captain_slinky: (Default)
captain_slinky ([personal profile] captain_slinky) wrote2005-09-24 05:13 pm

Whahuh?

So we're discussing this new service at work, the 800-FREE411. If you haven't heard about it, it's really cool; free 411 service for your cell phone, all you have to do is listen to a 10-second commercial before you get your results. Considering that cellular providers charge anywhere from 75-cents to $2.50 for a 411 call, this is pretty friggin' huge news!

But one of my co-werkers doesn't like the idea.

All I can think is "Huh?"

How can you NOT like that! It's FREE! It's screwing over the cellular providers (aka "The Man")! And all I gotta do is listen to "Drink Coke" before I get my number! That's just insane! It's as if they're saying "Hey, drink Coke! Adn here, have $2.50!"

But he's all against advertisements. The conversation went further to include the fact that he would even be willing to pay *extra* for movies if they didn't put the trailers at the beginning. And as my retort, I stated that I would be MORE than happy to sit through an extra ten seconds of commercials at the beginning if they gave me the movie for free.

But maybe that's me?

Can you think of other reasons why a reasonably sane person would rather PAY for 411 service? Is there something infinitely vile and evil about advertising that would make you say "No thank you, I don't want your $2.50"?

This is the first time I have ever encountered a person like this.

[identity profile] spazzychic.livejournal.com 2005-09-25 05:25 am (UTC)(link)

I'll go somewhere in the middle and say this: I don't care about ads I see or hear, but I'd rather pay more and skip as many ads as possible for Sophia. She is scary commercial... "I saw this on TV! Let's buy it!"

O.o

[identity profile] captain-slinky.livejournal.com 2005-09-25 03:28 pm (UTC)(link)
She's a good little consumer :) And I LOVE using those moments to start teachiong kids about the dangers of commercials, too. That's what I did with Brittany; it was some cereal that she saw the commercials for and begged for, so i got some, we ate it, and agreed it wasn't any good at all. Also, no cartoon animals sprang forth to play with us and teach us about nutrition as we ate. She was pretty mad at how they had lied to her on the TV, and would occasionally yell "LIAR!!!" when new commercials would come on :)