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August 02, 2008
On being offered stuff after I've already obtained it
I'm always amused to read the email that follows a post about buying something or other, most recently new chargers for my old Nokia 6230 phone.
I marveled at the $1.35 price on Amazon, thinking this was amazingly low, so much so I bought three.
You could look it up.
Within 24 hours of that post appearing, in came three emails saying I should have said something 'cause the writers had these chargers lying around unused and I could've had theirs free for the asking.
Very kind of my readers, these offers.
Free?
What does "free" mean to you?
Because here is where I part ways with almost everyone else.
To me "free" means without requiring payment — in either money or time.
And you've heard me say before that time trumps money by a huge factor when it comes to value.
So yes, my cost in money would've been less had I requested readers who had a charger (top) compatible with a Nokia 6230 phone to send me one.
But let's add up the other currency:
1) Post the request, taking up valuable attention space in bookofjoe with no possible yield for most readers
2) Wait to see if anyone responds
3) Email that person back with my mailing address so they can send the charger
4) Wait for the charger to arrive, having no way of knowing if and when it was ever sent
5) Hope it works should it arrive
From where I walk on my treadmill it seems to me that steps 1-5 are far more costly than the way I chose to do it.
I mean, maybe I'll get a charger by asking nicely and if I do it will take some effort on my part and much more time than simply clicking once at Amazon and being 100% certain I'll have a working device in 48 hours.
So while I'm grateful to all of you who so generously offered, I'll continue to do it my way, which I believe is far more effective overall than wishing and waiting and hoping for the charger fairy to appear.
The direct path is the best path.
The fewer the links in the chain, the less likely failure of any one of them will break it.
I would much rather depend on myself than others because over the years it has become clear that I am more reliable.
That's just a fact of life.
August 2, 2008 at 10:01 AM | Permalink
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"I would much rather depend on myself than others because over the years it has become clear that I am more reliable."
Well that was depressing. (mainly so because it's so very true)
Posted by: tinytapir | Aug 4, 2008 4:42:48 AM
Joe: In this case your phone will die without the charger so it is obviously most efficient to go buy one.
But I question your logic. I'll give you steps 1 and 3 but only your attitude governs any effort in steps 2, 4 and 5. What is the effort in waiting? Just let go- have you ever ordered something to be delivered in 4-6 weeks then got back to life only to discover a suprise on your porch one day.
As far as street addresses v. po boxes, that fear is so five minutes ago -we know everything about everyone now-it's a matter of national security.
And hope, hope as an effort is like breathing as an effort. Yes that happens, usually a sign of other serious issues. Maybe you feel you don't deserve the kindness of strangers- I sometimes think that of others when I'm driving.
I would say on behalf of your loyal readers- we would help you out anyway we could. I enjoy connecting with you and the various characters on your block or blog or whatever.
Peace.
Posted by: Nick | Aug 3, 2008 12:56:35 PM
Flautist: On a serious note, you make me laugh and I think you're the bees knees. Thanks for the misplaced trust. On a more serious note, not neon but fuschia pink... yes, I do believe that will liven up Joe's exterior suitably. What do you think?
Posted by: Milena | Aug 2, 2008 9:48:13 PM
I'd say Milena's safe. I don't detect any big interest in skulking into your house to addict your cats to solid white albacore tuna; I don't believe she'd purloin your parrot, should you have/get one, and return it to its home brainwashed and programmed to sing only "The Alabama Song" repeatedly. And I'd go ahead & stick my neck out and say she would never paint the front of your house neon pink. Unless it is already, and it needed it, of course.
But what do I know.
Oh yeah, there's this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPAlfLwBhME
Posted by: Flautist | Aug 2, 2008 8:52:14 PM
You know, as I was one of the ones who offered, all I can say is the following: It was meant in the kindest of all possible ways, my expressing a desire to send you the charger. Had I known before you made your purchase, I would likely have mailed it promptly without any further guiding thought beyond that of providing you with something I had, which you needed. Something that for all the likely reasons - I no longer use it, it's just sitting there etc. would have given me an opportunity to do something nice for you. That's it.
Truthfully, I did not mentally proceed into the hows and whys of getting it to you but, I do imagine that it would have entailed you granting me the trust of providing a physical address. Of course, for you there is no way of ascertaining my sanity to the degree that you could protect yourself in the way most of us want to be protected when we jealously guard our privacies - That is a risk you would have had to have taken to whatever degree you could minimize it Joe. A P.O Box as Nikolas suggested sounds eminently sensible.
All this to say, that should you lose the three you have, there is still one free, no strings attached charger in my possession which I would gladly entrust into yours. I get not wanting to rely on anybody but yourself Joe. I really do for the "been there done that reasons." Nevertheless, there is relying and then there is RELYING. In the scheme of things, you waiting to get a charger from a total unknown like myself, seems to fall more into the former category rather than the latter.
Posted by: Milena | Aug 2, 2008 6:15:34 PM
I agree completely with the idea of getting something I need the quickest and most direct way, which almost always means doing it myself, my way, as you described. Speaking just for the moment not practically but more philosophically, (and definitely more female-ly), when it comes to offers of "I'll send you my old/extras", sometimes it isn't so much about the thing, as it is about the offer. (Not always, of course.) And I'm not saying that it was in the case of your email offers. You know how you say it's best to simply say "thank you" when given a compliment? Sometimes it's good to simply accept stuff that's offered. Yeah, I know, there are lots of excellent reasons to not give out a street address, and it's easy to get caught up in questioning motives, possible strings attached, expectations of extreme gratitude, reciprocation, etc. But if it's possible to ascertain that someone isn't flagrantly insane, I say accept. I know this is a real girl kind of attitude about it, but I don't care. Vive les girls, and all.
Posted by: Flautist | Aug 2, 2008 5:31:15 PM
Truer words, never spoken. Time is the most valuable commodity. That is what it be!
Posted by: wistrade | Aug 2, 2008 12:38:54 PM
So, ummm, do you take donations?
I am kidding, only slightly. You are right about the time delay in getting the new charger, but the larger issue is that people who appreciate your blog might want to give back, a la donation, and to them time is no issue. After all, reading your blog is free.
More seriously, do you have a P.O. Box?
I'd feel more comfortable giving that address out than my home address. At least that way you could get actual products sent your way and not have to fear that some stalker is going to drop you a visit on your treadmill. And thus, while you wait for your charger fairy, a solar-powered flashlight might show up...
Posted by: Nikolas Schiller | Aug 2, 2008 10:17:16 AM
