scott wrote:
>> I mean, think about this. How often do you watch TV and see adverts 
>> spit out completely unsubstantiated claims like "the UK's number one 
>> haircare product" or "significantly outperforms competing brands"? 
>> Most people don't pay the slightest bit of attention to this shallow 
>> marketing drivel.
> 
> But some do, and that's the whole point of advertising.
> 
> 
Hmm. Never mind that, at least in the US, this is illegal as hell, if 
someone decides to sue you on the basis that you made the claim, but its 
**not actually true**.

-- 
void main () {

     if version = "Vista" {
       call slow_by_half();
       call DRM_everything();
     }
     call functional_code();
   }
   else
     call crash_windows();
}

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> Hmm. Never mind that, at least in the US, this is illegal as hell, if 
> someone decides to sue you on the basis that you made the claim, but its 
> **not actually true**.

Oh usually the exact thing they claim is 100% true, they just word it very 
cleverly to avoid it being illegal, but also to make it sound as good as 
possible (usually with creative uses of font sizes and colours).

Common things are to do studies yourself on very small samples, then claim 
your product is preferred by the majority of people.  Or to find some small 
magazine to do a test with your product (of course giving them lots of free 
samples), then claiming your product is the best according to the magazine 
(of course the "best" bit is in massive font size with the details being in 
1pt).

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>> Hmm. Never mind that, at least in the US, this is illegal as hell, if 
>> someone decides to sue you on the basis that you made the claim, but 
>> its **not actually true**.
> 
> Oh usually the exact thing they claim is 100% true, they just word it 
> very cleverly to avoid it being illegal, but also to make it sound as 
> good as possible (usually with creative uses of font sizes and colours).
> 
> Common things are to do studies yourself on very small samples, then 
> claim your product is preferred by the majority of people.  Or to find 
> some small magazine to do a test with your product (of course giving 
> them lots of free samples), then claiming your product is the best 
> according to the magazine (of course the "best" bit is in massive font 
> size with the details being in 1pt).

Or to say one thing, which is technically true, but worded so as to 
*imply* something quite different, which isn't true.

My favourit one is price comparison websites. "95% of our customers 
saved money by switching to us!" What, you mean 5% of people DIDN'T save 
any money and yet still switched?! You have some pretty stupid 
customers. :-P

Of course, if you just listen to it without thinking too much, it 
*sounds* like a great company. Until you realise why that statistic is 
there; people come, check the price, and if it's lower they sign up. So 
their customers are *by definition* the people who happen to save money. 
Not too surprising that they all saved money then, eh?

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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scott wrote:
> Common things are to do studies yourself on very small samples, then 
> claim your product is preferred by the majority of people.  Or to find 
> some small magazine to do a test with your product (of course giving 
> them lots of free samples), then claiming your product is the best 
> according to the magazine (of course the "best" bit is in massive font 
> size with the details being in 1pt).

It also works even if you don't skew the results by giving lots of free 
samples...there are enough small magazines and obscure awards out there 
that as long as you have a competitive product, chances are you can find 
*some* award that's legitimate..."best picture at small-town upstate New 
York film festival!" or "Jan Smith's 30-print-run culinary magazine 
favourite!" kind of things (except you leave out 'small-town' and 
'30-print-run').

--
Tim Cook
http://empyrean.freesitespace.net

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scott wrote:
> They don't have to guess, they can just copy the MS design.

Not really, since OO does different things than MS does. They could 
probably, in broad strokes, do it that way, yes.

-- 
   Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   I ordered stamps from Zazzle that read "Place Stamp Here".

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Patrick Elliott wrote:
> Which MS probably copied from some guy who is now on food stamps, 
> because his company came up with the idea, but couldn't market it before 
> MS stoled the idea. Just saying..

Really? Do you have a cite for that?  Because the video I watched explained 
how they developed it over the course of five years or so based on data they 
collected from millions of users.

-- 
   Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   I ordered stamps from Zazzle that read "Place Stamp Here".

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Patrick Elliott wrote:
> Hmm. Never mind that, at least in the US, this is illegal as hell, 

Only if it's a believable claim. That's why you can see Dominos saying "we 
have the best pizza in the world" but not "Our pizza is better than Pizza Hut."

-- 
   Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   I ordered stamps from Zazzle that read "Place Stamp Here".

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>> Hmm. Never mind that, at least in the US, this is illegal as hell, 
> 
> Only if it's a believable claim. That's why you can see Dominos saying 
> "we have the best pizza in the world" but not "Our pizza is better than 
> Pizza Hut."

Is *that* how Lynx gets away with claiming that it will turn you into an 
irresistable babe-magnet when this is manifestly not true?

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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Darren New wrote:
> Patrick Elliott wrote:
>> Which MS probably copied from some guy who is now on food stamps, 
>> because his company came up with the idea, but couldn't market it 
>> before MS stoled the idea. Just saying..
> 
> Really? Do you have a cite for that?  Because the video I watched 
> explained how they developed it over the course of five years or so 
> based on data they collected from millions of users.
> 
Its called a joke...

-- 
void main () {
   If Schrödingers_cat is alive or version > 98 {
     if version = "Vista" {
       call slow_by_half();
       call DRM_everything();
     }
     call functional_code();
   }
   else
     call crash_windows();
}

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Darren New wrote:
> Patrick Elliott wrote:
>> Hmm. Never mind that, at least in the US, this is illegal as hell, 
> 
> Only if it's a believable claim. That's why you can see Dominos saying 
> "we have the best pizza in the world" but not "Our pizza is better than 
> Pizza Hut."
> 
I have tried their pizza. They *might* be able to claim they are the 
best "fast food" pizza in the world, and even then I tend to think they 
win out only because of how ***horrible*** all the other ones where for 
most of their first 10 or so years, but best anyplace? Gah...

-- 
void main () {
   If Schrödingers_cat is alive or version > 98 {
     if version = "Vista" {
       call slow_by_half();
       call DRM_everything();
     }
     call functional_code();
   }
   else
     call crash_windows();
}

<A HREF='http://www.daz3d.com/index.php?refid=16130551'>Get 3D Models, 
3D Content, and 3D Software at DAZ3D!</A>

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