Author: John Timm
Date: 20:34:39 11/08/98
Go up one level in this thread
On October 31, 1998 at 11:18:56, Fernando Villegas wrote: >On October 31, 1998 at 04:31:41, Larry S. Tamarkin wrote: > >>On October 31, 1998 at 02:13:59, John Timm wrote: >> >>> >>>On October 30, 1998 at 05:55:25, Ed Schröder wrote: >>> >>>>I assume everything I say will not be good enough so I will make it short. >>> >>>>About prices... >>>> >>>>#1. Every date you pick for a price drop is never good for people who just >>>>bought. The price had to fall (no choice, see below) so the sooner the >>>>better meaning less victims of the price drop. >>>> >>>>#2. It was our intention to sell Rebel10 for the normal price you are used >>>>to pay since years despite the fact there was a tendency to lower prices >>>>for chess software. >>>> >>>>#3. We were unhappily surprised by the lowering of prices by two major >>>>companies Mindscape and ChessBase. More over we saw this price drop >>>>being advertised in all chess magazines at Rebel10's release time next >>>>to our advertisement of $119.95. >>>> >>>.... >>>> >>>>- Ed Schroder - >>>>Author of REBEL10 >>> >>> I support your decision even if the >>>majority does not. >>> >>> When Isaw that major whining had broken out on CCC about the >>>price drop, my first reaction was that CCC had been largely taken over by aliens >>>from a parallel universe where, unlike Earth: (a) any commercial purchase >>>entitles you to be treated as if you were the "best friend" of the seller, and >>>(b) products never decrease in price due to market conditions. Certainly, in >>>that parallel universe, computer prices don't regularly drop 25-40% (for the >>>same functionality) every 6 months, nor do airlines use computers to price >>>tickets according to what the market will bear at any given hour of any given >>>day, nor (readers can easily fill in the next 10,000 examples). >>> >>> >>> On second thought, musing about aliens is hardly >>>necessary since complaining about price changes that don't even apply to the >>>complainer is as old as human nature. There is even a story in the Bible that is >>>more or less directly on point (it isn't necessary to accord the Bible any >>>religious significance to think that some of the parables display extraordinary >>>insight into human nature). In the parable of the vineyard, the proprietor of >>>the vineyard hires workers for the entire day for one shekel (a unit of money). >>>The proprietor also hires workers as needed for the rest of the day at noon and >>>3PM, at a fair price to be agreed on later. When it's time to pay up, the >>>proprietor pays each worker a shekel, regardless of how long the worker labored. >>>Naturally, those who worked the entire day complain loudly. The proprietor >>>chides them gently, asking "Did you not receive everything for which you >>>bargained?" >> >> >>Hey wait a minute! - If I were one (or any)of those workers who had agreed to >>work the whole day for just that one shekel, your darn right I'd be pissed as >>Hell! that those other guys, who hadn't been there from the beginning were >>getting that 1 shekel. In fact, I'd probably have a whole lot of fellows who >>were just as mad as I was, and we'd have every right to complain (or more!?). >>And not only that, I'll bet all those guys who were working the whole day for >>that 1 shekel may well have had this deal with the proprieter before. Now you >>tell me that after 'getting the shaft', by the proprietor, who they may have had >>a very good working relationship with in the past, they should just 'turn the >>other cheek', to use another biblical expression. I don't think so. >> >>If they don't friggin kill the proprietor for his stupidity, the very least they >>are going to do, is never be so foolish, as to work for him agian!, or buy his >>product, to use one of the many posters anologies. - go figure... >> >> >>> >>> Good parables work on many different religious >>>and secular levels simultaneously (and this parable is one of the absolute >>>best). Sometimes, if you listen carefully enough, a parable might even be about >>>chess software pricing. >> >>Ya, you got that right:) >> >>mrslug - the inkompetent chess software addict! > > > >If I do not understand badly this little story, is an story about generosity and >meaness. You get one schekel, you thought it was right or you have not made the >deal, then another guy get the same for less work and then, so I see it, a >generous man does not mind about that and even is happy for the luck of his >brothers and the generosity he see in the boss, but if on the contrary you are a >mean guy you are angry and count the beans. If I purchase something at 100 and >the next day a friend or even a unknown guy get it at 50, or I am indifferent to >that or I am glad the guy got a benefit. Why should I get angry? I was not >deceived: I made the deal because it was fair to me at 100. And then conditions >changed and the deal changed and another guy got a better deal. So what? So is >life. I just take my shcekel and purchase a beer and danse or fuck and I do not >care a shit about the same schekel of the other guy. >fernando You understand the story very well indeed. John Timm
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