Everything Walmart *

[Reid]

There motto should be changed to "Wal*Mart. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy."

[Cory Chaos]

Intentional or not. You decide.

Wal-Mart Apologizes for Racist Software Glitch

Wal-Mart's attempt to mimic Amazon, NetFlix, and Blockbuster by providing an automated system that recommends movies based on the types of DVDs its customers previously ordered came to a crashing halt Thursday after blogs spread the word that the Planet of the Apes DVD was linked to "Similar Items" that included DVDs about Martin Luther King, Dorothy Dandridge, Jack Johnson and Tina Turner -- all notable African Americans. "We are heartsick that this happened and are currently doing everything possible to correct the problem," Wal-Mart spokeswoman Mona Williams said in a statement. "We were horrified to discover that some hurtful and offensive combinations are being mapped together. ... We are deeply sorry that this happened." The company gave no explanation for how the software program managed to select only films about African-Americans for the recommendations.

[Chris]

That's hilarious. Thanks for posting that, I needed a laugh.

[Angry Ewok]

Maybe the computers have become self-aware and racist.

[Victor_Von_Doom]

Huh. Thats odd. Wal-Mart doing something that ends up making people angry.

[efranks]

When "people who ordered this item also ordered these..." goes bad.

It would be interesting to know what the logic looked like that was in the code that generated those matches.  You could potentially have all sorts of things like that happen on any number of e-tailer sites.

In our P.C. society it could cause a major brain meltdown that would cripple us as a nation. 

Or, it could just be funny.

   E...

[S_A_Longhorn]

This follows the Manager of a Florida? Wal-Mart being fired for "racial profiling."

For those who didn't read it, a WM manager called the police when a man (african-american) tried to purchase $13,000? worth of gift cards for his company.  This was a yearly tradition for the company, but it was the first time the black man went into the store with the check.   Thinking the man was trying to pass a hot check, the WM manager called the police after delaying the man for several hours.   

The man ended up buying all the gift cards at Target! 

[JoshEEE]

It would be interesting to know what the logic looked like that was in the code that generated those matches.  You could potentially have all sorts of things like that happen on any number of e-tailer sites.

Don't blame the code. It was probably a not-so-funny joke by one of the programmers running the website.  Sort of like when you go to google and type in "moron" then click  "I'm feeling lucky" you'll get a site that has something to do with George Bush. 

It's not-so-subtle humor from the guys that build these search engines.  It used to be that they'd put in a little easter egg.....but when you do something that blatanly racist on a site that huge.....the company deserves to get in trouble.

People like that shouldn't have jobs where their work can be seen.

[Jeff]

For those that actually use the Wal-Mart layaway program, you might want to take note -

BENTONVILLE, Ark. (Sept. 14, 2006) – Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. said today that, because of declining use and increasing costs, the company will phase out its layaway program as it expands other financing options. Customers will have until November 19 to place items in layaway for this Christmas season and merchandise must be picked up by December 8.

“Demand for layaway service has declined steadily as consumers turn to other options, such as online shopping, gift cards and no-cost credit alternatives,” said Pat Curran, executive vice president, store operations, Wal-Mart Stores Division. “To assist our customers, we are offering one last opportunity to use layaway service this Christmas season.”

At the same time, Wal-Mart is working to offer customers new payment options. The company already has zero interest offers for 6 and 12 months for current Wal-Mart cardholders. For the first time, customers who apply for a new Discover or Wal-Mart Credit Card will receive $20 cash back when they apply at the register and purchase at least $100 on their card the same day.

Time to get those layaway folks on to the high-intereste rate Wal-Mart card!   

[Artoo]

How like WM.

[Jesse James]

I actually use Lay-Away a good bit at Wal-Mart for various puchases...  For spacing out your finances it's a nice thing actually, especially on larger purchases.  For electronics it was great...

I'll now be going to Best Buy for anything electronic though since I have a card with them.  I'll just pay it off before the interest kicks in (if 0%'s offered on the item anyway).

Wal-Mart has lost me from buying anything large there though...  I'm eyeing new consoles too and would've considered picking up at WM, but that's out the window at this point.  I was pretty disappointed with the news since I'd use lay-away to hold figures I wanted in bulk and things when I'd stumble upon that rare HUGE purchase or whatnot...  Guess I'll just go to my plastic and pay it off, but I preferred using Lay-Away for a number of reasons.  This just really means less $ I'll spend at WM though.  They can eat it.

[Dr. Zoltar]

I only use Wal-Mart for SW exclusives or items I can't find anywhere else.  And let me tell you, that's VERY few items.  I give Wal-Mart as little of my money as possible.

[dafoo]

ROLF, you guys are funny.

I love Wal-Mart.  It makes life better for millions.  You may not like the idiots that shop there, nor how fat they are, or how many of them there are, but blaming Wal-Mart for having crowds is silly.

"I like Target, cuz they don't get as much business."  IE Wal-Mart = Success, don't count on that changing anytime soon.

[Jesse James]

Hmmmm, I'm not so sure it's a matter of crowds = success as it is a matter of crowds disperse quicker at Target...  Afterall Target is hardly hurting for financial success, and from my estimation WM is adjusting its formats to Target, not visa versa...  So success is debateable.  I like Target because you're in, you're out...  They usually have more than 2 or 3 aisles open...  Though not all WM's in my area have self-checkouts too so I dunno ifyou guys all have them and I just don't or what.  I love those wherever they are.

As far as Wal-Mart making life better...  Well, I know some hundreds of commuters currently who disagree about that in my area because Wal-Mart going in (down near the city somewhere) caused a rockslide that has a major artery closed down...  It's ruining some small businesses too that depended on foot traffic in that area because the roads are closed.    All for a store that had major opposition and was really fought by the region it went into.  That's just a local thing but how much they improve your life is really a relative POV thing.  All WM's are far enough from me that I'm fairly happy about that though...  I'm hoping we don't get one in any time soon, at least not too close to where I live.   

Not to say I loathe Wal-Mart completely by any stretch, but Wal-Mart isn't high on my list of stops if I can avoid it in general.  I don't feel like they make my life better and/or easier in any way, but I still buy my groceries and home-use items at a local-er owned chain, I still buy my clothes at other stores, and I get auto parts and tires from other places, etc...  Wal-Mart's just not my cup of tea for all that other stuff.  I really only pick up random things at WM here and there, but it's not my shopping place of choice I guess.  Toys, that's about it anymore.

It'll be less so now that Lay-Away is done away with too, because I used to buy an electronic item there once in a while, like my X-Box, my DVD player...  Now it's off to Best Buy and 0% financing on my card there.  I have a friend in the local Wal-Mart hiearchey and he was saying to me how the Lay-Away program's death is less an issue of cost to the company and more an issue of "cleaning up their image", which they've been openly saying they were wanting to move towards a more upscale market that they feel they can't get...  Personally I think everyone shops there at one point or another simply out of necessity, but whatever.

[dafoo]

It is the focusing on Wal-Mart as if they are some evil entity out to destroy mankind that gets me.  It is like a major platform of the democrat party right now.  It is a company, I don't expect it to be some haven of righteousness.

Campaigns fighting the building of Wal-Marts are very much not as they appear.  Once the store opens it doesn't hurt for business, there isn't an up swell from the community to never shop there.  They draw crowds.  Chicago passed regulations to oppose Wal-Mart now they built a mess of the stores ringing the border of the city.

Minnesota had a big todo over Super Wal-Marts coming in from the local grocery store union.  And the union won, but the Supers are out there in the burbs still. And people make the drive, I know we did.

Cost is a massive reason why people shop there.  That can of beans you buy 6 of every week, 15 cents per unit adds up.  Compounded with the thousands of groceries, household, and other items one can get there and you have a substantial cut in bills which directly provides millions with more disposable income and a higher quality of life.  That is the great legacy of Wal-Mart and why they aren't evil.