Things that annoy you beyond reason...(Vol 5)

[Frank7]

SpeckledJim said:

Oh God. Now you’ve done it.

Said ‘America’ three times and Frank’s appeared out of the Fog on the Thames like some awful hybrid Uncle Sam / Uncle Albert Boredom-as-a-Weapon Candyman.

Dad burn it, ah’m a-coming fer you Jim, an’ ah’m loaded fer bear!

[SpeckledJim]

Frank7 said:

SpeckledJim said:

Oh God. Now you’ve done it.

Said ‘America’ three times and Frank’s appeared out of the Fog on the Thames like some awful hybrid Uncle Sam / Uncle Albert Boredom-as-a-Weapon Candyman.

Dad burn it, ah’m a-coming fer you Jim, an’ ah’m loaded fer bear!

[darren f]

thetapeworm said:

"Influencer" marketing, especially when it's overly obvious the person is doing it for money / goods / likes rather than being genuinely passionate about the thing they are pimping.....

’Social influencer’ gets called out as disgusting freeloader. And whilst we’re here- the use of ‘reaching out’- what happened to the use of good old fashioned English ‘contacted’?

[thetapeworm]

darren f said:

thetapeworm said:

"Influencer" marketing, especially when it's overly obvious the person is doing it for money / goods / likes rather than being genuinely passionate about the thing they are pimping.....

’Social influencer’ gets called out as disgusting freeloader. And whilst we’re here- the use of ‘reaching out’- what happened to the use of good old fashioned English ‘contacted’?

Exactly this kind of thing!

It's not a job, it's just a load of bribery.

[Number_Six]

Belgian driving standards. Lovely people, nice country but jaysus three years out here using the same highways has shredded my nerves. They must give the licenses out in cereal boxes.

I've seen a car buried up to the windscreen into a lamp post in the reservation in the middle of a dead straight road, a person in the middle lane on a motorway with nothing in front just drift out to the third lane into the path of another car and a minibus full of kids swerving all over the motorway flashing at people to get out of the way just because the driver had both a place to get to and messages to send on his phone at the same time.

All the above seen on the same 30 minute journey and by no means uncommon occurrences. And their roads are cratered rather than potholed. Thank God for the beer!

[Clockwork Cupcake]

thetapeworm said:

darren f said:

thetapeworm said:

"Influencer" marketing, especially when it's overly obvious the person is doing it for money / goods / likes rather than being genuinely passionate about the thing they are pimping.....

’Social influencer’ gets called out as disgusting freeloader. And whilst we’re here- the use of ‘reaching out’- what happened to the use of good old fashioned English ‘contacted’?

Exactly this kind of thing!

It's not a job, it's just a load of bribery.

Hasn't it always been thus though? Celebrity endorsement has always been a thing. It's just that the nature of celebrity is changing.

Yes, of course it is bribery of sorts. But so is paying a celebrity to endorse your product. Everyone knows the deal.

[SpeckledJim]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Hasn't it always been thus though? Celebrity endorsement has always been a thing. It's just that the nature of celebrity is changing.

Yes, of course it is bribery of sorts. But so is paying a celebrity to endorse your product. Everyone knows the deal.

But getting someone to endorse your product used to be something you actively had to seek out.

Now these empty vessels are cold emailing with a "well, why on earth wouldn't you give me it for free, you idiot?" subtext which I'm surprised hasn't been called-out more often.

Fair play to the guy. This is just another little step on our road to oblivion and he's not going down without a fight!

[TTmonkey]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

thetapeworm said:

darren f said:

thetapeworm said:

"Influencer" marketing, especially when it's overly obvious the person is doing it for money / goods / likes rather than being genuinely passionate about the thing they are pimping.....

’Social influencer’ gets called out as disgusting freeloader. And whilst we’re here- the use of ‘reaching out’- what happened to the use of good old fashioned English ‘contacted’?

Exactly this kind of thing!

It's not a job, it's just a load of bribery.

Hasn't it always been thus though? Celebrity endorsement has always been a thing. It's just that the nature of celebrity is changing.

Yes, of course it is bribery of sorts. But so is paying a celebrity to endorse your product. Everyone knows the deal.

the latest thing is fake influencers. People that put over that they have been paid to promote a product, when really they haven't been.

the reason for this is to build up a fake portfolio of product placement history, in the hope that the portfolio attracts a company that really thinks the vlogger or whatever has a large following and is a social influencer.

[popeyewhite]

SpeckledJim said:

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Hasn't it always been thus though? Celebrity endorsement has always been a thing. It's just that the nature of celebrity is changing.

Yes, of course it is bribery of sorts. But so is paying a celebrity to endorse your product. Everyone knows the deal.

But getting someone to endorse your product used to be something you actively had to seek out.

Now these empty vessels are cold emailing with a "well, why on earth wouldn't you give me it for free, you idiot?" subtext which I'm surprised hasn't been called-out more often.

Fair play to the guy. This is just another little step on our road to oblivion and he's not going down without a fight!

Excellent.

Not exactly the hotel's target audience for marketing either.

[Lemming Train]

TTmonkey said:

the latest thing is fake influencers. People that put over that they have been paid to promote a product, when really they haven't been.

the reason for this is to build up a fake portfolio of product placement history, in the hope that the portfolio attracts a company that really thinks the vlogger or whatever has a large following and is a social influencer.

There's an old retired plumber who posts 'how to' plumbing videos on YT and he's got a fair few subscribers now. Since around a year ago he started reviewing all sorts of random Chinese tat, always giving it a glowing review even though the extent of his testing was basically turning it on, waving it around for 10 seconds then turning it off. I called him out on it several times as it's clearly paid advertising, or "influencing" if you prefer, but he ignored me and carries on doing it to this day. What I find particularly annoying is that people are so fking gullible and believe it all. It's cringeworthy to see so many comments along the lines of "thanks for review and recommendation, I've just bought one". The cynic in me thought that these were probably comments by the manufacturer, but checking the usernames they've been commenting on his vids since the early days, well before he starting doing the 'fake' reviews.

You can't trust reviews from anyone these days. Nearly all the online reviews are either written by the company themselves ('reviews' page on their own website) or on third party sites they're written by paid influencers to say good things about them even if they're ste. Even the ones on Amazon that mention in the review that the item was supplied FOC in exchange for a review and naturally written with a positive slant to ensure that they keep getting sent free stuff.

[Clockwork Cupcake]

SpeckledJim said:

But getting someone to endorse your product used to be something you actively had to seek out.

Now these empty vessels are cold emailing with a "well, why on earth wouldn't you give me it for free, you idiot?" subtext which I'm surprised hasn't been called-out more often.

True.

I've seen it called out occasionally - people who sell stuff bemoaning the number of "influencers" aggressively demanding free stuff in exchange for positive reviews and endorsement, and in some case threatening (either explicitly or by inference) negative reviews if they do not. And that is crossing the line into blackmail / extortion.

Lemming Train said:

Even the ones on Amazon that mention in the review that the item was supplied FOC in exchange for a review and naturally written with a positive slant to ensure that they keep getting sent free stuff.

I always take these with a pinch of salt, but give them slightly more weight than the ones that are clearly shill reviews, on the grounds that at least they disclosed the fact.

Edited by Clockwork Cupcake on Monday 31st December 10:55

[HRL]

TTmonkey said:

the latest thing is fake influencers. People that put over that they have been paid to promote a product, when really they haven't been.

the reason for this is to build up a fake portfolio of product placement history, in the hope that the portfolio attracts a company that really thinks the vlogger or whatever has a large following and is a social influencer.

Unfortunately I was sat next to two vacuous women on the Jubilee line the other week discussing the pro's and con's of paying for followers to boost their images on Instagram and Facebook.

Apparently one of them had already paid for 10,000 followers, no idea how, and forgot to renew the payment and she only realised after spending a few "traumatic" hours waking one morning to discover 10K less people had any interest in her pointless existence. I overheard the panic in her voice as she said to her friend that she spent 3 hours trying to work out what she had done wrong for 10,000 people to no longer like her overnight.

These people literally live for this st.

I nearly piped up make that 10,001 but managed to bite my tongue and bury myself into a book.

[SpeckledJim]

popeyewhite said:

SpeckledJim said:

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Hasn't it always been thus though? Celebrity endorsement has always been a thing. It's just that the nature of celebrity is changing.

Yes, of course it is bribery of sorts. But so is paying a celebrity to endorse your product. Everyone knows the deal.

But getting someone to endorse your product used to be something you actively had to seek out.

Now these empty vessels are cold emailing with a "well, why on earth wouldn't you give me it for free, you idiot?" subtext which I'm surprised hasn't been called-out more often.

Fair play to the guy. This is just another little step on our road to oblivion and he's not going down without a fight!

Excellent.

Not exactly the hotel's target audience for marketing either.

I'd have a lot more respect for them if they put their money where their mouth is.

"Dear Hotel, I can get people to book with you, so how about this. I'll pay to come and visit you, and I'll review you. You give me a token discount code to issue to my disciples, and I'll ask for a £50 commission on every booking you take with that code."

That way, if it works like the influencer claims it does, then both sides win.

If it doesn't work, then the influencer has had a nice holiday and paid a fair price for it. Also a win for both sides.

[Lemming Train]

HRL said:

Unfortunately I was sat next to two vacuous women on the Jubilee line the other week discussing the pro's and con's of paying for followers to boost their images on Instagram and Facebook.

Apparently one of them had already paid for 10,000 followers, no idea how, and forgot to renew the payment and she only realised after spending a few "traumatic" hours waking one morning to discover 10K less people had any interest in her pointless existence. I overheard the panic in her voice as she said to her friend that she spent 3 hours trying to work out what she had done wrong for 10,000 people to no longer like her overnight.

These people literally live for this st.

I nearly piped up make that 10,001 but managed to bite my tongue and bury myself into a book.

A workmate of mine plays a popular online game and started uploading his better games to a YT channel he'd set up. I took a look when he first set it up and was his 1st and only subscriber. I looked again a week later and he had 300 subscribers (!). I asked him where they'd all come from and said he'd paid for them! He's paid for even more since then because none of his videos were getting any views or 'likes' (obviously). He's now got just over 900 subscribers but I reckon no more than half a dozen of those are genuine people watching his videos. I find it all rather sad tbh.

[nonsequitur]

Frank7 said:

SpeckledJim said:

Oh God. Now you’ve done it.

Said ‘America’ three times and Frank’s appeared out of the Fog on the Thames like some awful hybrid Uncle Sam / Uncle Albert Boredom-as-a-Weapon Candyman.

Dad burn it, ah’m a-coming fer you Jim, an’ ah’m loaded fer bear!

'Now, where's that woman I've gotta shoot.' (if you know that little gem).

[FerdiZ28]

MartG said:

The moronic council tt who thought it would be a good idea to install bollards on Dickson Road in Blackpool which reduce the usable width of the pavement by a third, to an extent that it is difficult for pedestrians to pass each other, never mind mobility scooters or pushchairs :/

No doubt they cost a lot of money to install, and will cost even more to move following sufficient complaints - all at a time when councils are cutting vital services due to lack of cash

You moved to Blackpool now then?

[talksthetorque]

I’m sure this won’t be the first time this has been reposted, but

someone on another thread said:

My soon to be 6 year old

Does the number 5 not work on your keyboard?
(Sorry OP)

Also
“I’ll be 80 next year”

Stop exaggerating your age! You might not make it!

I have no issues with halves and quarters. Please feel free to disperse them as you see fit.

[Clockwork Cupcake]

talksthetorque said:

I’m sure this won’t be the first time this has been reposted, but

someone on another thread said:

My soon to be 6 year old

Does the number 5 not work on your keyboard?
(Sorry OP)

Also
“I’ll be 80 next year”

Stop exaggerating your age! You might not make it!

I have no issues with halves and quarters. Please feel free to disperse them as you see fit.

Children develop so rapidly in their early years that there is a vast difference between a child who has just turned 5 and one who is a few days off being 6. Indeed, that's why parents tend to measure their child's age in months until they are around 2 years.

Conversely, when you are very old you are acknowledging that you might not make it to the landmark birthday you're referring to and every month is a bonus.

Note: This doesn't deny you your right to be annoyed beyond reason.

[FN2TypeR]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Children develop so rapidly in their early years that there is a vast difference between a child who has just turned 5 and one who is a few days off being 6. Indeed, that's why parents tend to measure their child's age in months until they are around 2 years.

Conversely, when you are very old you are acknowledging that you might not make it to the landmark birthday you're referring to and every month is a bonus.

Note: This doesn't deny you your right to be annoyed beyond reason.

I'm 30 and it's starting to feel that way!

Certainly is this morning, anyway.

[talksthetorque]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Children develop so rapidly in their early years that there is a vast difference between a child who has just turned 5 and one who is a few days off being 6. Indeed, that's why parents tend to measure their child's age in months until they are around 2 years.

We have no kids through choice and no nieces/nephews, and our friends know not to bother us for too long with theirs, so this might be the reason.

I know they are the love of your lives and they are more precious than anything you have ever known, and that them getting a handkerchief and using that for picking their nose without asking is a major developmental step.
But their age is still how many full years they have lived outside their mother. I really just need to know how big they are to the nearest foot to get a good idea about why you look so tired/depressed/frustrated.

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Conversely, when you are very old you are acknowledging that you might not make it to the landmark birthday you're referring to and every month is a bonus.

Give over. They've seen old people on Surprise Surprise getting applauded just for being old, so they actively market themselves as older than they actually are to get some of that adulation.

Clockwork Cupcake said:

Note: This doesn't deny you your right to be annoyed beyond reason.

You may have noticed I have no intention to give it up without a fight

Edited by talksthetorque on Wednesday 2nd January 20:41