Re: Way OT: Adam Smith and Software Markets

[Samuel Tardieu <sam@rfc1149.net>]

>>>>> "Hyman" == Hyman Rosen <hyrosen@mail.com> writes:

Hyman> What an odd statement! In a non-free market, of what use is
Hyman> advertising? On the contrary, advertising is vital in free
Hyman> markets in order to make potential customers aware of the
Hyman> benefits of using some product, and perhaps of the
Hyman> disadvantages of using a different one.

This is not what happens today. Most advertisements are trying to
manipulate you in order to reduce your free will.

For example, when you see an attractive person on a display, which has
no link whatsoever with the final product, your unconscious reaction
(as shown by many studies) will be to associate the product or the
brand with a general pleasant feeling (without you knowing why) after
a certain number of repetitions.

When you see a strong and tall cowboy smoking Marlboro cigarettes in
the wild country several times a day, your brain makes a link between
good health, fresh air and Marlboro cigarettes. This reduces your
freedom as it manipulates you into thinking (without telling you
explicitely, which would be illegal) that Marlboro cigarettes make you
a real free healthy tall male.

If you can read French, I suggest you read the excellent book "La
parole manipulée" by Philippe Breton. I am sure that several books
exist in English explaining those methods.

  Sam
-- 
Samuel Tardieu -- sam@rfc1149.net -- http://www.rfc1149.net/sam