Ordering strings--any luck recently?

[belbein]

Amazon is responsible for COVID-19.

DaveGinNJ: It's true that the rise of Amazon (and Walmart, and Sams, and Costco) have coincided with the demise of small business. But the reason Amazon, Walmart, Sams, Costco et al are rising while small business is demising is that (1) their prices are so much lower and (2) they're so much more convenient. Coincidence isn't causation. Besides which, any of those of us who either use Amazon ARE THE REASON small business is dying and we have forfeited our high ground to complain.

This discussion always reminds me of the point in history where the evolution from wooden shipwrights to marine welders occurred. The wooden shipwrights complained that the welders were putting them out of business. But no, it wasn't so. The changing technology put them out of business. They could have always learned the new skill. (Or become luthiers, a much higher paid profession.*) To sit on the side of the boatyard and whine because your (admittedly impressive) technical skills are now non-economic is crazy. Be pissed, mourn, hitch up your big-person pants and move on. It's the same choice that faced the world ever since the dinosaurs: adapt or die.

Anyway, Amazon isn't responsible for CV. Aliens are. Everybody knows that. The fact that nobody's talking about it just proves how true it is.

*Joke.

[MikeEdgerton]

I think the comments have probably gone beyond the posting guidelines. Let's put this one to bed.