this post was submitted on 18 Dec 2024
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Huh. Ok but there are actually standards to say, shoe sizes, and the materials used in their manufacture, and that flashlights are accommodating standard battery sizes... and the toilet’s fixtures so that it would actually work with… the standard plumbing. Literally the world around you is built on standards. 📏📐
You’re not wrong about fashion though! Style and everything which supplements all that standard, is what we want. Just anything so that it doesn’t look standard. We humans are a bit funny. 😄
I didn't mean "standardized" as in interchangeable parts or uniform sizing. I meant standardized as in limited selection, like how armies have historically standardized their equipment. You want a pair of boots, for example? Then choose from a handful of types with limited options, and everyone picks from the same list. There is no reason for Zappos to carry 2,600 types of mens boots other than fashion.
Similarly, there is no reason for Home Depot to carry 500 types of toilet seat other than fashion. The seats are "standardized" in that they are interchangeable, but there is no standard toilet seat style that everyone uses. You could do the same with lots of other consumer goods: everyone uses the same shower faucet, the same knife set, or the same style of flashlight. The world would save a tremendous amount of money and material by manufacturing everyday thing at scale and refining the designs to near-perfection.
I'm not advocating for such a world, though. It would be incredibly bland and boring.
There's way more reason than fashion. There's durability and comfort tradeoffs in a toilet seat. Not everyone wants to power wash their toilet, but those that do need more durable seats. Others may want a softer material that is more comfortable for use. Prisons want one that can't easily be removed or broken in pieces. Some may want a built in child size seat. Some may want a dedicated handle area. Some might want a heated seat. Some might want soft closing seats.
The same is true of most products, there's no one true solution.