7 ms·

This is terrific link bait. They've probably checked their stats and figured the exposure is well worth the few missed sales they might encounter.

by litek 14y ago

jacobr 14y ago
So it's blogspam from LifeHacker linking to Kogan's linkbait...
planetguy 14y ago
Yeah, it's a way to flatter the rest of your customer base, who now get to feel superior for using a different browser. "Hey everybody, I use Chrome, aren't I wonderful?" Further suggestions to let us elite middle-class types feel superior to others: 1. Extra 25% surcharge for anyone who shows up at your cafe wearing Crocs 2. Anyone driving up to your hotel in a Pontiac Aztek has to pay a fifty-dollar uglification fee 3. If a fat person shows up at your store, employ a security guard to stand around going "Ha ha! Fatty fat fat fat" until they leave.
- ktizo 14y ago
  I guess the major economic difference is all those suggestions would lose you money, whereas this will probably help their sales while slightly cutting their costs.
- phoboslab 14y ago
  Bad analogies. It would be reasonable to charge extra for anyone who enters a shop with a beautiful wooden floor wearing spikes on their shoes. Spikes induce extra maintenance costs - so does IE7.
  - TazeTSchnitzel 14y ago
    No, that's ridiculous. This is like taxing the disabled because they cost more money.
    - epmatsw 14y ago
      That's equally ridiculous. Not upgrading your browser is a choice, being disabled is not.
      - TazeTSchnitzel 14y ago
        Not really. Most people using IE7 probably didn't choose it, their IT department chose for them.
        nasmorn 14y ago
        True but if there was some department disabling people, we would look very differently at disabilities I guess.
        kamjam 14y ago
        I've seen many banks that have legacy systems what ONLY work in IE6, so they can't upgrade until they apps are re-written, but those apps are so big they don't want to touch it or they have some longer term project to replace this, blah blah. Some crap littered with ActiveX plugins no doubt. I know HSBC have (what appears to me anyway) to be like this. But yes, agree the work/personal related thing, they can easily buy at home and if the workplace has such an antiquated attitude to these things then they probably also have your internet access to watch and lock down anyway.
        tripzilch 14y ago
        So then the IT department chose for them not to be able to use a certain online shop. If the online shopping is work-related, then it's the IT department's job to facilitate this and upgrade the systems. If the online shopping is not work-related, you have the option to do it in your own time, with your own browser on your own PC--the same situation as people that do not spend their working hours surfing the web (because they might not have office jobs).
    - slowpoke 14y ago
      Entering a shop wearing spikes is a choice. Being disabled, in contrast, isn't.
- hammock 14y ago
  Another (and more realistic) analogy would be a retailer adding a surcharge to your total when paying by credit card.
  - mayneack 14y ago
    That's illegal in most states/violates all credit card agreements for the vendor. (but still a valid comparison)
    - damian2000 14y ago
      Not illegal in Australia, where kogan is from. Unfortunately there's no limit on the amount a merchant can charge for payment/card fees. For example, I believe the most popular taxi charge company here (CabCharge) charges a 10% fee when paying by credit card.
      - bcowcher 14y ago
        I do believe the RBA was going to investigate this [1]. If they do anything about it is something else entirely however.. [1] http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/reserve-bank-is-investigating-rip-off-credit-card-fees/story-e6frf7jo-1226072019435 http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/reserve-bank-is-investigati...
      - mayneack 14y ago
        In the US. My bad.
    - molmalo 14y ago
      How about a discount to cash then? Its the opposite, buy has the same result.
      - mayneack 14y ago
        Most common (in the US) is just a minimum credit card purchase.
- Devilboy 14y ago
  4. All sarcastic comments get -5 starting karma
lukevdp 14y ago
yep - this sort of PR is nothing new for Kogan either
mkmcdonald 14y ago
The "development time" metric is superfluous nonsense perpetrated by lazy, loud-mouthed developers. Here's a baseless graph that John Resig of jQuery fame included years ago in a speaking session: http://i.imgur.com/1OOcg.png http://i.imgur.com/1OOcg.png. Developers are inundated with "ugh; IE sux" propaganda, but the complaints are rarely quantified beyond "my site breaks in IE".

This is terrific link bait. They've probably checked their stats and figured the exposure is well worth the few missed sales they might encounter.

by litek 14y ago

This is terrific link bait. They've probably checked their stats and figured the exposure is well worth the few missed sales they might encounter.

jacobr 14y ago

So it's blogspam from LifeHacker linking to Kogan's linkbait...

planetguy 14y ago

Yeah, it's a way to flatter the rest of your customer base, who now get to feel superior for using a different browser. "Hey everybody, I use Chrome, aren't I wonderful?" Further suggestions to let us elite middle-class types feel superior to others: 1. Extra 25% surcharge for anyone who shows up at your cafe wearing Crocs 2. Anyone driving up to your hotel in a Pontiac Aztek has to pay a fifty-dollar uglification fee 3. If a fat person shows up at your store, employ a security guard to stand around going "Ha ha! Fatty fat fat fat" until they leave.

ktizo 14y ago
I guess the major economic difference is all those suggestions would lose you money, whereas this will probably help their sales while slightly cutting their costs.
phoboslab 14y ago
Bad analogies. It would be reasonable to charge extra for anyone who enters a shop with a beautiful wooden floor wearing spikes on their shoes. Spikes induce extra maintenance costs - so does IE7.
- TazeTSchnitzel 14y ago
  No, that's ridiculous. This is like taxing the disabled because they cost more money.
  - epmatsw 14y ago
    That's equally ridiculous. Not upgrading your browser is a choice, being disabled is not.
    - TazeTSchnitzel 14y ago
      Not really. Most people using IE7 probably didn't choose it, their IT department chose for them.
      - nasmorn 14y ago
        True but if there was some department disabling people, we would look very differently at disabilities I guess.
        kamjam 14y ago
        I've seen many banks that have legacy systems what ONLY work in IE6, so they can't upgrade until they apps are re-written, but those apps are so big they don't want to touch it or they have some longer term project to replace this, blah blah. Some crap littered with ActiveX plugins no doubt. I know HSBC have (what appears to me anyway) to be like this. But yes, agree the work/personal related thing, they can easily buy at home and if the workplace has such an antiquated attitude to these things then they probably also have your internet access to watch and lock down anyway.
      - tripzilch 14y ago
        So then the IT department chose for them not to be able to use a certain online shop. If the online shopping is work-related, then it's the IT department's job to facilitate this and upgrade the systems. If the online shopping is not work-related, you have the option to do it in your own time, with your own browser on your own PC--the same situation as people that do not spend their working hours surfing the web (because they might not have office jobs).
  - slowpoke 14y ago
    Entering a shop wearing spikes is a choice. Being disabled, in contrast, isn't.
hammock 14y ago
Another (and more realistic) analogy would be a retailer adding a surcharge to your total when paying by credit card.
- mayneack 14y ago
  That's illegal in most states/violates all credit card agreements for the vendor. (but still a valid comparison)
  - damian2000 14y ago
    Not illegal in Australia, where kogan is from. Unfortunately there's no limit on the amount a merchant can charge for payment/card fees. For example, I believe the most popular taxi charge company here (CabCharge) charges a 10% fee when paying by credit card.
    - bcowcher 14y ago
      I do believe the RBA was going to investigate this [1]. If they do anything about it is something else entirely however.. [1] http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/reserve-bank-is-investigating-rip-off-credit-card-fees/story-e6frf7jo-1226072019435 http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/reserve-bank-is-investigati...
    - mayneack 14y ago
      In the US. My bad.
  - molmalo 14y ago
    How about a discount to cash then? Its the opposite, buy has the same result.
    - mayneack 14y ago
      Most common (in the US) is just a minimum credit card purchase.
Devilboy 14y ago
4. All sarcastic comments get -5 starting karma

lukevdp 14y ago

yep - this sort of PR is nothing new for Kogan either

mkmcdonald 14y ago

The "development time" metric is superfluous nonsense perpetrated by lazy, loud-mouthed developers. Here's a baseless graph that John Resig of jQuery fame included years ago in a speaking session: http://i.imgur.com/1OOcg.png http://i.imgur.com/1OOcg.png. Developers are inundated with "ugh; IE sux" propaganda, but the complaints are rarely quantified beyond "my site breaks in IE".