Adverts (was: Funny Linux animation)

[pll at lanminds.com]

In a message dated: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 06:19:13 EST
"Travis Roy" said:

>Please, just because I support a site doesn't make me want to pay more
>for a product then I have to. Why should I buy a DVD player from
>ThinGeek when I can get the same exact DVD Player from another site for
>sometimes 50% less. I've gotten t-shirts and a hat from ThinkGeek
>because the price wasn't unreasonable and I couldn't get it anyplace
>else.

Well, I guess it comes down to what you value more your money, or the 
longevity of a particular organization.  Most people have little or 
no emotions connected with a company doing business over the 'net.
If ThinkGeek went out of business tomorrow, that vaccuum would be 
filled instantly by someone like SoftPro, SSC, or O'Reilly.

However, I can often times see where it's more important to pay a 
little more for the value of supporting a particular organization or 
business.  For example, in my town there were more than 50 dairy 
farms less than 50 years ago.  Today there are 2.  I buy my milk from 
one these dairies for a price significantly higher than I could from 
the local large chain super market.  I do this for several reasons:

	1.  It's more important to me to support the local family run 
	    business than a large, out-of-state chain
	2.  I think the quality is much better
	3.  My money is staying in the town and getting re-invested
	    in the organization I care about.
	4.  If I don't support them, and others stop supporting them
	    that's the end of a family run business.

Obviously this is a completely different scenario than a web-based 
business with which you have no emotional attachment.  I like 
ThinkGeek, and I would like to keep them around, however, I wouldn't 
buy a DVD player from them either.  Ironically, I also don't mind 
seeing there ads.

I know I'm rather a fringe case.  There are some ads I don't mind 
seeing, and others I don't want to see.  I want to see ads for things 
which interest me.  That's it.  I find that I do see ads which 
interest me when visiting sites like /., ThinkGeek, Google, etc.
The places I don't want to see ads are places like CNN, MSNBC, 
NYTimes, etc.  Large scale media outlets and other large commercial 
ventures tend to have a higher ratio of ads for stuff I don't care 
about, and therefore, don't want to see.


-- 

Seeya,
Paul
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