[LINK] More on OS advertising patents
Jan Whitaker
jwhit at melbpc.org.au
Tue Nov 17 11:17:43 AEDT 2009
At 10:44 AM 17/11/2009, Pilcher, Fred wrote:
> > I can't see anyone *buying* an OS that
> > interrupted them at irregular (or even regular) intervals to
> > advertise at them.
>
>One word: Foxtel.
>
>I don't have it, but I was amazed to see ads at a friend's house. He
>said that initially it was ad-free, but then they introduced ads. He was
>annoyed, but not enough to cancel the service.
Classic bait, hook and switch. There have been lots of business
models where you get the user 'hooked' and reliant on something, then
change the conditions. I used to work in the audio-visual industry.
At first, overhead projectors were dear. Then the companies who
vertically integrated supplying the transparency film realised they
could make more on the consumables. So they would give away the
projectors and sell the recurring item just that much more so that
once the hardware was amortised, the on-going purchase of the film was gravy.
Phone plans are similar, only without the advertising. "Free" doesn't
really mean free. You're paying through some other part of the
contract. It's all a marketing gimmick.
To some businesses, the by-word is "just because you can, you
should". Or in the words of PT Barnum of circus fame, "There's a
sucker born every minute."
Jan
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
blog: http://janwhitaker.com/jansblog/
business: http://www.janwhitaker.com
Our truest response to the irrationality of the world is to paint or
sing or write, for only in such response do we find truth.
~Madeline L'Engle, writer
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