News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Amazon sellers ‘hijack’ listings to sell face masks despi... by wtallis on Thursday March 19, 2020 @11:57PM (#22634713)
> Higher prices encourage a balance of needs and responsible budgeting so individual cells don't simply take all that is available to the detriment of the organism as a whole.

Aren't you making a fairly unreasonable assumption that need is also accompanied by ability to pay elevated prices?

Re:Amazon sellers ‘hijack’ listings to sell face masks despi... by epr on Friday March 20, 2020 @12:17AM (#22634832)
Not at all, hence the word "encourage" instead of something more absolute like "enforce". The distinction between a "want" and "need" is very tough to make beyond physical reality bound calculations of measurable requirements for survival like calories or materials required to build a shelter that could keep a human alive under adverse environmental conditions. I mean nothing specific like that by the use of the word "need".
Re:Amazon sellers ‘hijack’ listings to sell face masks despi... by wtallis on Friday March 20, 2020 @01:54AM (#22635320)
The distinction between "want" and "need" can be made in practice. Doctors have been publicizing what they know about risk factors for COVID19. If you don't fall into one of those categories, you're in the "want" crowd, not the "need" crowd. Which of those classifications you fall into has no correlation to your ability to afford personal protective equipment.

Price gouging can easily make a scarce critical good unobtainable to poor people who need it before the price is high enough to discourage all the rich panicking hoarders/preppers.