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8. If you put free books outside, someone will walk in every week and ask if they're really free, no matter how many signs you put out . That's because the bo
by johnohara 15y ago
8. If you put free books outside, someone will walk in every week and ask if they're really free, no matter how many signs you put out .
That's because the book has a physical existence. It's made of paper and ink, has a cover, etc. Adults understand it costs money to make such things, so it's better to put an inexpensive price on it, like $0.50, than to try to give it away.
It's odd that the opposite is true of e-books and e-media. The low cost of frictionless delivery gets confused with the true cost of production.
Kids will always go for free gum btw. That's in chapter 3 of the "being a kid" handbook.
- felipemnoa 15y agoProbably because they've been burned before in similar circumstances.
- jodrellblank 15y agoMaybe, but its not so rare to see physical things for free that an adult would be in disbelief at the very idea. I think that it's no trouble to me to ask "are these really free?", but it's a lot of troble to me to have you running down the road after me shouting "stop thief!", then shouting at me so I feel like a fool, then making me unwelcome to come bsck in future. Maybe you only mean some books, or a bit of the sign blew away, or I misunderstand the context, maybe someone put the sign there as a joke, maybe all sorts of awkward misunderstandings.
- johnohara 15y agoI'd yell "Stop Thief!" if you stole the sign and were running down the street chewing gum with a free book in your hand.