Purchasing things is a glorified action that people are trained to get pleasure from via our culture.

Gadget blogs do no more harm than gadget segments on news shows, gadget magazines, gadget commercials and *gasp* gadget stores.

Consumerism in America is out of control, sure, but blogs about "stuff" are a symptom, not a cause.

If they would have reduced executive compensation by a fraction they would have saved the same amount of money and had no impact on their store's operations and could have earned points with consumers. Instead they sent the message that they are not interested in providing service. That is what set them apart in my eyes and I haven't shopped there since the announcement. They eliminated the only edge they had to get my business.