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Date:      Thu, 25 Feb 1999 22:24:46 +0000 (GMT)
From:      Terry Lambert <tlambert@primenet.com>
To:        brett@lariat.org (Brett Glass)
Cc:        tlambert@primenet.com, grog@lemis.com, chat@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: Commercial Tripwire available for Linux, not FreeBSD
Message-ID:  <199902252224.PAA20308@usr09.primenet.com>
In-Reply-To: <4.1.19990225143722.03fcbf10@mail.lariat.org> from "Brett Glass" at Feb 25, 99 02:38:41 pm

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> >My original complaint was that you used the word "estimated".
> 
> Well, Linux's installed base is "estimated" as well. No one knows how
> big it is, or isn't.

Marketing lesson #1:

	"Estimated" -- bad.
	"Bald-ass statement that may not be true" -- good.

Exercise:

	Read an article extolling the virtues of something with
	which you are more familiar than the reporter.  Count the
	relative number of estimates vs. bald-ass statements.


> >But to answer the question, why is $49.95 ten dollars cheaper than $50.00?
> 
> Hmmm. Does 2/3 seem smaller than 66%? Not to me.... But then, maybe I'm
> too mathematically minded.


Marketing lesson #2:

	Any percentage greater than 59% is "almost as much", while
	any fraction is smaller than one.

Exercise:

	Ask a non-techincal person whether they would like 3/17 of
	as a raise, or a full 15% raise.  Don't let them use a
	calculator or a pen and paper.

Alternate exeercise:

	Instead of a raise, ask them if they prefer a coupon for
	3/17ths off or 15% off some item.


Marketing lesson #3:

	Ending numbers have the following collation sequence:

	1 < 3 < 5 < 2 < 4 < 7 < 8 < 9 < 6 < 0

Exercise:

	Go through a Sears catalog or a Sharper Image store.
	For every item, write down the ending two digits of the
	price.  Make a graph of the frequency count.


					Terry Lambert
					terry@lambert.org
---
Any opinions in this posting are my own and not those of my present
or previous employers.


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