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It's interesting to talk about the ethics of this sort of thing because the rabbit hole is very deep. I think it was P.T. Barnum who can came up with the idea

It's interesting to talk about the ethics of this sort of thing because the rabbit hole is very deep. I think it was P.T. Barnum who can came up with the idea of making customers walk though the gift shop to exit his circus. I think of that every time I walk though an airport that does the same thing on entry or exit from its international flights area. That's an example of user interface design, isn't it? And, what about the process of automobile sales? For nearly a century buyers have gone through the ritual of negotiating with a sales person who goes to the back room for 15 minutes at a time to "talk the manager" only to slurp on a coffee cup. That's a user interface as well. I'm not defending the patterns in the presentation, but I don't see them as anything new. The medium is just different. Some businesses are just particularly shameless, and that's a problem.

jhspaybar 14y ago
As someone who spent 10 years selling cars, the salesman really is "talking to the manager". There is just incompetence and slow workers everywhere. Also, often times that manager has 5 salesmen in line wanting an offer to give their customers. Throw in folks who need the dealership to get financing, etc and it is just an inefficient bottleneck. Lots of companies have tried changing it, but it seems the old school method keeps being the best way to maximize profit.
- milesf 14y ago
  It's a negotiating tactic called "higher authority" http://www.negotiationdynamics.com/Authlim.asp http://www.negotiationdynamics.com/Authlim.asp
unclebucknasty 14y ago
The well-placed gift shop is user interface design. The lying car salesman is just dishonesty. I think they are different. Taking it back to the subject medium: well placed ads or upsells are like the gift shop. They represent opportunities to make sales at the right time. Nothing wrong with that. But, deliberately opting people into a product by subtly checking a box or otherwise in a manner that you are hoping they don't notice or understand is just dishonest. It aims to deceive people, not sell a product. So, the proper anology is that the gift shop automatically debits your bank account as you walk through, while a worker slips an item in your bag. If you make it out of the airport without noticing, you're stuck with the bill.

jhspaybar 14y ago

As someone who spent 10 years selling cars, the salesman really is "talking to the manager". There is just incompetence and slow workers everywhere. Also, often times that manager has 5 salesmen in line wanting an offer to give their customers. Throw in folks who need the dealership to get financing, etc and it is just an inefficient bottleneck. Lots of companies have tried changing it, but it seems the old school method keeps being the best way to maximize profit.

milesf 14y ago
It's a negotiating tactic called "higher authority" http://www.negotiationdynamics.com/Authlim.asp http://www.negotiationdynamics.com/Authlim.asp

unclebucknasty 14y ago

The well-placed gift shop is user interface design. The lying car salesman is just dishonesty. I think they are different. Taking it back to the subject medium: well placed ads or upsells are like the gift shop. They represent opportunities to make sales at the right time. Nothing wrong with that. But, deliberately opting people into a product by subtly checking a box or otherwise in a manner that you are hoping they don't notice or understand is just dishonest. It aims to deceive people, not sell a product. So, the proper anology is that the gift shop automatically debits your bank account as you walk through, while a worker slips an item in your bag. If you make it out of the airport without noticing, you're stuck with the bill.