" is an interesting turn of phrase because, for example, you are suggesting that a $1000 is the best "value."

      These people don't care about value, they care about impressing their friends with the latest gadgets from the top name brands.... impressing their friends is more important than value; elevating themselves in their own mind is the priority... the psychology is that owning something better somehow makes them better. The short term elation is more important than that long term satisfaction of actually getting something that is the best value.

      There's also, especially for younger people, the need to fit in. My daughter wants an iPhone because her friends have iPhones. My elderly mom is the same way - what they say about older people acting more like children is absolutely true; my dad called and asked which tablet he should get my mom. When I suggested a middle of the road model that should have been more than good enough, he said it had to be an iPad model because that's what her friend had.

      IMO, the best "value" right now are several year old models that are less than half the price of the new ones which have merely incrementally improved features. Even then, though, the best "value" depends on some interpretation... it could be "the best value for $X," and people value certain features over others. For me, for example, they all have "good enough" cameras... I don't need more megapixels. I don't care about the speaker sound quality when I listen to all my music with headphones or Bluetooth. Value is in the eye of the beholder, but it's pretty universally agreed that, largely, the newest versions of electronics items have a premium just for being new, which makes their "value" terrible.

      I suppose a lot of people value status symbols, and maybe that makes an iPhone X "valuable." I appreciate these people - they are what make the older phones much better values for people like me.

      --
      Stupid sexy Flanders.
    8. Re:Not a very good poll by Deadstick · · Score: 1

      I went once...we were spending Turkey Day with family in Vegas, and since we don't have Fry's at home I decided to hit the one there.

      It was out at the far end of the Strip, past the airport, and they were using the desert as overflow parking. There was a line to get INTO the store...noped out of there in a heartbeat.

    9. Re:Not a very good poll by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      Which brings up the point. I am not suggesting that the $1000 iPhone is the best value. Because Value is very personal. There is value in impressing your friends, especially if you are a teenager, where their social status is very important to them, if they have the fancy iPhone X while their friends have the less impressive iPhone 8. It puts them one notch in their social status, because they have the better thing. Now if their friends were solid Android Users, the iPhone would outcast them, but if they had a shiny Note 8 then that would have more value.
      When I was that age, Shoes were the status symbol (Nike being the top brand, then Rebox, then Adieus being a distant third ), even though as a kid, the advantage of having a shoe that is over $100 isn't much over a shoe that is about $20 however as a kid, your daily life was based on what Shoe you had, and it was important.

      For the elderly, it isn't as much about status, but similarity. As you get older you have an instinct to get involved with like people. Hence all the old ladies in church events, even though when they were younger they weren't actively involved in the church. Or the guy who was a hippy as a teenager, is now a stout conservative afraid of these people with off skin colors. Getting an iPad because others in their group has an iPad is important not as a status symbol, but as a way to prevent them from seeming like they are not in that group.

      For the Middle adults 25-65 they more or less are empowered to make what ever decision with less consequences of what others think, so the decision to get an an iPhone vs a Samsung Note, may be based if they already have a ton of paid apps they don't want to purchase again, what is supported in their work environment, or what features they really want or need. Because at this age, we are able to be independent without the need to be protected by your parents or your peers.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    10. Re:Not a very good poll by omnichad · · Score: 1

      he said it had to be an iPad model because that's what her friend had.

      Unless you want to be on the hook supporting it, go for the iPad and let her ask her friend for help. This is worth the extra money.

    11. Re:Not a very good poll by SScorpio · · Score: 1

      The sales themselves were around for a long time. But it wasn't until the late 90s that I heard the term used to advertise them.

      I never heard that about the police though. I always heard it was a term the retailers used internally as it was the day the majority of them turned a profit on sales for the year. Going from being in the red to being in the black.

    12. Re:Not a very good poll by gfxguy · · Score: 1

      No, [laughing] she got the iPad because that's what she wanted. She didn't want to look dumb in front of her friend, so I was still on the hook. It was ridiculous. And she's one of those older people who, in their minds, everything is necessarily complex:

      HER: "How do I get my email?"

      ME: "Push this button..."

      HER: "Oh! It's too complicated!"

      --
      Stupid sexy Flanders.
    13. Re:Not a very good poll by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      the whole "turn a profit for the year" is them trying to spin it into a positive. As somebody pointed out, you can tell the whole "turn a profit" is bogus simply by looking at their quarterly earnings reports. They usually turn a profit every quarter, or no quarters. I first heard black friday when I started in retail amongst the employees to describe it as it was several weeks of absolute hell at work in the run up to it, and then you watch the swarm of locusts descend on the retail space, picking everything clean. Basically, at least with employees, who used it long before the marketing people, it was because it was the worst day of the year to work.

    14. Re:Not a very good poll by gfxguy · · Score: 1

      Well... yes. The problem is that, over the years I've thought a great deal about "happiness." YOLO, so what does it take to truly be happy? The perception of value in status is detrimental to long term happiness. After all, if your friends value you for how expensive your "stuff" is, are they really good friends? So the pursuit of the temporary elation one gets from getting a status symbol is detrimental to the long term happiness of, say, for example, financial independence that can be achieved a lot quicker when one is frugal.

      But no, I don't expect my teenage kids to understand that. Sadly.

      --
      Stupid sexy Flanders.
    15. Re:Not a very good poll by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No doubt 'After Thanksgiving Sales' got changed to 'Black Friday Sales' when some PC type decided that 'after Thanksgiving' was insensitive to those who don't give thanks.

    16. Re:Not a very good poll by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      For a teenager a few months is a long time for them. But I will argue that most teenagers don't have real friends, what they call their friends are acquaintances of safety, they may evolve into real friends later in their life. But in these areas of Acquaintances if you can do something to increase your status with them then chances are you will be able to do things that you want vs what they want.
      Teenager friends groups are very hierarchical almost lineally. If the Alpha is missing from the group the Beta will take their spot without any though. The person at the end while may not be abused from their friend group, are usually left to follow and just be there, and if there is a conflict they will be the first to go.
      Happiness normally is the core feeling when you are safe. If having that iPhone puts you well in the safe area of their social circle, thus will make them feel happy, vs not having one which may put them lower in their friend hierarchy which means they are less safe.

      For the mature adult, Having or not having an iPhone doesn't really create the same sense of happiness. It is more about the utility of it vs. the cost. The utility may help improve your overall safeness, being able to do your work on the phone to keep you from getting fired, or helping you get promoted, vs the $1000 which you could use towards other things which will help you make you feel happy.

      The idea of Value does get in the way of happiness, however it part of life, there isn't enough resources to get everything we want and when we want it. We will need to prioritize on what we want and what we are willing to pay for it.
      My phone is 3 years old, its battery lasts only a few hours with moderate use... I don't like the idea of being without a phone so I will need to get an other phone.
      Should I spend $100 and get a new battery, only to have the phone no longer be supported in a year, and go with the hassle of getting it replaced and installed.
      Should I spend $500 and by a newer but not top of the line, and get 3 more years of service out of it.
      Should I spend $1000 and get the newest and get a good 4 years out of it.

      In terms of dollars, you should just keep on replacing the battery and deal with it being out of support.
      Getting the state of the art is actually the worst that you can pick in terms of dollars, however you have a year of running thing faster then they were made for, 2 years of on par design, and a year where things run slowly. Having nice things is fun, and it feels good. Is it worth it, is a personal choice.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    17. Re:Not a very good poll by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      If you need the sales then it was sort of necessary to put up with the crowds. I make enough money that I'd rather pay extra than stand in huge lines. But better is to get your holiday gifts in June or pay attention to sales throughout the year.

      Got some holiday shopping done today. Big sale, but they pushed hard for me to sign up for their Mastercard, even though I already have their store card. Then they pushed hard to keep trying to get me to enter a phone number that matched their records, then they asked for an email, and I flat out refused despite the offer of savings and points. I just want to buy stuff and get out of there as soon as I could. (I suspect from the total that I didn't get the 50% off that was advertised everywhere).

    18. Re:Not a very good poll by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The term "black Friday" has been used by Christians for centuries, long before Thanksgiving was invented. It's another name for Good Friday.

    19. Re:Not a very good poll by bingoUV · · Score: 1

      It is easily possible you lived in a much more consumeristic social circle than him. Nobody need be off.

      --
      Bingo Dictionary - Pragmatist, n. A myopic idealist.
  6. Homies will still go by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    But the Ghettofites will still rush to walmart to buy their 'aer' jordan's while killing each other in the process. Nothing is more important than buying a pair of kicks assembled by child slavery in asia....

  7. Weirdly? by Baron_Yam · · Score: 5, Interesting

    >Weirdly, a full 12% of consumers would prefer to shop after Christmas, to capitalize on the post-holiday sales, even though their recipients would get their presents a little late.

    That's not weird. The whole thing is stupidly inefficient - the stores have to stock up and get temporary workers for a month or so, customers have to cram into those stores during that month, and a premium is put on everything to cover the extra expenses plus the whole 'this could be it until next December' mentality.

    On the other hand, I'm pretty much done with the whole 'consume consume consume' thing. Neither I nor any of my family or friends NEED anything, and we have everything we could reasonably want. None of us are starving. None of us lack a book to read or a game to play.

    A gift is something I have to find space for in my house. A gift is something I'm going to think about how wasteful it was to have produced, shipped, and eventually recycled (or thrown in the dump).

    At best (or worst?) I just want to get a little token trinket for someone, and fighting traffic and a crowded mall just to pay a premium for one doesn't appeal. And all the stores around here do 'Boxing Week' sales, with big bargain-hunting crowds pretty much fading in the first day. Damn right I'm going shopping after Christmas, at least for those I won't see until January anyway.

    1. Re:Weirdly? by 110010001000 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Gifts can simply be food or wine or something like that. Most sensible adults give those type of gifts when giving to other adults.

    2. Re:Weirdly? by Baron_Yam · · Score: 1

      I'm fully on board with Christmas for adults being shared meals and drinks (especially for people you feel you don't see often enough), but a lot of supposed adults aren't all that sensible!

      I know a lot of people who think gifts are mandatory, followed by endless rounds of 'who appreciated it more', and noses out of joint if enough thanks isn't received. Blech.

    3. Re:Weirdly? by Baron_Yam · · Score: 4, Insightful

      >Newsflash: most people are not Christians.

      There are two Christmases - ecclesiastical and secular. One's about going to church to hear about Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, and the other is about telling kids a magic fat man is watching them and will sneak presents into their home if they're good, erecting a Christmas tree, putting lights up on your house, having a few lunch or dinner parties, and exchanging gifts.

      I know atheists (hi there!), Jews, and Muslims who all celebrate the secular version of Christmas to varying degrees. It's just a winter solstice celebration, and in a northern climate you want one of those when things are grey and dreary.

    4. Re:Weirdly? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Newsflash: most people are not Christians.

      Black Friday is a USA thing, right? In USA, > 2/3 people are Christians.

    5. Re:Weirdly? by 110010001000 · · Score: 1

      Even if that were true, then that would make 33% of people in the US that don't care about Christmas.

    6. Re:Weirdly? by 110010001000 · · Score: 1

      Baloney. I am Jewish and I don't know any Jews who celebrate Christmas. I doubt any Muslim or Hindu celebrates Christmas.

    7. Re:Weirdly? by ranton · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Gifts can simply be food or wine or something like that. Most sensible adults give those type of gifts when giving to other adults.

      This is why my wife and I are happy not giving each other gifts for events in the traditional sense. I may never buy her a piece of jewelry or clothing during our entire marriage, unless we are both shopping together. But we do get tickets to theater or sporting events near birthdays and anniversaries as a present to ourselves. This makes holidays and other special events far less stressful.

      --
      -- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -- Edmund Burke
    8. Re:Weirdly? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Fuck you Dad, I want more stuff. Stop telling me what I need and don't need because you're fucking cheap.

    9. Re:Weirdly? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      Hanukkah is just the Jewish Christmas. Instead of an old Pagan figure you have a big ball of matzo cruising around in a Mercedes.

    10. Re:Weirdly? by Baron_Yam · · Score: 1

      Well, that settles it then. Obviously your personal experience is representative of everyone else's and my friends are figments of my imagination.

      Or you're an arrogant idiot; I'm going with that one.

    11. Re:Weirdly? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Maybe your circle is full of closed-minded people, or just cheerless ones.

      I know atheists, Hindus and Jews who celebrate Christmas quite happily. They don't celebrate in a religious way, but they do the whole presents, food, time with family, tree and decorations thing.

    12. Re:Weirdly? by Baron_Yam · · Score: 2

      You know, as a kid I didn't understand that Hanukkah and Christmas were different holidays. Then as I got older I came to understand the difference.

      Then I got older still... it turns out kid me was onto something because yep, it's a celebration held close enough to the winter solstice. The supposed reason doesn't really matter when it boils down to the same time of year and underlying purpose (family / friend / clan /whatever bonding).

      It's not what I meant when I said I knew Jews and Muslims who celebrate Christmas, though. I meant the exchanging of gifts, the seasonal dinner parties, colourful lights on the houses, etc. Even taking the kids to see Santa (really!). It's not a Christian holiday any more unless you want it to be. I know I'm not a Christian, and I certainly celebrate the secular Christmas.

    13. Re:Weirdly? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I know Jews, atheists, and Buddhists who celebrate the "tree, presents, parties, etc" form of Christmas.

      Posting AC to preserve mods
      I'm New Around Here

    14. Re:Weirdly? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      http://www.sbs.com.au/topics/life/culture/article/2016/12/23/whats-it-celebrate-christmas-middle-east

      Seems like mot of the middle east at least recognizes christmas.
      Xmas is even a holiday in Jordan.

      A couple of select quotes from that article:

      “We are not a very religious family but we celebrate Christmas from a secular perspective.”

      Her open door policy has nothing to do with religion, she says, it's all about warmth, friendship and genuine Middle Eastern hospitality.

      “I have lots of Muslim friends who visit me at Christmas. Why? Because ‘it’s Christmas!’

    15. Re:Weirdly? by SpaceCracker · · Score: 1

      LMAO.
      The Jewish Hannukah craze is slightly different than "a big ball of matzo cruising around in a Mercedes", but your response is still funny.

      --
      sigo ergo sum
    16. Re:Weirdly? by Baron_Yam · · Score: 4, Funny

      Go to your damn room, and no backtalk or I'll take away your video games.

      And what the hell were we even thinking, naming you "Anonymous Coward"? It's at times like this I wish your mother swallowed.

    17. Re:Weirdly? by SpaceCracker · · Score: 1

      The post Xmas sales are actually tourists who come over specifically for these sale events.

      --
      sigo ergo sum
    18. Re:Weirdly? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I hate you! I hate this family!

    19. Re:Weirdly? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But the term used was most is 33% most now i do not understand your rebuttal.
      Most of that 33% will have christian family members and will likely do some Christmas bs

    20. Re:Weirdly? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      A few years back I told my friends not to get me anything for xmas. If they really must then a card is acceptable, but no gifts.

      It's a big load off. No need to rush around buying extra stuff for people, trying to get through shops that are 50% seasonal crap. Not having to do that is actually the best possible gift they can give me.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    21. Re:Weirdly? by TheCastro1689 · · Score: 1

      Canada has some great boxing day sales.

    22. Re:Weirdly? by TheCastro1689 · · Score: 1

      From the constant complaints about Christmas, the shopping, lights, war on it, 33% feels about right.

    23. Re:Weirdly? by Jason+Levine · · Score: 2

      I'm Jewish and our "Christmas" celebration is seeing the latest Star Wars movie and then going out for Chinese food. Much better than any red-suited home invader any day!

      --
      My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
    24. Re:Weirdly? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You sure do like climbing up on that soap box, don't you? I have a feeling you spend most holidays alone.

    25. Re:Weirdly? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Man, you've been all OVER Slashdot lately with asinine or aggressive comments. Are you getting paid by the Russians, Chinese, or North Koreans to be an agent provocateur? Or are you just an angry old cuss abandoned by real-world people?

    26. Re:Weirdly? by Yaztromo · · Score: 1

      Newsflash: most people are not Christians.

      Yeah -- some people are...Canadians.

      Traditionally the big sale season in Canada has always been the Boxing Week Sales immediately after Xmas. This is the time to get next years wrapping paper and decorations ultra-cheap, and to pickup the stuff Santa didn't bring you for a discount. For many households, it was both the time to stock-up for next year, and to get some big ticket items when they were cheap.

      For the last several years some chains have been trying to push "Black Friday" sales in order to compete with online retailers in the US, and people who go cross-border shopping for deals. To be honest, I don't know a single person here in Canada that gets all that excited for Black Friday sales here in Canada. It's not a holiday for us, so people are only going to get to the stores on the Saturday or Sunday at best, and it feels like an artificial, unauthentic sale imported from the US. The "deals" generally aren't that great, and you don't get lineups outside the doors (that I've seen) or people trampling each other to get what few "door crashers" may exist at any given store.

      As a lifelong Canuck, you guys can keep your Black Friday sale. If I need something I'll catch the Boxing Week sales like my parents and grandparents before me[0].

      Yaz

      -----
      [0] - Yeah, I'm probably just going to order from Amazon. Screw the crowds and parking! :P

    27. Re:Weirdly? by Yaztromo · · Score: 1

      Baloney. I am Jewish and I don't know any Jews who celebrate Christmas. I doubt any Muslim or Hindu celebrates Christmas.

      My Jewish sister-in-law celebrates Xmas. My Muslim wife does as well. You just need to expand the number of people you know.

      Yaz

    28. Re:Weirdly? by wyHunter · · Score: 1

      Post Christmas sales are probably pretty good too.

    29. Re:Weirdly? by lgw · · Score: 1
      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    30. Re:Weirdly? by lgw · · Score: 2

      If you have any sort of salaried professional job, then "having everything you want" is mostly a matter of adjusting your wants. (Not to minimize the ruinous cost of Exchange health care plans in the states where there's only one provider left - those can screw anyone).

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    31. Re:Weirdly? by lgw · · Score: 1

      Many mainstream cultures have some sort of gift-giving celebration around the Winter Solstice more-or-less (basically all of Western Civ + Japan and a few others). A big exception is India, where Diwali is mid-Fall instead.

      China sadly lost most of its cultural traditions thank to Murderin' Mao. Single's Day may be the world's biggest shopping day, but it's not the same.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    32. Re:Weirdly? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A few years ago we gave each other a dishwasher.

      It was a great year for me. The old one was load and failed at washing dishes, which is a bad thing for a dishwasher to fail at.

    33. Re:Weirdly? by Baron_Yam · · Score: 1

      >WOW. What's it like, being that well off?

      I'm not rich by many people's standards, but I don't worry about food (but I don't eat out frequently, and never at expensive restaurants. Maybe a couple of times while dating...), rent (I paid a mortgage for a long time, now I just pay maintenance and property taxes), or transportation (I don't drive an expensive car).

      I'm Canadian, so (basic) health care is covered by my taxes, essentially a group insurance plan that includes everyone; I'll never go broke because of a hospital visit, even if I've lost my job.

      I know the stress of debt and not knowing whether your lifestyle is going to start crashing down as you cannibalize your assets to pay debts you can't put off paying, and I know how much nicer it is not to worry about that any more.

      On the other hand, since I have all my reasonable desires covered, what's left is the unreasonable ones... and I figure I'd need 10x the income I have now to start indulging them, and that's not going to happen.

      I'm human, so I'm still generally discontented. People always want more. Get all the money you want, as long as you want money you'll find you never have enough of it. I bet there are many things Bill Gates is irritated he can't solve with his money.

    34. Re:Weirdly? by lgw · · Score: 1

      People with kids in the US care about Christmas, unless they do Hanukkah instead. Very few care about the religious nature of the date. (2/3s of Americans are "Christians", but only about 1/6th are "religious").

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    35. Re:Weirdly? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, Christmas is a winter solstice celebration gussied up in some garbage about Jesus. (Most of which is held-over from prior winter solstice celebrations, based on misunderstood scripture, or just outright lies.) It was never a truly Christian celebration.

      Traditions like evergreen trees and yule logs and gift exchange go back to the time of Nimrod, and are a form of ancestor worship and king/emperor worship.

      The Santa Claus story is made up and is more closely related to Halloween, which started as a memorial of those killed by divine judgement in the Biblical flood (so not something worth celebrating).

      And "nativity" iconography is mostly based on misinterpretations and mistranslations of the Bible. There were an unknown number of "magi" (a profession that could get them executed according to the Jewish law). Those magi then followed an astrological event to Herod, who wanted any rival king killed immediately. They later followed that same astrological event in a different direction to Jesus' parents' dwelling in Bethlehem Ephratha, so that astrological event could not have been of natural origin, and any unnatural sign given by God would not have led these men to Herod first, putting Jesus in danger. And this all happened well after Jesus birth, as attested to by the fact that Herod ordered the murder of all boys age two and younger in the area around Bethlehem.

      Also, Jesus was born in autumn, while shepherds were out in the pastures with their flocks, probably no later than mid-October. This means that the timing of the celebration was shifted to align with the winter solstice.

      In addition to all of this, Jesus specifically commanded his followers to commemorate his death, but never said anything about commemorating his birth. And of the two accounts of birthday celebrations in the Bible, neither of them ended well. One ended with the pharaoh's baker being beheaded. The other ended with John the Baptizer being beheaded. Lessons learned: 1) Don't behead people, and 2) don't celebrate birthdays, because that's when you behead people.

      On the other hand, Hanukkah is actually based on an event in Jewish history. During the Maccabean era (1st and 2nd century BC), a foreign king (of the Seleucid dynasty in Syria) desecrated the temple in Jerusalem and dedicated it to Zeus. The Maccabees led the fight to get it (and the nation) back and out of that king's control. Their revolt worked. The fighting finally stopped on the 25th of Chislev, which varies between late November and mid-December in our modern solar calendar. They then rededicated the temple to Jehovah, and commemorated that with a festival lasting 8 days. This is a festival that was held in addition to the three festivals they were required to celebrate by law. (Another of these additional festivals is Purim, as outlined in the Bible book of Esther. The required festivals are Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost and the Festival of Weeks, and the Day of Atonement and the Festival of Booths.)

      So aside from the timing, there is little that Hanukkah has in common with Christmas, and the reason for the timing is entirely different.

      Of course, those celebrating Hanukkah entirely ignore that Daniel's prophecy states that Messiah was to appear right when Jesus was baptized. The "going forth of the word to restore and rebuild Jerusalem" began a 483-year countdown to the Messiah's appearance. And the Bible makes it quite clear that Jesus, although perfect in physical makeup, was not "the Messiah" until his baptism in the fall of 29, when he was anointed with holy spirit. This provides ample proof that the Jewish law is fulfilled and is no longer in effect. Thus, none of the celebrations or festivals are necessary anymore. Passover signified the sacrifice the Messiah was to make, the innocent lamb providing his blood to cover over those who trust in him while divine judgement is meted out upon those who do not. Pentecost signified the pr

    36. Re:Weirdly? by RyoShin · · Score: 1

      I've taken to just giving out cash, with hand-written notes about how it could be used (normally referring to something on that person's wishlist, if they gave one). If I feel certain that they'll be completely used, I'll do a gift card to someplace to up the "personal" level a bit.

      No complaints thus far.

      (If I get a bunch of something in a grab bag I'll include those as white elephants. Last year my entire immediate family got cash+a camera strap.)

    37. Re:Weirdly? by sjames · · Score: 1

      I have seen a few Jewish homes with a "Hanukkah bush" " inside.

    38. Re:Weirdly? by kamapuaa · · Score: 1

      Why is it that most successful people are Christians, and most people who post long screeds about religion to internet technology forums are atheist?

      --
      Slashdot: providing anti-social weirdos a soapbox, since 1997.
    39. Re:Weirdly? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Jared would disagree. Is there a reason you don't want your wife to be happy?

    40. Re:Weirdly? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You must live in the USA.

    41. Re:Weirdly? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Jared would disagree. Is there a reason you don't want your wife to be happy?

      Jared doesn't know my wife. She'd rather have some work done on the house than anything from that chain.

    42. Re:Weirdly? by Gr8Apes · · Score: 1

      This is what a lot of people don't get - wants are generally not needs. You don't need a new car. You don't need to move to the most expensive house/neighborhood you can barely not afford. You might want to live in that neighborhood, you might even be able to afford it, but maybe it'd be better to put all that money in some sort of investment for retirement or a needy day instead. You do that often enough for long enough, and wow, you are well-off, but you're still living in the same place with the same vehicle and the same lifestyle you had years ago.

      At some point, you can decide you want to treat yourself to a little something, a new TV, replace a car, maybe go on a nice little vacation. And you can do so and not go in debt. It is a nice feeling living beneath your means and seeing that retirement may actually be possible on your own terms.

      --
      The cesspool just got a check and balance.
    43. Re:Weirdly? by Gr8Apes · · Score: 1

      Then you don't know the same jews I do. There's several that celebrate a secular christmas, both in mixed marriages and not. I think it has a lot to do with where you live and how cloistered your particular society and exposure is. While christians bemoan the commercialization of "their" holiday, they don't realize that they usurped pagan holidays to begin with, and that many of today's secular activities actually mirror some of those pagan traditions. I also find it odd that Christians believe they have a solid date (Dec 25) for the birth of Jesus, but the date of his death depends upon the lunar cycle.

      --
      The cesspool just got a check and balance.
    44. Re:Weirdly? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In NYC.

    45. Re:Weirdly? by Gr8Apes · · Score: 1

      supposedly somewhere between 20-25% consider themselves non-religious. (Too lazy to look up the reference)

      --
      The cesspool just got a check and balance.
    46. Re:Weirdly? by Baron_Yam · · Score: 1

      >Why is it that most successful people are Christians

      It's an 'in' club. Many of those people aren't real Christians, they go to church so that they get community support for being a member of the faith. In fact, a lot of unsuccessful people go to church for the same reason. Lots of politicians in the states pretty much have to go to church or they are unelectable, for instance.

      >and most people who post long screeds about religion to internet technology forums are atheist

      Well, it's not true where I live, but in many places religion is a fact of daily life and not playing along can have severely negative effects on your life as many of those 'Christian' folks do their best to exclude you from society. Do you remember George H. W. Bush saying atheists shouldn't be considered as citizens in the USA? The POTUS said that, AND IT WAS ACCEPTABLE TO THE GENERAL VOTING PUBLIC.

      So you get this resentful rage burning inside you and when there's a way to strike back without consequence, you take it. Also, atheists on the Internet tend to be better versed in scripture than theists, if for no other reason than we're more willing to look at historical revisions and interpretations instead of taking it on faith that the current popular opinion on the current popular version of the Bible has always been so.

    47. Re:Weirdly? by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      I'm happy with a box of chocolates. Or a gift card. They're always the right size and color. But I still get badgered to list other things for my list. Inevitably I get a gift I can't really use, I even got a gift once that I explicity said not to buy for me. Then if I don't manage to hold the smile long enough I get dragged to the overpacked store for several hours so that I can exchange gifts for something else I don't really want.

      I just want to opt out.

    48. Re:Weirdly? by antdude · · Score: 1

      I prefer hanging out with people whom I haven't seen for ages.

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    49. Re:Weirdly? by lgw · · Score: 1

      "consider themselves non-religious" sounds like Atheist. 2/3s of America are "cultural Christians". They'll respond "Christian" on any survey, because they learned that's the right answer, but very few go to church weekly for more than social reasons. (Heck, in a lot of communities, your choices for a dating scene are bars or church, sadly enough.) It's the difference between supporting your local football team, and playing football.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    50. Re:Weirdly? by Rolgar · · Score: 1

      Halloween is All Hallows (Saints) Eve (All Saints is November 1st). This is one more case of the Catholic Tradition of celebrations on the Eve's of the Holy Day, Easter Vigil is the eve of Easter, Christmas Eve, and Mardi Gras on the eve of Ash Wednesday.

      Santa Claus comes from the Tradition of St. Nicholas whose feast is on December 6, and one story about him is that he attempted to anonymously give a father money, by throwing it through a window at night, for his daughters' dowries so they wouldn't have to end up as prostitutes. Some stories may have the money ending up in a shoe, which then developed into a tradition of leaving money in shoes on the morning of his feast, which then was tied in with Christmas and the shoes changed for socks/stockings.

      You can read this to get an idea of the issues around Jesus' birthday: http://jimmyakin.com/2014/11/t...

      Specifically, there is information in the Gospel of Luke that explains the timing of Jesus' birth that does indicate late December as one of the strongest possibilities. John the Baptists's father, Zechariah, was on duty in the temple on two separate times around August/September 15 months before Jesus would have been born, as reported in Luke's Gospel, once for his regular assignment (known because he was of the division of Abi'jah, v 1:5; an the dead sea scrolls tell us when they were on duty), and once for the Feast of Atonement when all priests were on duty. Luke reports that while Zechariah was on duty, he had a vision, and went home and his wife got pregnant at a very advanced age which would put John's due date in June. Luke further says that Mary was visited by the Archangel Gabriel 6 months after Zechariah, and she went and spent the last few months of Elizabeth's pregnancy with her, but her due date would have been in December. Sept (+6 months between the two visions = March +9 months for Jesus' gestation = Dec.

      Since all of this dates back to the first century, there should be no speculation about a conspiracy to subvert pagan solstice celebrations unless you are going to accuse God for timing all of this.

      Since Catholics don't follow sola scriptura, it is perfectly fine for Catholic Christians to celebrate this and all of the other celebrations that the Church chooses since Jesus gave the Church the authority to teach everybody about him.

    51. Re:Weirdly? by Gr8Apes · · Score: 1

      "consider themselves non-religious" sounds like Atheist. 2/3s of America are "cultural Christians". They'll respond "Christian" on any survey, because they learned that's the right answer, but very few go to church weekly for more than social reasons. (Heck, in a lot of communities, your choices for a dating scene are bars or church, sadly enough.)

      When I talk about non-religious, I'm talking about people that don't believe and don't go to a church, not the sunday christians, or the meek attenders (those that go because their neighbors do) I don't and haven't lived in anything approaching a mono-religious community ever, so the question of meeting people in church has always been moot since none of the neighbors were members of the same church, if they went to church at all.

      Honestly, I don't know anyone personally that would say they're an atheist when asked, but they would more than likely say they don't believe, probably because "atheist" means something more to them than its mere literal meaning. And why do they need a classification anyways? The question is as irrelevant to them as would be questioning them if they followed Keynes or Stockholm.

      --
      The cesspool just got a check and balance.
    52. Re:Weirdly? by Anne+Thwacks · · Score: 1

      I would like a Bentley - or a Rolls-Royce, but I will accept a used one if you can't afford new.

      --
      Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
  8. Weirdly? by 110010001000 · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    "Weirdly, a full 12% of consumers would prefer to shop after Christmas,"

    Newsflash: most people are not Christians. With all this Millennial talk about inclusiveness they seem to forget this.

  9. Black Friday is a gimmick by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    For high ticket items and electronics, Black Friday is a gimmick and has been for over a decade.
    Ex: If you want a great deal on a good TV, the best deals are this week.
    If you want the absolute cheapest 50" TV ever made by some no-name Chinese vendor, then shop on Black Friday and wait in line to be told that they have already sold out.
    There are still sales after Black Friday, but never as good as those in the 2 weeks leading up to it.
    Note: This mostly applies to items that sell well all year round. Seasonal clothing, gift only items (things no one would ever buy for themselves), latest toy fad (that everyone will realize is crap by December 26), ... do continue to have great sales through the holidays.

    1. Re:Black Friday is a gimmick by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There are still sales after Black Friday, but never as good as those in the 2 weeks leading up to it.

      This is part of the problem. Black Friday used to be "Black Friday". now it is Black 2-weeks-in-November. It just doesn't have quite the same ring and is part of what is wearing people down. The day is losing its specialness because first it moved to Thanksgiving Day with stores opening on Thursday instead of Friday and now to the 2 weeks before. If i have 2 weeks then why rush. the point of black Friday was to get people in the stores, if there isn't that sense of urgency of missing those deals then people won't come. At this rate soon it will be Black November, then Black Fall, then Black year-round! it will be similar to a store like JCPenny which which perpetually has 20% off "sales".

    2. Re:Black Friday is a gimmick by nwf · · Score: 1

      This is part of the problem. Black Friday used to be "Black Friday". now it is Black 2-weeks-in-November.

      If only it were two weeks. I've been getting Black Friday emails from the idiots at Best Buy and NewEgg since the beginning of October. That's likely why it has no meaning, when retailers use it to mean "sale". I'm tempted to have my email app dump anything containing "black friday" in the subject into the trash.

      --
      I don't know, but it works for me.
  10. Blame it on the retailers... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I would say this is something the retailers brought on themselves:

    1: By treating workers like garbage, people working for the store can't really buy their stuff.
    2: By buying the cheapest stuff from China to stock the shelves. With money over there, the Chinese had a booming Single's Day... but that money stays there, and doesn't come back. Had the retailers bought in the US, the money would have cycled back to them.
    3: By not bothering to adjust to the times. Partner with Amazon, offer a good web store, and perhaps even some delivery system. There isn't the time or parking spaces to fight against the soccer moms at the malls.

    Retailers in general (with places like Costco an exception) started the race to the bottom. Now that people can't afford their stuff, they are starting to understand the adage, "you make your bed, you lie in it". Let them blame millennials for it. Remember... those are the people paying millennials and controlling how much/how little they can afford.

    As for what takes their place... something will.

    1. Re:Blame it on the retailers... by omnichad · · Score: 1

      By treating workers like garbage

      And let me add "treating customers like garbage."

      Most customers don't want to bail on Thanksgiving early just to go shopping - but will anyway and resent it. But that's when the sales have moved to. Move them back to Friday morning and both customers and workers are happier about the whole thing.

    2. Re:Blame it on the retailers... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      With money over there, the Chinese had a booming Single's Day...

      I thought Singles Day was celebrated at the local strip club...

    3. Re:Blame it on the retailers... by gfxguy · · Score: 1

      You're essentially blaming the retailers for competing. The consumers brought this on themselves. The first store that opened at 6am on Friday instead of their usual 9 or 10am was only trying to get a jump on competitors, and the consumers lapped it up. If the consumers decided it wasn't worth it, the retailers wouldn't do it - they are essentially giving consumes what consumes want, despite the people complaining about it. That's all there is to it. If you don't like it, you are not forced to participate.

      --
      Stupid sexy Flanders.
    4. Re:Blame it on the retailers... by gfxguy · · Score: 1

      Most customers don't want to bail on Thanksgiving early just to go shopping - but will anyway and resent it.

      I can't believe you're blaming the retailers for that.

      --
      Stupid sexy Flanders.
    5. Re:Blame it on the retailers... by omnichad · · Score: 1

      Believe it. There are a LOT of reluctant shoppers out there on Thursday. Yes, the shoppers have a choice - but they are not really the ones with the power in this situation - especially if they depend on the lower prices (not everything is an oversized flat screen).

    6. Re:Blame it on the retailers... by gfxguy · · Score: 1

      Ok, I believe you're blaming the retailers for giving the consumers what they want (because if they didn't eat it up, the consumers wouldn't do it). I just completely disagree.

      Let me give you an example: when I was younger, you'd buy a plane ticket to go some where. You only bought one if there wasn't a reasonable alternative to get to where you wanted to go. They were expensive. They also had a lot more leg room on the plane, and free baggage check, meals, and movies on the planes. Now people complain they get herded like cattle, have to pay for every bag and pay for meals. But who is to blame? It's the customers looking for the lowest prices possible without consideration to what that meant to quality of product or service. Black Friday is the same thing... we brought this on ourselves; uneducated, unthinking consumerism.

      Yes, there are good deals on other things on Black Friday - but most of the stuff people need, like clothing, can be had for the same kinds of sale prices throughout the year.... pretty much every holiday and then some.

      --
      Stupid sexy Flanders.
    7. Re:Blame it on the retailers... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It would be smart for a retailer to wait until competition dropped their ads for BF, and then drop one for super saturday or whatever. More people are off work, if you have prices better then the others on BF you'll prevent competitors from getting business by having everyone wait for your own personal sale.

      As long as your prices are as good as or better then others on BF you'll be good. Do it for a few years to get used to everyone saying they'll go to anonymous coward mart for the better deals the next day. After that raise prices back up to where competitors are at and reap the benefits of your OWN PERSONAL shopping holiday.

      Amazon did this with cyber Monday.

    8. Re:Blame it on the retailers... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As a consumer, I didn't ask to have seats squashed together, shitloads of fees, and have to pay for everything. In fact, my two options were take the seat, don't fly, or pay $2000 an hour for a charter flight. Are plane tickets any cheaper than they were when you actually had legroom, meals, and fairly decent staff? Nope.

      This isn't consumerism, this is just corporate greed, pure and simple, especially after 9/11, where airlines can do what they feel like, and anyone complaining will be yanked off their seat and tossed in a holding cell.

      I can't believe people are actually supporting the airlines. Guess I found the libertarian.

    9. Re:Blame it on the retailers... by gfxguy · · Score: 1

      Plane tickets are most certainly cheaper, especially adjusted for inflation. It was a race to the bottom - do not blame the airlines for giving customers what they wanted. Most individuals look on travel sites now and look for one thing - the cheapest fare. In order to offer cheaper fares, airlines had to do something. Yes, they make a lot of money, but they make it on volume - they actually have razor thin margins. For the record, I don't "support" airlines, I'm just telling you like it is.

      --
      Stupid sexy Flanders.
  11. Where Will I Get My Garbage "Deals" at Now? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Here I was looking forward to buying junk that won't last under the guise of a "great deal."

  12. think for yourself by fluffernutter · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's clear to me that the very wrong time to shop is the time that they *think* you are shopping. The real key to get good deals is to follow your own pattern and not the pattern set up by corporations.

    --
    Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    1. Re:think for yourself by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sound investment advice is good shopping advice as well: Buy when others aren't, and sell when others are buying.

    2. Re:think for yourself by gfxguy · · Score: 1

      No, it's not quite the same. Believe it or not, there are actually really good deals on quality things on Black Friday because retailers, if many people are going shopping anyway, want those shoppers in their stores and not a competitors. Now most of them do that by offering so no-name brand, or some crazy cheap bottom-basement product made by a brand name at the behest of Walmart, but those are the deals to get people in the door - if you actually look hard enough, you can find great deals on products you might actually be interested in - you just have to get beyond the "door buster" BS.

      A good example is that our state used to have a "sales-tax free day" before school started to help people buy clothes and school related supplies. Since computers and a lot of electronics can be considered school supplies, it became a very competitive shopping day, and retailers would offer discounts on non-school related stuff, too. When they know you will be out there, they compete for your business.

      It's true that if you go during an off time of year, you might be able to haggle a better price for expensive electronics or a car or something, but you can't say that busy shopping days mean you can't get a good deal - that's just not true at all.

      --
      Stupid sexy Flanders.
    3. Re:think for yourself by Gr8Apes · · Score: 1

      Sadly, that's no longer true. It used to be, but now they just bottom dollar some cheap door buster piece of crap that looks like a good deal, but really isn't. Just because you can buy a new Yugo for $2K instead of $10K for a new econobox, doesn't make the Yugo a good deal.

      --
      The cesspool just got a check and balance.
    4. Re:think for yourself by gfxguy · · Score: 1

      It is still true, "door buster" deals notwithstanding. Just one example, great if you have kids, is Target often picks one LEGO set to offer half off. LEGO is expensive, that's a great deal. But sure - don't go for the Panosomic or Samsong 42" TV they are selling to get people in the door.

      --
      Stupid sexy Flanders.
    5. Re:think for yourself by PPalmgren · · Score: 1

      I remember working at Staples as a kid, seeing parents coming in during May and thinking they were clever buying shit for next years' school year. Little did they know the price of their $50 basket cost less than $10 during the Back to School sales, they're marked up during slower times to ensure the margin on keeping those isles stocked makes sense.

      Sales happen during holidays and events because predictable movement of merchandise for revenue is extremely beneficial to retailers. Shopping outside of season to avoid the crowd almost always ensures you're paying a premium, unless you're buying holiday decorations or shopping the clearance sales after a season's end.

    6. Re:think for yourself by Gr8Apes · · Score: 1

      Well, that's true, for kid stuff etc. But for things I'd buy, that actually cost significant money, like TVs, computers, or components like monitors, SSDs, etc. In those, there no longer are deals like there used to be. 10-15 years ago, top end hard drives or monitors went on 25% or more sales to get people in the door. Those were worthwhile. Now, the things I'd buy are generally never offered on sale on BF, while they may be on sale at other times, especially during new model releases or end of year inventory times.

      --
      The cesspool just got a check and balance.
    7. Re:think for yourself by painandgreed · · Score: 1

      It's clear to me that the very wrong time to shop is the time that they *think* you are shopping. The real key to get good deals is to follow your own pattern and not the pattern set up by corporations.

      In my personal experience, you really don't have a choice. It's the day after Thanksgiving, the family is together as anybody not working retail has the day off, there's not really anything to do, and because it is a weekday during store hours, somebody has errands to run including some shopping because they would otherwise be at work and unable to do it on any other day. Since there's nothing really to do but watch TV and everybody has been int he same house for over 24 hours at this point, it is now a family shopping expedition just to get out of the house. Stores realize this and put out sales to draw people to their stores. Now the deals are a thing and something to do as much as get any savings.

  13. Sour Grapes? by bobbied · · Score: 1

    Black Friday shopping, going to the store to wait in line to stampede some store for sale items, isn't really going away. It's just changing form. Retailers have realized that online sales are the most cost effective way to go, so things are morphing to online "deals" and away from brick an mortar, break the doors down at 1AM.

    BUT, at this point, I'm guessing the numbers being seen as evidence for this article's conclusions isn't fully understood for what it really means. Christmas spending has been largely depressed for the last 8 or so years, mostly for economic reasons. The author seems to be making their case based on this and the retailers sour grapes attitude towards holiday sales. However, this year, the polling shows a marked increase in what people are expecting to spend, so I'm expecting most retailers to exceed expiations, both online and in stores. I'd also not be surprised in a massive resurgence of shoppers on Black Friday.

    --
    "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    1. Re:Sour Grapes? by cyberchondriac · · Score: 1

      Agreed, I don't see any evidence it's "going away", in fact, the opposite: just in the past few years, we've seen the videos of massively overcrowded stores and malls opening at 4am or earlier where people are going apeshit and resorting to fistfights over limited items.
      It's madness. I'd much rather shop from the comfort of home; namely Amazon, or in some cases, even eBay. Or, at least, wait a few days. I'm maybe lucky that there's almost nothing I really need to get on a Black Friday on sale that I can't get some other day, on another sale before Christmas, my son doesn't want the latest PS4 or Nintendo Classic whatever the "new item of the year" is, y'know, the one that's always "limited release". It's like manufacturer's do that crap on purpose just to see people suffer.

      --

      Look back up at my post, now look back down, you're on the Internet. Now look back up. I'm a signature.
    2. Re:Sour Grapes? by gfxguy · · Score: 1

      The couple of years I did "participate" in the madness (good word for it), I would especially stay away from places like Walmart and Best Buy. You can only be one place at 5 or 6am. The only time I ever went out that early was to Sports Authority. A line, yes, but no fighting, no BS - a decent crowd of people. I then followed up going to other stores hours after they opened. I missed the "door buster" crap that I wouldn't buy anyway, but got good deals lingering in the background.

      I haven't done it in some time - I do some shopping online, but while the worst of the worst out there is absolutely terrible (I wouldn't want to be anywhere near Walmart), the best of the best is pretty good.

      --
      Stupid sexy Flanders.
  14. Well Duh.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Now with most stores opening at noon or 4pm on thanksgiving day for lack luster deals, why should people go out and do their shopping in one day. I'm sorry I'm not going to ruin my thanksgiving, to save $5.. Years back when black friday was actually held on fridays, the deals warranted waking up at midnight to go. Saving $300-$400 on a name brand good tv, sure I'll go and deal with the people.. $50 savings on a "black friday only" tv screw it I'll wait a few weeks for the next deal that will be better.

    1. Re:Well Duh.. by omnichad · · Score: 1

      I bought my last TV about 5 years ago. And the best deal was about 2 weeks before Black Friday. At least $50 less than the Black Friday price.

    2. Re:Well Duh.. by Gr8Apes · · Score: 1

      I bought mine a few years ago. Top-end plasma, best price was in Sept IIRC.

      --
      The cesspool just got a check and balance.
  15. Well yeah... we wait till Cyber Monday. by Kenja · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why would we stand in line to spend money in person when we can spend less online for the same stuff three days later?

    --

    "Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
    1. Re:Well yeah... we wait till Cyber Monday. by Jason+Levine · · Score: 1

      We have a general rule of no shopping in the mall after the second week of November (sometimes earlier). The crowds are just too much to deal with when we can just load Amazon.com, order things, and have them delivered in 2 days instead.

      --
      My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
    2. Re:Well yeah... we wait till Cyber Monday. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You misspelled "the day before." Why would you wait until Monday when you can do your shopping on Thanksgiving Day itself (before the best deals sell out) and be done with it? The sales are all the same (assuming there's anything left in stock), they just change the logo to draw in the suckers who think Cyber Monday is anything special. Besides, I have to work on Monday.

    3. Re:Well yeah... we wait till Cyber Monday. by gfxguy · · Score: 1

      Notwithstanding Black Friday weekend, I actually still enjoy holiday shopping... especially on weekdays and not right near Christmas, but otherwise it's not that bad.

      --
      Stupid sexy Flanders.
  16. Black Friday is growing, not dying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    They just changed it so it's the whole month of November.

    1. Re: Black Friday is growing, not dying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      #BlackFridaysMatter

    2. Re: Black Friday is growing, not dying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      #AllFridaysMatter

    3. Re: Black Friday is growing, not dying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I understand the problem they have with the system, however i do not respect the BLM organization or their current chosen methods of protest, i think it only serves to drive deeper rifts between the races. If they want to change the system they need to be a uniting force not the divisive entity they currently are and when they change their tactics, then maybe they will get more respect.

  17. It's dying because the sales aren't very good by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    I've been able to get a PS4 or XBone for $199 for some time now if I just watch something like Kotaku's adverts for deals. Most of the TV deals are average too. There's a few odds/ends (Home Depot has some holiday decorations on sale for cheap) but that's not going to get anyone out of bed at 4am.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
    1. Re:It's dying because the sales aren't very good by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Insightful

      There is no room to slash prices anymore. Competition is so stiff that the margins are already razor thin. In the pre-internet times stores could easily afford slashing 20% because of their 40% profit margins, but today?

      Which is GOOD. Instead of being gouged the whole year, you get a better price now all year long.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    2. Re:It's dying because the sales aren't very good by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      Competition is so stiff that the margins are already razor thin.

      What about the margin on thin razors?

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    3. Re:It's dying because the sales aren't very good by TheCastro1689 · · Score: 1

      Dollar shave club showed the margins are high, but even they are getting pricier.

    4. Re:It's dying because the sales aren't very good by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Oh those are still huge.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  18. Re:"dedicated minority" meaning African Americans? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Pretty sure the OP meant "minority" the mathematical sense - "the smaller part or number; a number, part, or amount forming less than half of the whole" rather than referring to the standard US understanding of racial minorities.

    Good job going off half-cocked, though!

  19. Typical news story by Kohath · · Score: 1

    There's an event coming up, time to troll the readers with negative FUD about it.

  20. Good, it serves it right. . . by Idou · · Score: 1
    --
    Sdelat' Ameriku velikoy Snova!
  21. black-friday, never done it, never will by FudRucker · · Score: 1

    there is no way in hell would i stand in line for hours in front of a store, and then navigate my way through a crowd of people to get a product only to save a little bit on it, that is the definition of both insanity & stupidity, it sounds like a good way to become a victim of violence of catching a contagious disease or virus, no thank you, dont want it

    --
    Politics is Treachery, Religion is Brainwashing
    1. Re:black-friday, never done it, never will by Gilgaron · · Score: 1

      It can be kind of fun if you go to a niche store instead of Kohls or Best Buy. My in-laws used to live near a Rockler and so when we visited for Thanksgiving we'd go stand in line briefly on Black Friday and share woodworking hobby talk with the fellows in line before being let in and given "random" gift cards. (I'm not so sure they were random... my wife always got the minimum $10 and I seemed to get a bigger one based on how long I let the beard get that year.) So we'd get some supply or kit doorbusters to make into Christmas presents and then I'd treat myself to something with the gift card. But yes you'd have to be insane to camp out at Walmart.

  22. Re:"dedicated minority" meaning African Americans? by mjwx · · Score: 5, Informative

    When you use the term "dedicated minority", are you referring to African Americans and Hispanic Americans?

    I'm pretty certain he meant uninformed tight-arses, not a specific race.

    The kind of people who don't realise two things.
    1. There is a time cost. Spending 6 hours to save 20% often isn't worth it. Not to mention the cost of fuel.
    2. Prices are raised in preparation for the holiday sales, then dropped less than that amount for black Friday.

    Savvy people buy this stuff off peak when meaningful discounts are offered to keep stock moving (January or just before the end of the financial year in your nation). Many of us have just given up on stores entirely because we get better prices online. Especially for stuff that goes into stupid prices around Christmas like toys and games, what little of this I had to buy for relatives, I bought months ago.

    Fairly certain a savvy black or Latino would have done the same thing. I'm not smart because I'm white, I'm smart because I actually thought about things and planned ahead.

    --
    Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
  23. Re: "dedicated minority" meaning African Americans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Good job summing that up. And I agree, he only has a half-cock.

  24. 'Black Friday is Dying' by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 4, Insightful

    And nothing of value was lost.

    1. Re:'Black Friday is Dying' by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And nothing of value was lost.

      Uh, let's not overlook the fact that people have lost their lives on Black Friday.

      http://blackfridaydeathcount.com/

  25. Without Black Friday, by jenningsthecat · · Score: 1

    and all of those mob scene stories on the news, how will the rest of the world know that the Thanksmas season, (or is it Christgiving? I can never remember), has started in the US?

    --
    'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
  26. Googlers rioting on Black Friday... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    My father and I went to the Walmart in Mountain View in 2005. When we got there at 6:30AM, 16 police cars surrounded the store and that many officers were inside the store. Otherwise, the store looked perfectly normal. We later found out on the news that 200 to 300 Googlers — who else lives in Mountain View? — tried to get one of two bargain-priced HDTVs and started a full-fledge riot at 5:30AM. We always laughed at people who buy big ass HDTVs to put into their small ass cars and count the abandoned HDTV boxes in the parking lot.

    1. Re:Googlers rioting on Black Friday... by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      We always laughed at people who buy big ass HDTVs to put into their small ass cars and count the abandoned HDTV boxes in the parking lot.

      Free HDTV boxes? I'm going to Walmart right now!

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
  27. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  28. Skipping Christmas is not "weird" by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Informative

    It's sensible.

    Who in their right mind would WANT to go buy stuff at the same time everyone else does? Whether that's Black Friday or Christmas in general. If anything, online shopping will do, but I will certainly NOT spend my time in a warehouse around this time of the year.

    First, the obvious: It's a surefire way to get sick. And I'm not even talking about the thousands of people who can't be assed to cover their snouts when sneezing or coughing. It's the insane temperature differences that kill me. Outside it's freezing. So you dress appropriately. But shops feel that compelling urge to turn their sales floor into a Finnish sauna. So you're sweating like a pig. Only to go back outside to be frozen solid. Abso-fucking-lutely great for your health.

    Then a billion people pushing carts and throwing stuff about. with at least as many tripping hazards in tow called children. But dare to punt one of those little pests out of the way. Loud, obnoxious and, not least for the aforementioned sweating, smelling like a rotten egg sandwich.

    And finally, when you think you ALMOST made it to the end, the inevitable line before the cashiers. A million people lined up in front of ONE SINGLE DAMN checkout booth. Staffed with the trainee, of course, so you have plenty of time to decide you absolutely need one of the impulse buy items, accompanied by the sweet sound of whistle buys that throw tantrums because their parents refuse to buy said impulse items.

    You really want to know why we are fed up with this? Are you seriously asking?

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    1. Re:Skipping Christmas is not "weird" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      WANTING to skip Christmas isn't weird at all but when you try to implement it, it gets messy as hell.

      I am relatively well off and have some family that are solid middle class. Plenty of money flowing but may be nice to save some extra for some family members. Some wanted to cut spending on Christmas to save for things like house down payments. I am very frugal and was very willing to go along (I have even suggested a reduction of spending from the other, more well off, side of the family).

      What actually happened is not 1 minute after agreeing to not exchange gifts at all the "exceptions" list started. First it was "well, (my) kids shouldn't have to suffer, so lets still buy (my) kids things". This is a little one sided because I don't have kids, but OK, whatever, I don't need anything. Next its: well, I don't want to get you NOTHING, I saw this little thing and got it. This happens a few times. People talk and word gets out that everyone is getting "a little something". Then the race is on to prove you aren't the cheap ass who got nothing or got the worst gift. By the end of it, yeah, no one is getting a big honking expensive gift but instead its a collection of worthless crap that probably costs the same as one nicer useful gift.

      Also, try telling people you aren't celebrating Christmas just to save money. Look at their faces while you do. You will think you are a child molester or a murderer based on the look you recieve.

    2. Re:Skipping Christmas is not "weird" by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      People give me the most precious gift of all on Christmas: Time. The time I save by not having to shop for gifts for people who I don't know what to buy because what they need they already buy themselves and what they don't need they also don't want. By not giving me anything, they also absolve me of the obligation to buy anything in return.

      That's really thoughtful of them. And it's exactly what I wanted.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  29. Speaking as someone who.... by mark-t · · Score: 1

    ... had first heard the term in this context (a reflection on it 30 years later is here), I had always found the importing of the term into Canada, which seemed to only start to become a big thing here after around 1990 or so, to be inconsiderate towards those that experienced the event, and especially those who lost someone they cared about on that day. While I know it is not deliberate by any means, as one who lived through that event, it will never be a term that sits well with me, and will forever be associated with that day.

    For comparison, how would it look to you if some other country were to have had some big consumerism event going on that they had happened to always refer to as 9-11 (possibly only as a reference to store hours... open from 9am until 11pm, for instance), and they wanted to bring it into the USA? It's unlikely it would be seen to be in very good taste, even though absolutely no offense may have ever be intended.

    I'm not suggesting that the Americans should change the name of the event.... but I do quite firmly believe that it should not be happening here.

    1. Re:Speaking as someone who.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Black friday is also the term for when the stock market tanked causing the great depression.

      There is irony in there.

    2. Re:Speaking as someone who.... by sexconker · · Score: 1

      Ah yes, I remember it well. It was back in 1929. In those days, Black Friday fell on a Tuesday.

    3. Re:Speaking as someone who.... by wyHunter · · Score: 1

      They're trying this in UK as well as Canada. It makes no sense - many people in the USA have the day off after American Thanksgiving - which is one of the reasons why people shopped. However, Thanksgiving in Canada is in October, and UK doesn't have it at all - so ... wtf?

    4. Re:Speaking as someone who.... by MitchDev · · Score: 1

      I'd laugh at a sale phenomenon called "9-11", wouldn't take part, just like I don't with Black Friday.

      Huge crowds of greedy consumers without dignity or senses of common sense or courtesy, all trying to grab the same "Only 10 per store!" so-called-"super-buy!" where people will gladly trample their fellow human beings to death for a "sale"? No thank you
       

    5. Re:Speaking as someone who.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hmm reading wikipedia I was wrong. The article mentions a black Tuesday, black Thursday and a black Monday, but no Friday.

      I am sure you can see where the confusion may come in. Either way, my bad.

  30. Re:"dedicated minority" meaning African Americans? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Are you for real?

  31. Re:"dedicated minority" meaning African Americans? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Black Friday was never a majority event. It was always a dedicated minority who were either looking for great deals or just had nothing better to do that day.

    When you use the term "dedicated minority", are you referring to African Americans and Hispanic Americans?

    No, we're referring to the dedicated idiots living in tent city outside a Best Buy for a week to get $150 off a TV. That kind of stupidity is not bound by race.

    It's also rather disrespectful for you to say that they "have nothing better to do that day". They most likely would rather be working one or more of their multiple jobs, trying desperately to make ends meet.

    Really? Most of the shit I see the Black Friday dedicated idiots standing in line for is not what poverty would define as "essential", so spare me the rhetoric about making ends meet. If they were that desperate, they wouldn't be giving up 3 days worth of income to stand in line for a fucking video game console.

    Poverty means you're shopping at the second-hand store, garage sales, or goodwill, which will always beat the shit out of any store sale, and certainly doesn't require anyone to wait for Black Friday.

  32. Re:"dedicated minority" meaning African Americans? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Not half-cocked at all though. Respondent is the now-common internet sapper who has an agenda and insinuates themselves into public dialog at every opportunity in order to pollute intelligent discourse. Hope said sapper at least wore their grease paint and black turtleneck. Suspect some David Niven aplomb is beyond them.

  33. Re:"dedicated minority" meaning African Americans? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's reasonable for marginalized groups like those who are subjected to poverty to be seeking out good deals on goods that they otherwise couldn't afford the rest of the year.

    Except that NONE of the "good deals" being offered on Black Friday are for things that are actually necessary or important. None. As in zero.

    It's all poorly made crap that you can easily live without. And all of those "poor" people don't seem to have any problem finding plenty of money to buy liquor, cigarettes, lottery tickets, crack, weed and other "necessities".

    In conclusion. You're an idiot.

  34. The scale and nature of Black Friday had evolved.. by redmasq · · Score: 1

    ... and it became unfit to survive.

    Humour aside, while attending the earlier era Black Friday events, the sale events were not as common among retailers and attracted smaller crowd. The sales were always single day, usually limited hours, mostly had the same merchandise seen throughout the year, and sometime had very deep discounts (70% off or better). The sales became more popular as it got more press. Retailers saw the trend and adapted to the consumers. Merchandise that was discounted started being specifically ordered for Black Friday, sometimes of very different quality than the usual merchandise. Online retailers started making pre- and post- sales, essentially transforming it into a week event. This is to increase the money made from the event. Of course, while people are generally assumed to be "dumb," given enough time, people will adapt resistances and will not be caught in the spun web.

  35. "45% of us believe" by Nutria · · Score: 2

    That would be 90% of women, and 0% of men.

    --
    "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
    1. Re:"45% of us believe" by avandesande · · Score: 1

      Nice stereotype but had male in-law that would obsess over getting latest thing for their kids, like completely overboard.

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    2. Re:"45% of us believe" by Nutria · · Score: 1

      I bet he was a trans-man. (Or woman; I keep forgetting which is which...)

      --
      "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
    3. Re:"45% of us believe" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why would you even say that? Your post is just dripping with undertones of stereotyping and deliberate ignorance.

  36. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  37. Was that an attempted pun? by XXongo · · Score: 1

    Pretty sure the OP meant "minority" the mathematical sense - "the smaller part or number; a number, part, or amount forming less than half of the whole" rather than referring to the standard US understanding of racial minorities.

    I think the poster may have been trying to make a pun on "black" Friday = "African-American" Friday.

    It's kinda hard to tell, though

  38. Bull by nospam007 · · Score: 1

    "was a frantic day of driving to the store at the crack of dawn to fight off other shoppers for great deals. "

    Just like the other 364 days, we now shop online on Black Friday.
    No fights and we can sit on the couch in our underwear, just like any other shopping day.

    1. Re:Bull by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      and if you miss the fights then there is this

  39. Not worth a stent by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm saving money and a heart attack by not shopping. There is nothing new to buy anyway. This holiday I'm getting my kids bonds and a few small things they really want. They're constantly spoiled all year round by grandparents anyway and are perfectly happy already.

    1. Re:Not worth a stent by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      Buy them 100K Dogecoin each. Who knows what will happen within a decade?

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    2. Re:Not worth a stent by freeze128 · · Score: 1

      Then what will you buy them *NEXT* year?

    3. Re:Not worth a stent by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      100K Reddcoins each.

      At this point there's plenty of crypto-currencies to answer that question for nearly three centuries.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
  40. Re:The dumpster fires of humanity... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You do know that this is troll bait?

  41. Hard for you guys to imagine by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Some people only buy things on Black Friday. As in, no discretionary purchases get made until the holiday sales.

  42. That is actually where I have been for the past... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That is actually where I have been for the past... 5+ years.

    I have basically everything I could want. There are a few things that would be nice to have, space permitting, but nothing that I find necessary to my day to day life.

    At this point in time the only things left to get would be towards energy/food independence and renewability through on-site recycling of organic and inorganic waste. Most of that however is restricted by government regulations where I am, so it basically requires relocating somewhere else (possibly outside of the US) to take full advantage of.

  43. Is it really dead? by Cro+Magnon · · Score: 1

    Or does it just smell that way?

    --
    Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
  44. it becoming 'black thurday' is what 'killed' it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    if it was still wake up early on friday instead of postponing thanksgiving dinner or missing football games, 'black friday' would still be significant... but now it's mainly just watered down "sales" of the previous week's mark-ups and 'cheaper than shit' and falls-apart before january 'door busters'.

  45. Re:"dedicated minority" meaning African Americans? by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

    It means that you can't just go out and buy clothing and other essential items whenever you want. It means that you need to budget, save your money, and buy when the price is right, even if that means waiting a long time.

    I thought that in reality, it's exactly the opposite for poor people - for necessary items at least, you can't "wait until the price is right" since you can't save the money, there's always something to be paid ASAP.

    --
    Ezekiel 23:20
  46. Re:"dedicated minority" meaning African Americans? by gfxguy · · Score: 2

    It doesn't matter that it's mostly(*) cheap crap. If a laptop is otherwise not affordable to someone, and they can find a full Windows laptop for $130 (that's an actual Dell deal on an existing model this year, not a made up cheap crap model) that their kids can do homework on, that they can do online banking and job searches on, then it's still worth it.

    (*) It's true that the majority of offers, especially on electronics, seem to be for items that are not normally available at those stores from manufacturers whose names you never heard (or are already known for making cheap crap), and even "real" manufacturers who've made some cheap junk for "door busters," but there are deals to be had. I've participated in BF when there was actually something I had my eye on that was going to be significantly cheaper. There are good deals on things besides electronics. I've never waited over night, or in a tent city, but often retailers are inclined to offer something to compete with the likes of Best Buy and Walmart just to get people in the door.

    I still participate, too - but from the comfort of my computer chair. I'd been wanting to switch mobile carriers and did it on BF a couple of years ago, getting excellent deals on new phones for the family (which served as their main Christmas presents).

    Now I need to wonder why people "stress" about it. If the vast majority of us don't participate (I've only done it a couple of times), then why would we stress? There's something seriously wrong with the American psyche... too many people stress about unimportant things like this. If you work in retail and are actually "forced" to work Thanksgiving, or any time over that weekend, I can see that as being stressful.... but that's not 80% of us. And, for the record, I've worked on Thanksgiving and didn't stress about it (I work in television). The police are still working; many people at the big game (whichever one you want to watch) are working - security, ticketing, concessions, cleaning staff, the people setting up and maintaining the field and equipment, and the players - all working for your pleasure on Thanksgiving (and don't forget us TV folks who are broadcasting it to you - not just the director and camera operators, there's a lot more people involved than most people know). Police are working, fire fighters are working, the news people in all media are working, hospital staff is working, people making sure you have the electric to watch the big game and cook your Thanksgiving dinner are working.... it's actually quite a large list, and nobody seems to give a crap about them.

    --
    Stupid sexy Flanders.
  47. Of course it's dying by techdolphin · · Score: 1

    The people who created it knew it would die. That is why they named it "Black" Friday.

  48. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  49. It's a hold-over from pre-IT revolution days by sandbagger · · Score: 1

    Now we have just in time sequence, just in time inventory. Before computers stores and chains built up inventory chains that were comparatively inflexible and communications were slow. Moreover feedback on pricing was slow. Now stores have their warehouses floating in containers at sea and overland via rail and trucks. Theres simply no big build up of stock.

    --
    ---- The above post was generated by the Turing Institute. Maybe.
  50. Re:"dedicated minority" meaning African Americans? by gnick · · Score: 2

    And all of those "poor" people don't seem to have any problem finding plenty of money to buy liquor, cigarettes, lottery tickets, crack, weed and other "necessities".

    You seem to know a lot about "all of those 'poor' people." Don't believe everything you read on Breitbart.

    --
    He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
  51. Re:"dedicated minority" meaning African Americans? by mjwx · · Score: 1

    Wow, your telepathy is amazing.

    SHHHHHHH,

    No-one tell him it was just basic comprehension and common sense. Any reading of the GP's post that is indistinguishable from telepathy is insufficiently competent.

    --
    Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
  52. Not Weird. Just Not Mainstream. by TheCowSaysMoo · · Score: 1

    Weirdly, a full 12% of consumers would prefer to shop after Christmas, to capitalize on the post-holiday sales, even though their recipients would get their presents a little late.

    So, you ENJOY paying more for the exact same product simply because society says you have to celebrate a holiday on a particular day?

    To me, saving money after the holidays isn't weird. It's just different from mainstream thinking. We do this all the time in my household. We celebrate Christmas day as a family (me, wife, 5-year-old) with a couple small, personal gifts. However, we completely avoid the holiday buying frenzy and visiting the extended family because of all the manufactured stress involved. Who should I buy for? What should I buy? Will they like it? Did I get a gift receipt? Who should I visit? Who should come over? What time are they visiting? What time do we need to leave? Do we need to prepare food? Did we remember to pack the gifts? How much time should we visit with my family? How much time with your family? And on and on and on.

    Instead of celebrating with extended family and friends on Christmas Day, we invite everybody over the weekend of MLK Day and that's when we open the bigger gifts and exchange gifts. Almost everybody has a three-day weekend and comes over, we get to shop for gifts at discounted prices, and it's a great way to extend the holiday spirit for a couple of weeks with no real drawbacks. Even if you want to celebrate MLK Day, that's on Monday, so have at it!

    I got the idea from my mom when she did something similar for Thanksgiving. When I was in high school and my two older brothers had moved out and were married, she saw all of the manufactured stress occurring with our family and friends in terms of where they were going to be and for how long. She declared that we would celebrate the weekend before Thanksgiving and suddenly ALL the family and ALL the friends showed up and stayed the entire time. And shopping for Thanksgiving food a week early prevented any shopping stress. It was a blast!

    At the end of the day, most holidays are manufactured and the date has very little to do with what is being celebrated. Just celebrate them when it works best for you and yours.

  53. Re:"dedicated minority" meaning African Americans? by mjwx · · Score: 1

    I'm pretty certain he meant uninformed tight-arses, not a specific race.

    Wow, your telepathy is amazing. Tell us how you can read minds like that! Judging by your weird nonstandard spelling, you come from a country without the legacy of Jim Crow, and thus have no idea what you're talking about. Pro TIP: shut the fuck up when you want to say anything about racial issues you have no idea about.

    At the risk of unveiling my awesome lexical abilities to the unwary, "black" day is typically associated with a catastrophe, not a race. Looking around it seems it was first used to describe bad traffic conditions in start of the Christmas shopping season.

    the terms "Black Friday" and "Black Saturday" came to be used by the police in Philadelphia and Rochester to describe the crowds and traffic congestion accompanying the start of the Christmas shopping season.

    And yes, I come from a country where institutionalised racism wasn't a thing in living memory. This isn't something I'm particularly ashamed of and maybe you should take your own advice when talking about things you clearly have no knowledge of.

    --
    Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
  54. STUPID CREIMER THREAD IGNORE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If I eat out on Black Friday, it will be at Panda Express for orange chicken, steam rice and chicken egg roll. That's enough food to keep me going all day.

    Why panda express? There's nothing wrong with it but.... oh yeah I forgot you're too poor to get eat24 delivered from a real chinese restaurant.

    You know what though? You're not too poor because according to you. If you liquidate all your assets you can still buy a car and move to mexico where you can marry an "underage sweet thing".

    (It is important to note that you never ever ever said you would, you said all this for the sake of friendly conversation and you believe that dating underage girls is legal and as american as apple pie)

    1. Re:STUPID CREIMER THREAD IGNORE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Stop rehashing this shit. It wasn't funny yesterday, it's not funny today.

    2. Re:STUPID CREIMER THREAD IGNORE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It was even less funny when you originally posted it, Mr. TotallyNotCreimer.

  55. Re: "dedicated minority" meaning African Americans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wealthy people tend to forget this. I grew up poverty stricken and these "small" discounts can actually be quite significant relative to ones income.

    Some billionaire may wonder why you bother working 40-50+ hours a week in a professional job when you could be managing a multinational corp or gobbling up realestate. You're only scrapping on that measly $200k paying a mortgage when you could simply buy a bunch of property at opportune times and rent it out, easily earning far more than $200k/yr and have plenty of places to live.

  56. Re:"dedicated minority" meaning African Americans? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No, the ones that can't wait are not poor, they are dumb. Regardless of income.

    I grew up in a family well below the poverty line. We always stocked up on consumables, and prepared and stored up food for the winter. Only the well to do have the luxury of purchasing as needed.

    There were many that earned more than we did, but had a lower standard of living because of poor choices.

  57. Gotta get to Wal-Mart early... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...to get one of the powered carts to sit in line for the chance to buy a $350 TV for the low price of $200, that will fail on exactly day 366 after purchase. No thanks, I already did my Christmas shopping last month online. Some thoughtful gifts from Amazon and some personalized Coca-Cola bottles from the Coca-Cola Company website (expiration dates are August 2018.) The only hard part will be dealing with the post office to get everything shipped.

  58. Re:"dedicated minority" meaning African Americans? by Jason+Levine · · Score: 1

    Not to mention available stock and buying other items not on your list. "I'm going to the store to get $100 off this TV. Oh, wait, there were only 5 in stock and I was the 10th person. I guess I'll buy this other TV instead since it says it's $50 off. Oh and might as well grab these things also."

    --
    My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
  59. Dead Since the 90s by sexconker · · Score: 1

    Black Friday died in the mid 90s when the masses got their mitts on the world wide web.

    There used to be actual deals (and freebies) worth getting, and you had a decent chance of getting them if you showed up when the store opened.

    Today you have to fight to the death to get a chance at a "good deal" on last year's off brand TV model or $50 off a router that's fundamentally broken out of the box and is EoL so you'll never get firmware updates from the manufacturer, etc. And you have to do it all on Thanksgiving day. And you have to watch for the pre Black Friday sales. And the Cyber Monday sales.

    Fuck all that shit. Here's the real pro tip:

    Buy what you want up to 30 days before the sales using a Discover IT card. Then use the price protection perk if it goes on sale. Discover IT covers Black Friday. If what you want doesn't go on sale, who cares?

  60. Let's go fight mons of poors to save 20% by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Uh no thanks.

  61. Re:"dedicated minority" meaning African Americans? by jfdavis668 · · Score: 1

    Minority, as in a small part of a population. Not defined by any other parameter except number. The topic is about percentage of the populations, so yes, I was using the mathematical term.

  62. Isn't there a rule, by Hylandr · · Score: 1

    Isn't there a rule for headlines that proclaim "X is dying"?

    Like the rule for every article that asks a question means the answer is "No" ?

    --
    ~ People that think they are better than anyone else for any reason are the cause of all the strife in the world.
  63. Re:"dedicated minority" meaning African Americans? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... the legacy of Jim Crow ...

    Yes, there's a million ways to skew a survey. A sale will obviously be targeted at a specific demographic, which may be a race or ethnicity, or an IQ score.

    The GP was responding to a point in a message appearing on Slashdot, not the consequence of Jim Crow and the dis-empowerment of US minorities.

    ... racial issues you have no idea about.

    Translation: Assume ideas like "12% of consumers", " 45% of us", "81% of us" are inherently racist.

    If you think the message means something else, stop the SJW whinge and inform all of us.

  64. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  65. Re:"dedicated minority" meaning African Americans? by Plus1Entropy · · Score: 2

    I thought it was called Black Friday because it was the day that the accounts of most retail companies would no longer be "in the red". Referring to accounting practice of marking losses/profits in ledgers in red/black ink.

    --
    Only crack the nuts that crack. You don't put the ones that don't crack in the sack.
  66. DOWN VOTE STUPID CREIMER THREAD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I supposed telling yourself that every AC who disagrees with you must be Chris is the only way you can justify that you're still a "decent human being" when falsely accusing someone else about wanting child brides. Your wife and children must be proud of your douchebaggery behavior on Slashdot.

    1. Re:DOWN VOTE STUPID CREIMER THREAD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You forgot to hit AC for this comment, FakeFuck39. The moment of truth... creimer only has one troll. A bitter fuck.

    2. Re:DOWN VOTE STUPID CREIMER THREAD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You sound bitter, sweet tits.

    3. Re:DOWN VOTE STUPID CREIMER THREAD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I can promise you there is me, and another troll. If you want to get an idea how many people troll you, consider that out of all the people in this thread only a few are going to bother following links. Usually when I see an imgur posted it gets about 5 views so that's at least 4 people who like laughing at you enough to follow the link plus yourself.
      I'm pretty sure you have like 3 dedicated trolls and a smattering of people who pop in to take pot shots at you.

    4. Re:DOWN VOTE STUPID CREIMER THREAD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    5. Re:DOWN VOTE STUPID CREIMER THREAD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      LOL I am the guy who said he had a wife and children. I love how creimer thinks this is a distinguishing feature worth pointing out.

      Most people (even on Slashdot) have normal human relationships and do end up getting married and having a child. Similarly, most people don't even consider combining the two and marrying a child, nor do they talk about it regularly with their co-workers or the technology forums they frequent.

      If my wife found out I made fun of a creep on the internet who talked about marrying children, she would think it was a stupid waste of time, but it really wouldn't be that big a deal.

    6. Re:DOWN VOTE STUPID CREIMER THREAD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      LOL I am the guy who said he had a wife and children. I love how creimer thinks this is a distinguishing feature worth pointing out.

      Someone who falsely accuses someone else of wanting a child bride probably molests his own children. If I knew who you were, I would call Children Protective Services.

    7. Re:DOWN VOTE STUPID CREIMER THREAD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      nor do they talk about it regularly with their co-workers or the technology forums they frequent.

      I doubt that creimer is an actual threat to any person IRL. But I find it so disturbing that he works at the FBI and one of his presumably cleared co-workers felt like underage brides and the engineers who buy them was an ok conversation to have with the office retard.

    8. Re:DOWN VOTE STUPID CREIMER THREAD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He's only a threat if he sees there's food left on your plate.

    9. Re:DOWN VOTE STUPID CREIMER THREAD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That seems like a bit of a logical leap.

    10. Re:DOWN VOTE STUPID CREIMER THREAD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's interesting that he keeps using phrase "falsely wanted a child bride". Nobody can tell if creimer wants a child bride. The only evidence we have is that he certainly seems approving of a child bride.

      As for my comment, I've heard stories of engineers retiring at 50, moving to Mexico and marrying underage girls. Since I work with ex-military, the Philippines is a popular retirement spot for marrying underage girls as well. It's all about getting the most bang for your retirement dollars.

      [1]

      So no creimer never said he was going to do this. He just evaluated the feasibility of buying a new car and getting married in Mexico for retirement. But he never said he wanted to get "the most bang" personally.

      If you're worried I'm misrepresenting you I will work hard to set the record straight. Please air any other concerns you might have and I'll fix it.

      [1]
      https://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=11064719&cid=55123241

    11. Re:DOWN VOTE STUPID CREIMER THREAD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Hello, CPS? There's this guy who says I'm a creep for wanting to marry a child. But I DON'T want to marry a child, I just talk about it on Slashdot sometimes, and my trolls blow it way out of proportion. It's really not that big a deal, just something I like to talk about! Anyway, can you please arrest him? Because, I was thinking about child molestation?"

    12. Re:DOWN VOTE STUPID CREIMER THREAD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Creimer logic:
      Finding some posts creepy == molests own children
      Assuming ACs are creimer == defensive mechanism to maintain delusion that you're a good person

      Aren't autistics usually highly logical? Get it together fat rainman.

    13. Re:DOWN VOTE STUPID CREIMER THREAD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      On the other hand, the sort of person who does end up going to the 3rd world to marry a child bride is probably a lot like creimer.

    14. Re:DOWN VOTE STUPID CREIMER THREAD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      On the other hand, the sort of person who does end up going to the 3rd world to marry a child bride is probably a lot like creimer.

      This is likely why some creep at the FBI datacenter filled creimer in on his sketchy retirement plans. Since the feelings of a teenage mexican are completely alien to a late middle aged silicon valley autistic he thought it was all cool. Ran here and told slashdot all about it expecting us to not be grossed out.

    15. Re:DOWN VOTE STUPID CREIMER THREAD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wow, there are no words for the butt hurt you feel

    16. Re:DOWN VOTE STUPID CREIMER THREAD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think we made good progress today. Tomorrow when creimer posts we can work with him to clear things up.
      I think he's trying to tell us that he DOES NOT WANT CHILD BRIDES. He only talks about them sometimes at work (TOTALLY THE OTHER GUY'S IDEA) and sometimes on slashdot.

      But anyhow that's a conversation for the replies to creimer's posts tomorrow.... and every day after that.

      Now I'd like to revisit my favorite part of today's discussion:
      CDREIMER WRITES:

      As someone else pointed out, my one liners are troll bait. You already know that, troll.

      -A WILD TROLL APPEARS!-
      CDREIMER CRIES:

      If I knew who you were, I would call Children Protective Services.

      ; ;

      Wow a good ole 1 - 2 punch and creimer showed those trolls what's what!

  67. Consumerism isn't dying, but people only need by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    so many LCD panels in their dwellings, cars, pockets. I've followed Black Friday Sales since the beginning and have scored on a few occasions. There are fewer and fewer scores to be had as margins shrink and markets saturate. There is no evidence that shows this trend abating.

  68. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  69. Call it 'White Wednesday' and I'm all in. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We all needs us some privilege.

  70. Re:"dedicated minority" meaning African Americans? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm smart because I actually thought about things and planned ahead.

    Me, too. That is why I always vote Democrat.

  71. Dumb post by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Chris talks about child brides with unusual regularity. He also spams slashdot with ads and makes a million irrelevant one liners, none of them worthy of downvote but maybe if he's lucky it'll get a single upvote. He'll end up making about 4000 comments not including AC comments if left to his own devices.

    I had hoped by bringing up his creepy tendencies it would keep people like you from white knighting him and make him post less. But until he sticks his dick in a kid and posts it on the internet I guess that you think he deserves a fair trial in the court of public opinion.

    Why do you care anyhow. All the creimer spam gets nested down 5 layers deep so you never see them. Don't give me that you have to browse at -1 to see anything anymore shit either. It's entirely not true most stories have about 30 exposed comments and more if you want to have a discussion. The only people who complain are guys who think time is a cube and obama is an android from kenya.... and of course guys who think marrying a child is about "getting the most bang for your retirement dollars"

    That only works if you retire to Mexico, build a mansion (by local standards), marry an underage sweet thing and bequeath all your possessions to the village.

    https://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=11064719&cid=55122609

    If all my assets were liquidated, I would still have enough cash to buy a new car and head off to Mexico to find a chica to marry.

    https://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=11064719&cid=55125199

    As for my comment, I've heard stories of engineers retiring at 50, moving to Mexico and marrying underage girls. Since I work with ex-military, the Philippines is a popular retirement spot for marrying underage girls as well. It's all about getting the most bang for your retirement dollars.

    https://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=11064719&cid=55123241

    You're aware that are some states in the U.S. that allow underage marriage as young as 14 years old?

    https://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=11064719&cid=55123829

    Finally how does assuming that most pro-chris ACs are chris help me pretend to be a better person? I can tell someone failed philosophy. Chris deserves to be fucked with and I want to fuck with him, we're even nice enough to keep from shitting up the main threads but you still come down to the sub-basement to look and cry about it.

  72. Re:"dedicated minority" meaning African Americans? by gfxguy · · Score: 1

    But the entitlement mentality has firmly set in. We comment about people on welfare with iPhones and expensive plans - because I can accept that a phone can be considered a necessity, but we're still subsidizing people who receive some kind of welfare to have expensive phones and plans instead of inexpensive ones. We're paying for their food, so they can take whatever they have left and waste it.

    --
    Stupid sexy Flanders.
  73. i'd rather celebrate something else by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    i suspect the "12% of consumers would prefer to shop after Christmas," actually shop for Chinese New Year , my familly being multicultural (i'm caucasian born in north america , my wife Chinese born and raised in China) , we chose not to celebrate xmas and western new year because it simply just became way too comercial to our taste , celebrating chinese nwe year instead also give us all the time during the holydays for shopping etc , not to mention how hungry for sales stores are after pretty much everybody thinks CC bills instead of spending yet more , playing cold shoulder with salesmen works 20x over

  74. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  75. Lies by Thyamine · · Score: 1

    Just ask my wife and her best friend. It's an event. They make shirts. They get up at 4 AM. It's like their Super Bowl, and they love it. The parking lots are full, there are throngs of people everywhere, and I highly doubt it's dying.

    The rest of us may be happy to shop anytime/anywhere/Amazon/etc, but there are people who love Black Friday.

    --
    I will shred my adversaries. Pull their eyes out just enough to turn them towards their mewing, mutilated faces. Illyria
  76. Re:The dumpster fires of humanity... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He may be too tired to defend himself so I'll just say it for him
    Creimer never said he would marry a child bride although he asserts that it would be legal if he did. (He is not a lawyer)
    All he said is that if you bequeath your possessions to a village in Mexico they'll let you marry an "underage sweet thing" (he did not say child bride!!)
    He also wants us to know that he checked and he believes he has enough money to do this but never said he would.
    He was never going to do it! It's just the thing that him and his co-workers at the FBI like chatting about.
    Let's not let an inconvenient fact get in the way of our stupidity guys.

  77. CREIMER IS DOWN WITH CHILD BRIDES by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Let's get this discussion back on topic.
    Do you feel like there are different parts of mexico that are better for different kinds of brides? Would you care to tell us what the age of consent laws are there?
    Do you have any other creepy stories or factoids you want to share with us? What's the age of consent on the moon?

  78. Working by elistan · · Score: 1

    I've always enjoyed working the day after Thanksgiving. Not many other people are working so traffic is lite. The office is quiet. Few if any drive-by requests happen. Gives me time to get some tasks done, plus hang out in the cafe with coworkers and casually socialize.

  79. Re:Billy-Bob, is that you? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    you, are the entire problem! you are the one forcing this into an us vs them thing when i specifically pointed out them and, apparently also you, were divisive and just driving a deeper wedge between the races. your arguments are not at all attempting to unify or heal the issue, you are just swinging the sledge hammer and driving the wedge deeper and creating more animosity. This is why i can't and won't support them even though they have a worthy cause.

    The First Amendment applies to ALL citizens, not just whitey.

    Where did i say they didn't have a right to protest? That doesn't mean i have to like their methods or the way they protest, and stating that i don't like it is my own first amendment right. So whats your problem? We are both equally in the right here.

    as for sitting or kneeling during the national anthem, i have no problem at all with that one and don't understand why there is so much controversy around it.

  80. It's there own fault... by superdave80 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    They basically made Black Friday disappear when they decided that Friday at 5:00 a.m, juuuuuust wasn't quite early enough. So it became 4 a.m.. Then the next store thought, I better open at midnight to beat every body else! Then it started to run into Thanksgiving time, which nobody really wanted. It's the old story of killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

  81. It's like happiness by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I have everything material I could reasonably want. A roof over my head, a job, a car, some money for unforeseen circumstances...

    The crux of the matter is that I don't live in a big house in an expensive neighborhood. My car is a 14 year old compact car. My job isn't the best but it pays the bills and offers some stability. I could earn more if I switched jobs but that would add stress and uncertainty.

    Growing up, I was always told to save up before buying anything and that debt is frowned upon. So I worked through my education which took longer to complete this way, I don't borrow money for a nice new car, no mortgage.

    Sure, I'd like to ride a jetski on a private lake, but I can't afford that. Do I want to own a jetski? Well, maybe, but realistically I can't justify the expense. That goes for a lot of things. I don't buy many expensive toys. I might rent it for a few days, same fun, less money.

    Anyway, not sure what my point is, except from this: adjust your wants, focus on your needs. And be content with what you have.

  82. Spelled BSD wrong by Nick · · Score: 1

    It is now official. Netcraft has confirmed: *BSD is dying.

    --
    Fuck Ajit Pai
  83. Re:The dumpster fires of humanity... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A fat man farts into his cupped hand
    smiles at the other passengers on the bus
    His name is Chris

  84. Re:"dedicated minority" meaning African Americans? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Only in the United states do people stricken with poverty have the money to go shopping at stores......

  85. Re:"dedicated minority" meaning African Americans? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm pretty certain he meant uninformed tight-arses, not a specific race.

    Wow, your telepathy is amazing. Tell us how you can read minds like that!

    Wow, your basic comprehension is pathetic. Bad enough that I doubt it is worth my time to explain, but if you can muster a few brain cells, you might look up definitions of "dedicated" and "minority" (hint: opposite of majority).

    Judging by your weird nonstandard spelling, you come from a country without the legacy of Jim Crow, and thus have no idea what you're talking about. Pro TIP: shut the fuck up when you want to say anything about racial issues you have no idea about.

    There was no mention of "ethnic" in conjunction with "minority". If you see everything as a race issue, you're the hammer that sees nothing but nails.

    Pro TIP: shut the fuck up when you want to say anything about anything you have no idea about.

  86. Re:The dumpster fires of humanity... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "I only new 10 approved story submissions for my karma to go from -1 to 5."

    I only new 10...

    Jesus Fucking Christ, even when you're trying to impress us you can't write a fucking coherent sentence.

  87. We're Gods by MrKaos · · Score: 1
    Here is Faith No More's Black Friday, it says all, enjoy!

    Don't forget BUY IT!!

    --
    My ism, it's full of beliefs.
  88. Earlier too! by antdude · · Score: 1

    It seems like craziness starts earlier each year. It used to be on Thanksgiving day, but now shoppings starts on Thanksgiving eves. So no more hungry family gatherings for those times for the shoppers. :/

    --
    Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
  89. Re:The dumpster fires of humanity... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "What word does the letters N, E and W spelll? "

    What does the incapacity to tell NEED from NEEDS spell? RETARD!

  90. Re:Billy-Bob, is that you? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    i specifically pointed out them and, apparently also you, were divisive

    Ahhh, I see your tactic - keep pointing fingers and pretending you're not the root of the problem. They're just protesting. The root of the divisiveness was the point where you started blaming them.

    Where did i say they didn't have a right to protest?

    You didn't. I'm referring to Repugs, in general, dummy.

    You'd think they'd be more supportive of their Constitutional Rights, ya know, considering how PATRIOTIC they pretend to be. Why is your President threatening to punish the NFL over it, by rescinding their tax breaks? To me that sounds like government suppression of freedom of speech. I never heard a single Repug speak out against that, but I sure heard them pipe up when it was the white supremacists in Charlottesville.

    That doesn't mean i have to like their methods or the way they protest

    Exactly. Your job it just to sit there and fucking tolerate it.

    however i do not respect the BLM organization or their current chosen methods of protest

      . . .

    as for sitting or kneeling during the national anthem, i have no problem at all with that one and don't understand why there is so much controversy around it.

    So which is it? You're contradicting yourself.

  91. I love black friday by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I usually go after the rush when the stores are a wreck and pick up scraps - I usually get out spending g not much money for really cheap things like memory cards, flash drives and other small things etc that will be like 75% off or more on black friday

  92. Standing in line doesn't equal a good deal. by jjhall · · Score: 1

    The deals aren't worth it anymore. I've gone off and on to Black Friday sales. Back in the early 2000's when I first started going, stores had killer deals. They had significant numbers of the items in stock, and some stores like Staples even let you order it at the sale price on their website using the in-store kiosk. It was worth it to stand in line a couple of hours to get a great deal on a couple of large ticket items. I stopped going because the deals became lackluster, as in not much better than a regular sale price. The deals that were a large break were limited to only a couple per store, with no rainchecks or online ordering option. Basically unless you were one of the first two or three people in the door, you weren't going to get a deal. Why bother standing in line at that point?

  93. Mod parent up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Every once in a while a post comes along that deserves more than a 5 score.

    That was classic

  94. bullshit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    and yet I have received 10 emails about Black Friday sales and endless streaming ads and so far 3 snail mails on it and its DYING..yeah right