The computer won't let us ..

... go down to the price we want to straight away.



For me, my bullspit meter is going off the chart on this phrase. I am sorry I just don't believe it, the computer doesn't have thoughts of its own? It is just like when they say we shouldn't be having this in our under x or y hour.

I have this vision of their PC having a voice like KITT from Knight Rider, "but Steven we should not be selling this stunning piece of jewellery so low I do not recommend it"

Oh purleeeeeeeeeease.

*sigh*

PJ

Computers only do what they are programmed to do AND they will only do what the person sitting in front is prepared to be adding/typing etc etc etc.

I also hate this saying too.

yazrose said:

Computers only do what they are programmed to do AND they will only do what the person sitting in front is prepared to be adding/typing etc etc etc.

I also hate this saying too.

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Phew I am glad it is not just me.

In the under £100 they made a big song and dance about if a certain piece should be in that hour, the presenter kept saying it shouldn't be in that hour, then why did they a) just not auction it as it hadn't started and b) if it really wasn't meant to be in that hour why did they sell it for well under £100 instead of doing the most they could in that hour of £99.99?


PJ


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm 50:50 on this. I do so agree about the "we shouldn't ..............", I can't tell you how many times I've told me telly "well don't then and let's move on". :thinking: However, I do believe that the computer is pre-programmed for a first crash price on each item, probably as much to avoid human mishap in the heat of the moment. In the early days of Rocks when their system was quite basic, I remember a few mishaps with presenters inputting incorrect figures.
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Like I said ANY and ALL computers will only do what they are programmed to do, what they are made to do and what the person sitting at the keyboard is willing to do.

It wont do anymore.

It wont add stuff, take away stuff or do anything unless programmed to do so by someone at a keyboard.

When you take ANY computer course you are a) told this and b) you come to realise it very quickly.

You can have the best computer in the universe but if all you know is web browsing then thats all it will do.............until you learn to do the rest.

So phrases like "the computer wont let me" are laughable. So are "ooopppps we shouldn't let this one go below £*****" hahahahahaha

These lines have been going for yonks, though. I remember the lovely Jamie used to get me annoyed because just about every auction he would say, "I shouldn't have done that" when he crashed the price. Or am I the only one who back then believed that the lowest prices were set to sell the item out quickly and Jamie really didn't control what price an item went to, he crashed to what he was told to crash to. That's why I used to tune into a Steve B. show, he did often give the impression that because it was his company he could change the price to move an item. Or maybe he was just a very good salesman who made me think that way!

I agree Concordia these lines have been used often right from the beginning, but back then we did have a true falling price auction.

My personal opinion is Steve is a very clever salesman and business man. He knows how to win customers and make them buy making them think they have a bargain!

I remember the loose gemstone hour where he claimed the computer was playing up and how none of the gemstones should have been at the price they sold. I didn't believe that but 1000's did :wonder:

Beading Belle said:

I agree Concordia these lines have been used often right from the beginning, but back then we did have a true falling price auction.

My personal opinion is Steve is a very clever salesman and business man. He knows how to win customers and make them buy making them think they have a bargain!

I remember the loose gemstone hour where he claimed the computer was playing up and how none of the gemstones should have been at the price they sold. I didn't believe that but 1000's did :wonder:

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Oh gosh! How well I remember that one, it was both hilarious and very sad. It was also the day the company lost my respect. Half the peeps were shouting for Steve to stop because he was losing a fortune - yeah right, and the other half greedily grabbing anything in sight (no matter how poor the quality). A mixture of total gullibility on the one hand, and greed on the other. I think Steve learned a lesson from that occasion though as he never repeated it (probably would have got into very hot water, even if his conscience hadn't pricked him which I'm sure it did. He was trying to calm things down, but of course couldn't actually admit he'd lied. I suspect the reaction was far greater than any he had imagined). How the gullible thought he maintained his lifestyle or that he couldn't afford any losses had it even been true, is beyond me. :thinking: xxxxxxxxxxxxx

yazrose said:

Like I said ANY and ALL computers will only do what they are programmed to do, what they are made to do and what the person sitting at the keyboard is willing to do.

It wont do anymore.

It wont add stuff, take away stuff or do anything unless programmed to do so by someone at a keyboard.

When you take ANY computer course you are a) told this and b) you come to realise it very quickly.

You can have the best computer in the universe but if all you know is web browsing then thats all it will do.............until you learn to do the rest.

So phrases like "the computer wont let me" are laughable. So are "ooopppps we shouldn't let this one go below £*****" hahahahahaha

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Yeah, but what about the ones that are aliens in disguise.?
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Beading Belle said:

I agree Concordia these lines have been used often right from the beginning, but back then we did have a true falling price auction.

My personal opinion is Steve is a very clever salesman and business man. He knows how to win customers and make them buy making them think they have a bargain!

I remember the loose gemstone hour where he claimed the computer was playing up and how none of the gemstones should have been at the price they sold. I didn't believe that but 1000's did :wonder:

Click to expand...

Steve must be a very good sales- and businessman - he didn't become a multi-millionaire by being a big softie and putting everyone else first.
I used to think that the hours he presented on old Gems were very exciting because he seemed to go down to whatever price he wanted at the time. Now I think he's been taking acting lessons from his presenters (many of whom are actors) as he still makes it seem as though he is giving us special prices even though he may well not be. Monday morning was a perfect example with the Naktamunda Garnet hour. Several of the pieces were available in the online boutique for quite a bit less than the closing price, but that's fine - it's a business and they need to make a profit, just much less of the pretending/acting please.

argeybargey said:

Oh gosh! How well I remember that one, it was both hilarious and very sad. It was also the day the company lost my respect. Half the peeps were shouting for Steve to stop because he was losing a fortune - yeah right, and the other half greedily grabbing anything in sight (no matter how poor the quality). A mixture of total gullibility on the one hand, and greed on the other. I think Steve learned a lesson from that occasion though as he never repeated it (probably would have got into very hot water, even if his conscience hadn't pricked him which I'm sure it did. He was trying to calm things down, but of course couldn't actually admit he'd lied. I suspect the reaction was far greater than any he had imagined). How the gullible thought he maintained his lifestyle or that he couldn't afford any losses had it even been true, is beyond me. :thinking: xxxxxxxxxxxxx

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And that's exactly why the price was so low. Gemstones, poorly cut, can be picked up for peanuts (you only have to look at Ebay to see that). When you're buying in bulk, direct from Thailand or elsewhere, you don't pay a fortune.

I can't believe how gullible people can be when they're sold something as a "bargain" or "OMG we've made a mistake with this price". Yeah right!

Mistakes happen very rarely. It's all a sales pitch.

jacqualina said:

Steve must be a very good sales- and businessman - he didn't become a multi-millionaire by being a big softie and putting everyone else first. I used to think that the hours he presented on old Gems were very exciting because he seemed to go down to whatever price he wanted at the time. Now I think he's been taking acting lessons from his presenters (many of whom are actors) as he still makes it seem as though he is giving us special prices even though he may well not be. Monday morning was a perfect example with the Naktamunda Garnet hour. Several of the pieces were available in the online boutique for quite a bit less than the closing price, but that's fine - it's a business and they need to make a profit, just much less of the pretending/acting please.

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Agreed, although I do think he's something of a loose cannon when he gets going and could well bring about his own downfall one day. Still ne'emind, I'm sure there's plenty in the bank what with all the interest they'll be earning on our excessively slow refunds. xxxxxxxxxx

PS - I just drifted back to my somewhat political youth then, with the phrase "the smiling face of capitalism" ringin' in me ears. xx

PJ. said:

... go down to the price we want to straight away.

Click to expand...

Computer says no.

argeybargey said:

PS - I just drifted back to my somewhat political youth then, with the phrase "the smiling face of capitalism" ringin' in me ears. xx

Click to expand...

Ah, now I find him......... I've been looking for my somwhat political youth everywhere... I might have known you'd nobbled 'im, Arge! Sent 'im back here, sharpish.... and pay the return postage!

Mathilda said:

Ah, now I find him......... I've been looking for my somwhat political youth everywhere... I might have known you'd nobbled 'im, Arge! Sent 'im back here, sharpish.... and pay the return postage!

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Shan't - not a chance! <a href="http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%253A%252F%252Fwww.smileycentral.com%252F%253Fpartner%253DZSzeb008%255FZNxpt484YYGB%2526i%253D4%252F4%255F15%255F3%2526feat%253Dprof/page.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_15_3.gif" alt="SmileyCentral.com" border="0"><img border="0" src="http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%253A%252F%252Fimgfarm%252Ecom%252Fimages%252Fnocache%252Ftr%252Ffw%252Fsmiley%252Fsocial%252Egif%253Fi%253D4%252F4_15_3%2526uiv%253D3.0/image.gif"></a> xxxxxxxxxxxx

Obviously, Gems have Hal, the computer in Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. I'm guessing that Mr Bennett acquired it in a genuine falling auction, at the lowest ever price from the film studios. This, you see, would explain why this computer is so rare, and only found once this century, orbiting around Jupiter. As we all know, the conditions in Space make the search for, and mining of, computers very difficult for 6 months of the year, so it's wonderful that we all get the chance to buy into this story.
Fancy you all being so cynical about the idea of a computer being sentient and telling the poor presenters what they can and can't do, shame on you...Just because we are all familiar with the basic technology of pooters, and know that being without a mind, it would matter not to the piece of equipment whether the item of jewellery sold for a million pounds, or half a grockel, or even a portion of mouldy herring.
Do play along with the increasingly surreal world of Gems, where the customer is always wrong, and the viewer is always an imbecile, blithely accepting any old crap spouted by failed actors, in decibels most alarming to dogs everywhere, and sounding for the most part like a dozen seagulls being strangled to the accompaniment of bagpipes being sawn in half.