[DanBC]

I don't mindthat people make, sell, or buy these stupid cables.

My problem is with the dishonesty that often comes with it. There are some companies that are not crooks but mostly it feels like an area full of scams.

[TheOtherHobbes]

They're not really selling technology. They're selling consumer narcissism and status display.

This kind of thing is extreme, but it's no different to any other positional good.

And it is full of crooks.

I know someone who made a fortune from 'special' cables.

Did they know they were scamming people? Of course they did.

[sokoloff]

The dishonesty is inextricably linked, though. Otherwise, those products just don't sell.

Asking otherwise would be like saying, "Oh, I don't mind all that water; it's the wetness that often comes with it that I mind..."

[colinbartlett]

That's the difference between this crap and high fashion, which leads a far more respectable existence. Lots of people pay huge prices for Louis Vuitton bags or Christian Louboutin shoes. Easily 100x times the price of comparable alternatives.

But those companies don't advertise their bags as having more "stuff holding power" as the average purse. Or "unparalleled foot retention and lifting capability".