Author: Lawrence S. Tamarkin
Date: 21:38:57 11/08/98
Go up one level in this thread
On November 08, 1998 at 23:34:39, John Timm wrote: > >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 I think I understood the story pretty well too, especially as it relates here on this computer chess forum. When Ed lowered the price of Rebel10, only a couple of weeks after coming out, many who bought it at the higher price were philosophical about this, and glad that one of their (favoright), programmer's was making his wonderful program available to many other 'brother's in Chess', because of the lower price. But, naturally, like most of us common, everyday humans, more were upset that their loyalty and continued, and quick purchase of this product, was met with an inadaquet solution for them at first. They were basically like the guys working for that 1 sheckel for that one proprieter for a long time, who suddenly have the experience that the propreiter has no particular concern for them and the fact that they worked for him all this time before. Nothing unexpected or strange about the reaction of them at all - After all they (we), are only human:) mrslug - the inkompetent chess software addict!
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