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A comment on How Uber could end up as Silicon Valley's most spectacular crash. Parent comment

Re:How Uber could end up as Silicon Valley's most spectacula... by chinathrow on Saturday March 04, 2017 @06:20PM (#13793466)
No.

If you know and realize that it is only convenient because of VC subsidies, you know enough not to use those services since it won't be sustainable.

I try to understand each business model I support with revenue. If it's only setup to enable growth, I pass.

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Re:How Uber could end up as Silicon Valley's most spectacula... by mason55 on Saturday March 04, 2017 @06:25PM (#13793487)
If a billionaire wants to subsidize food and taxis for me then I'm more than happy to take it
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Re:How Uber could end up as Silicon Valley's most spectacula... by chinathrow on Sunday March 05, 2017 @02:40PM (#13798066)
Even if you know that using said VC money bankrupts whole families the world over?
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Re:How Uber could end up as Silicon Valley's most spectacula... by robotresearcher on Saturday March 04, 2017 @06:27PM (#13793500)
I don't think it's morally wrong to take a cheap taxi ride subsidized by speculators. I don't care if the model is sustainable since I get all my value immediately in return for the fare.

The way Uber treats its people is a separate issue.

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Re:How Uber could end up as Silicon Valley's most spectacula... by rrdharan on Saturday March 04, 2017 @06:52PM (#13793635)
I think there can still be a moral component, if you know that they are enacting and perpetrating a vicious cycle that will lead to the depletion of public transit:

http://www.slate.com/articles/business/metropolis/2016/12/ci...

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Re:How Uber could end up as Silicon Valley's most spectacula... by geofft on Saturday March 04, 2017 @06:58PM (#13793685)
What about the opportunity cost of driving more sustainable competition (whether that's better taxis, direct competitors, or public transit) out of business? Uber doesn't exist in a vacuum.
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Re:How Uber could end up as Silicon Valley's most spectacula... by robotresearcher on Sunday March 05, 2017 @12:17AM (#13794719)
That's an interesting point. In the long term I think there will always be a need for the service so when a loss leader goes out of business someone will step up.

Public transit has existed alongside taxis for hundreds of years. Uber won't kill transit.

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Re:How Uber could end up as Silicon Valley's most spectacula... by chinathrow on Sunday March 05, 2017 @02:41PM (#13798069)
> The way Uber treats its people is a separate issue.

Why should that be the case? If you know one part of company X is against your interest, why support revenue of said company at all then?

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Re:How Uber could end up as Silicon Valley's most spectacula... by robotresearcher on Sunday March 05, 2017 @06:18PM (#13799490)
You misunderstand. I don't use uber because of their people policies. I would use them if they treated people better. And I would enjoy the subsidy.
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Re:How Uber could end up as Silicon Valley's most spectacula... by vwcx on Saturday March 04, 2017 @06:35PM (#13793527)
Exactly. Other than the moral-environmental issue of the subsidy encouraging me to take more short trips, thus increasing my footprint...
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Re:How Uber could end up as Silicon Valley's most spectacula... by edoceo on Saturday March 04, 2017 @06:30PM (#13793506)
Use them while they are subsidized, then bail quickly. Maximize for your self interest.
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Re:How Uber could end up as Silicon Valley's most spectacula... by M_Grey on Saturday March 04, 2017 @06:34PM (#13793522)
You treat your consumption as an investment? That's kind of silly.
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