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To view the article you need to "sign up" to their site for some bullshit reason. To get your "free" burger you likewise have to shill for the company. What a

To view the article you need to "sign up" to their site for some bullshit reason. To get your "free" burger you likewise have to shill for the company. What a world we've created.

takingflac 10y ago
Just goes to show there is no such thing as a free lunch, you have to pay for it with information.
ddinh 10y ago
Blocking javascript on that website also works.
huangc10 10y ago
I'll tell you what my previous manager use to say: "There is no such thing as a free lunch".
- YZF 10y ago
  This saying is probably equivalent to the efficient market hypothesis ;) I prescribe to the point of view that while on average there are no free lunches you can still get a free lunch here and there.
- astrodust 10y ago
  You clearly haven't been to the right kind of markets. You'll be so stuffed from "samples" you won't need to eat for days.
jstandard 10y ago
What's wrong with McDonald's asking you do something in exchange for a hamburger? Were you expecting they wouldn't ask for something in return for value they generated for you? I'd genuinely like to better understand this mindset.
- astrodust 10y ago
  I can't even count the number of times I have received free things on the street. Sometimes they just jam it into my hands, I don't even want it, and have to give it back. This is standard operating procedure with companies promoting samples of new products, or trying to broaden the appeal of an existing one. Not once have they forced me to do anything to recieve it. There are exceptions like alcohol give-aways where they card everyone, but they don't write down names or collect data from that, simply verify for legal reasons. It is always a transaction where they just give you the thing without hesitation. "...value they generated for you?" What "value" are they generating? They're asking me to try their product in the hopes that I might like it and buy more of it in the future. They're asking for my time, for my attention, to consider their product.
  - jstandard 10y ago
    I see. Since several other companies have given you free, seemingly no-strings-attached samples it's created an expectation that other companies should do the same. While I don't share this experience or mindset, I can see how it may have been shaped for you. The value generated here seems quite clear to me though. They're giving food. Food is valuable. The degree of value differs from person to person, but McDonald's is taking a reasonable bet that new versions of one of the world's most popular fast foods is valuable to enough people for their marketing push to yield a positive ROI. There are also several other types of value generated. They've created a novel experience (hamburgers from an automated vending machine). The excitement gained from observing and trying a novel experience is also valuable.
    - astrodust 10y ago
      > They're giving food. That's where I disagree. They're marketing. They're giving away samples. McDonald's is not in the business of free food, they're in the business of getting people to pay for food. If they're trying to test the waters for vending-machine produced food, put a nominal price tag on it. A $2 price-tag signals that they're exploring this as a retail option and giving a friendly discount to early adopters. A "free but let us tweet for you" price-tag signals this was designed by the marketing department as some stunt. If you like paying for marketing with your own reputation, knock yourself out.
synicalx 10y ago
"Please drink a verification can"

To view the article you need to "sign up" to their site for some bullshit reason. To get your "free" burger you likewise have to shill for the company. What a world we've created.

takingflac 10y ago

Just goes to show there is no such thing as a free lunch, you have to pay for it with information.

ddinh 10y ago

Blocking javascript on that website also works.

huangc10 10y ago

I'll tell you what my previous manager use to say: "There is no such thing as a free lunch".

YZF 10y ago
This saying is probably equivalent to the efficient market hypothesis ;) I prescribe to the point of view that while on average there are no free lunches you can still get a free lunch here and there.
astrodust 10y ago
You clearly haven't been to the right kind of markets. You'll be so stuffed from "samples" you won't need to eat for days.

jstandard 10y ago

What's wrong with McDonald's asking you do something in exchange for a hamburger? Were you expecting they wouldn't ask for something in return for value they generated for you? I'd genuinely like to better understand this mindset.

astrodust 10y ago
I can't even count the number of times I have received free things on the street. Sometimes they just jam it into my hands, I don't even want it, and have to give it back. This is standard operating procedure with companies promoting samples of new products, or trying to broaden the appeal of an existing one. Not once have they forced me to do anything to recieve it. There are exceptions like alcohol give-aways where they card everyone, but they don't write down names or collect data from that, simply verify for legal reasons. It is always a transaction where they just give you the thing without hesitation. "...value they generated for you?" What "value" are they generating? They're asking me to try their product in the hopes that I might like it and buy more of it in the future. They're asking for my time, for my attention, to consider their product.
- jstandard 10y ago
  I see. Since several other companies have given you free, seemingly no-strings-attached samples it's created an expectation that other companies should do the same. While I don't share this experience or mindset, I can see how it may have been shaped for you. The value generated here seems quite clear to me though. They're giving food. Food is valuable. The degree of value differs from person to person, but McDonald's is taking a reasonable bet that new versions of one of the world's most popular fast foods is valuable to enough people for their marketing push to yield a positive ROI. There are also several other types of value generated. They've created a novel experience (hamburgers from an automated vending machine). The excitement gained from observing and trying a novel experience is also valuable.
  - astrodust 10y ago
    > They're giving food. That's where I disagree. They're marketing. They're giving away samples. McDonald's is not in the business of free food, they're in the business of getting people to pay for food. If they're trying to test the waters for vending-machine produced food, put a nominal price tag on it. A $2 price-tag signals that they're exploring this as a retail option and giving a friendly discount to early adopters. A "free but let us tweet for you" price-tag signals this was designed by the marketing department as some stunt. If you like paying for marketing with your own reputation, knock yourself out.

synicalx 10y ago

"Please drink a verification can"