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I've been trying to live by the dictum "anything advertised is not worth buying," and I've rarely been forced to find exceptions. Buy what you need, and only wh

I've been trying to live by the dictum "anything advertised is not worth buying," and I've rarely been forced to find exceptions. Buy what you need, and only what you need, and one can live very comfortably.

Swizec 11y ago
> "anything advertised is not worth buying," Then how do you find out about new products or services? Remember, reading about it in a news paper or a news site or even a blog is also advertising. Paid for one way or another. Basically any time you hear a brand name or see a brand name or read a brand name, that's an ad. A paid-for ad. Even your friends' t-shirts and computers and cars and stuff having their brand name on them ... that's an ad. So if you never buy anything advertised, what then do you even buy?
- TeMPOraL 11y ago
  This is not what GP meant and you know it, but I'll bite :). Almost everything is advertised - you might not have seen the ad, but it was definitely somewhere at some point. The question is, whether or not you chose to buy things that you've seen advertised based on the ad, even indirectly. Personally, I attach negative value to ads, i.e. every time I see the product advertised, I purposefully lower my opinion of it. (EDIT because of nitpicking - that's a heuristic and not the only rule I use; e.g. some companies are extempt if they have earned my trust personally and their advertisement are honest. My rule, born of experience that includes working with marketers, is to assume advertising is purposefully dishonest unless I know otherwise.) > So if you never buy anything advertised, what then do you even buy? So I've seen the product as used by a friend. Is that advertising? I've heard my friends who use it talk about it - is that an ad? I read third party blogs and forums on which I find recommendations by people who are experienced with the whole classes of products (hint: non-profit forums and blogs are the best). Is that an ad? If so, then the word 'advertisement' here has acquired too much meaning and we need to split it for the discussion. I am totally fine with buying things that are "advertised" by trustworthy actors who wish me well or at least are neutral to me. I reject buying on messages sent by dishonest people or those who have interest in profiting at my expense (e.g. salesmen, advertisers).
  - greggman 11y ago
    So I'm guessing that your participation on HN means one of your most hated companies is ycombinator since HN as an ad for it
    - TeMPOraL 11y ago
      I understand the HN-YC dynamics and know enough about YC to have a specific opinion on them that overrides the herustic described above.
jevgeni 11y ago
I think this is a good approach. Let the product speak for itself.
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]

Swizec 11y ago

> "anything advertised is not worth buying," Then how do you find out about new products or services? Remember, reading about it in a news paper or a news site or even a blog is also advertising. Paid for one way or another. Basically any time you hear a brand name or see a brand name or read a brand name, that's an ad. A paid-for ad. Even your friends' t-shirts and computers and cars and stuff having their brand name on them ... that's an ad. So if you never buy anything advertised, what then do you even buy?

TeMPOraL 11y ago
This is not what GP meant and you know it, but I'll bite :). Almost everything is advertised - you might not have seen the ad, but it was definitely somewhere at some point. The question is, whether or not you chose to buy things that you've seen advertised based on the ad, even indirectly. Personally, I attach negative value to ads, i.e. every time I see the product advertised, I purposefully lower my opinion of it. (EDIT because of nitpicking - that's a heuristic and not the only rule I use; e.g. some companies are extempt if they have earned my trust personally and their advertisement are honest. My rule, born of experience that includes working with marketers, is to assume advertising is purposefully dishonest unless I know otherwise.) > So if you never buy anything advertised, what then do you even buy? So I've seen the product as used by a friend. Is that advertising? I've heard my friends who use it talk about it - is that an ad? I read third party blogs and forums on which I find recommendations by people who are experienced with the whole classes of products (hint: non-profit forums and blogs are the best). Is that an ad? If so, then the word 'advertisement' here has acquired too much meaning and we need to split it for the discussion. I am totally fine with buying things that are "advertised" by trustworthy actors who wish me well or at least are neutral to me. I reject buying on messages sent by dishonest people or those who have interest in profiting at my expense (e.g. salesmen, advertisers).
- greggman 11y ago
  So I'm guessing that your participation on HN means one of your most hated companies is ycombinator since HN as an ad for it
  - TeMPOraL 11y ago
    I understand the HN-YC dynamics and know enough about YC to have a specific opinion on them that overrides the herustic described above.

jevgeni 11y ago

I think this is a good approach. Let the product speak for itself.

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]