Proof that Less is More
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Email clipping:
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Do you know what overstock means?
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Sure, why? Don't you?
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@Code Dependent said:
Sure, why? Don't you?
It doesn't mean "unlimited quantities". In fact, I'm pretty sure unlimited quantities of anything are physically impossible.
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Yes, I'm sure that's true. Therefore we can assume that when they state "Quantities are limited", they aren't stating the obvious; they're instead trying to spur potential shoppers to go ahead and make the commitment by stirring up fears that if they wait, the books will be gone.
"Overstock", on the other hand, means "we have many more than we should have as a normal in-stock amount", which implies "we ordered too many and they aren't moving", which would tie in with jacking the prices down by 70%. It does not tie in with "quantities are limited, order now".
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@Code Dependent said:
Yes, I'm sure that's true. Therefore we can assume that when they state "Quantities are limited", they aren't stating the obvious; they're instead trying to spur potential shoppers to go ahead and make the commitment by stirring up fears that if they wait, the books will be gone.
"Overstock", on the other hand, means "we have many more than we should have as a normal in-stock amount", which implies "we ordered too many and they aren't moving", which would tie in with jacking the prices down by 70%. It does not tie in with "quantities are limited, order now".
So the WTF is the use of fairly standard ad copy that tries to move products that aren't selling? I understand it's a bit contradictory, but it's not senseless.
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@morbiuswilters said:
As you wish. Like beauty, humor is in the eye of the beholder.So the WTF is the use of fairly standard ad copy that tries to move products that aren't selling? I understand it's a bit contradictory, but it's not senseless.
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@morbiuswilters said:
In fact, I'm pretty sure unlimited quantities of anything are physically impossible.
Not love.
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@bstorer said:
There might be some question whether "love" can be classified as physical. Outward expressions of it, sure, but...@morbiuswilters said:
In fact, I'm pretty sure unlimited quantities of anything are [b][i]physically[/i][/b] impossible.
Not love.
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I fail to see the WTF. Sounds just like a typical advert to me.
TRWTF is this thread.
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Seems pretty obvious to me... they're overstocked and selling something on sale, and quantities are limited because if their excess stock all gets bought then they're not going to order in more and still sell it at a discount. Not telling people there's limited stock would be sort of bait-and-switch'y (Not sure if it'd count legally, but at least ethically). I suspect most people today know what a stock clearance sale is, but the second you assume intelligence of the human race it always backfires :P
I don't know about elsewhere in the world but "While stocks last" is a very common thing to see on sale advertisements here in Australia. This is just a different wording of the same message.
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@bstorer said:
@morbiuswilters said:
In fact, I'm pretty sure unlimited quantities of anything are physically impossible.
Not love.Given Morb's context, I have to interpret your claim as referring to, "Love, the kind you clean up with a mop and bucket." And, so far, I have yet to encounter unlimited quantities of that.
Furthermore, I strongly suspect that even that other varieties of love are *still* limited to the finite. If nothing else, entropy wins.
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@tgape said:
@bstorer said:
@morbiuswilters said:
In fact, I'm pretty sure unlimited quantities of anything are physically impossible.
Not love.Given Morb's context, I have to interpret your claim as referring to, "Love, the kind you clean up with a mop and bucket." And, so far, I have yet to encounter unlimited quantities of that.
Furthermore, I strongly suspect that even that other varieties of love are *still* limited to the finite. If nothing else, entropy wins.
For pstorer, love is as limitless as the number of homeless men willing to part with what is left of their dignity for a fifth of schnapps.
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@morbiuswilters said:
For pstorer, love is as limitless as the number of homeless men willing to part with what is left of their dignity for a fifth of schnapps.
That number is still finite, even if it is quite large.
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@tgape said:
@morbiuswilters said:
It's only finite if you limit yourself to discussing the number of homeless men willing to do anything for booze at a given time,For pstorer, love is as limitless as the number of homeless men willing to part with what is left of their dignity for a fifth of schnapps.
That number is still finite, even if it is quite large.
h(tc). But consider the total number of hobo drunks that have existed up to a given time,H(tc), it should be fairly obvious thatH ∝ t. Thereforelimt→∞H(t) = ∞. QED.
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@bstorer said:
@tgape said:
@morbiuswilters said:
It's only finite if you limit yourself to discussing the number of homeless men willing to do anything for booze at a given time,For pstorer, love is as limitless as the number of homeless men willing to part with what is left of their dignity for a fifth of schnapps.
That number is still finite, even if it is quite large.
h(tc). But consider the total number of hobo drunks that have existed up to a given time,H(tc), it should be fairly obvious thatH ∝ t. Thereforelimt→∞H(t) = ∞. QED.Yeah, but taking advantage of that would require living forever.
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@curtmack said:
Yeah, but taking advantage of that would require living forever.
Why else do you think he exploits the homeless but to get their super long living powers?
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@belgariontheking said:
Why else do you think he exploits the homeless but to get their super long living powers?
Indeed; babies and earlier are prohibitively hard to obtain while hobos are truly everywhere.
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@curtmack said:
Did I mention that I'm traveling by boxcar at the speed of light?@bstorer said:
@tgape said:
@morbiuswilters said:
It's only finite if you limit yourself to discussing the number of homeless men willing to do anything for booze at a given time,For pstorer, love is as limitless as the number of homeless men willing to part with what is left of their dignity for a fifth of schnapps.
That number is still finite, even if it is quite large.
h(tc). But consider the total number of hobo drunks that have existed up to a given time,H(tc), it should be fairly obvious thatH ∝ t. Thereforelimt→∞H(t) = ∞. QED.Yeah, but taking advantage of that would require living forever.
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@fyjham said:
Seems pretty obvious to me... they're overstocked and selling something on sale, and quantities are limited because if their excess stock all gets bought then they're not going to order in more and still sell it at a discount. Not telling people there's limited stock would be sort of bait-and-switch'y (Not sure if it'd count legally, but at least ethically). I suspect most people today know what a stock clearance sale is, but the second you assume intelligence of the human race it always backfires :P
In the USA, "Overstocked" would be handled this way:I don't know about elsewhere in the world but "While stocks last" is a very common thing to see on sale advertisements here in Australia. This is just a different wording of the same message.
We're overstocked, and you're the beneficiary! This surplus must be expedited! We've got huge warehouses full of books to clear out to make way for next year's selections. Our loss is your gain!
"Quantities are limited" would be handled this way:
Call today! Quantities are limited, and this opportunity won't last long. Hurry, before supplies run out!
Oh, yeah... that works together. Yeah, buddy.
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@Code Dependent said:
@fyjham said:
Seems pretty obvious to me... they're overstocked and selling something on sale, and quantities are limited because if their excess stock all gets bought then they're not going to order in more and still sell it at a discount. Not telling people there's limited stock would be sort of bait-and-switch'y (Not sure if it'd count legally, but at least ethically). I suspect most people today know what a stock clearance sale is, but the second you assume intelligence of the human race it always backfires :P
In the USA, "Overstocked" would be handled this way:I don't know about elsewhere in the world but "While stocks last" is a very common thing to see on sale advertisements here in Australia. This is just a different wording of the same message.
We're overstocked, and you're the beneficiary! This surplus must be expedited! We've got huge warehouses full of books to clear out to make way for next year's selections. Our loss is your gain!
"Quantities are limited" would be handled this way:
Call today! Quantities are limited, and this opportunity won't last long. Hurry, before supplies run out!
Oh, yeah... that works together. Yeah, buddy.You seem really touchy over ad copy that seems quite normal to the rest of us.
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@morbiuswilters said:
You seem really touchy over ad copy that seems quite normal to the rest of us.
By "the rest of us", you mean "those of us who responded negatively", which doesn't equate. I'm sure those who understood the humor smiled and moved on. However, it's difficult to take seriously anything from someone who says, "What point is there in being a genius if you can't make other people feel worthless when they know less than you?"Particularly in this instance, when you've already acknowledged the contradiction.
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@Code Dependent said:
How sad for you.
We all know you've made a mess of things by posting an advert as a WTF which is completely normal to most people. You don't have to be so touché about it.
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@Mole said:
@Code Dependent said:
Thanks, man. It's good to have permission. I love you, too.How sad for you.
We all know you've made a mess of things by posting an advert as a WTF which is completely normal to most people. You don't have to be so touché about it.
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@bstorer said:
@tgape said:
@morbiuswilters said:
It's only finite if you limit yourself to discussing the number of homeless men willing to do anything for booze at a given time,For pstorer, love is as limitless as the number of homeless men willing to part with what is left of their dignity for a fifth of schnapps.
That number is still finite, even if it is quite large.
h(tc). But consider the total number of hobo drunks that have existed up to a given time,H(tc), it should be fairly obvious thatH ∝ t. Thereforelimt→∞H(t) = ∞. QED.You still don't seem to understand. The time that hobos can exist is also finite. Entropy ALWAYS wins. All you've managed to accomplish is to make an inconceivably large finite number. To get an infinite number, you need to introduce an infinite element. For example, if you could somehow multiply love by stupidity...
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@tgape said:
@bstorer said:
Of course entropy always wins. There's nothing more entropic than a man willing to perform vile sex acts for enough peppermint schnaps to dull the pain just long enough to perform more sex acts in exchange for a few more drops of booze. It's a vicious cycle that drags him through the day, hoping that when nightfall comes he'll finally have the willpower to end it all. This is the natural state of things, because physics is a dick.@tgape said:
@morbiuswilters said:
It's only finite if you limit yourself to discussing the number of homeless men willing to do anything for booze at a given time,For pstorer, love is as limitless as the number of homeless men willing to part with what is left of their dignity for a fifth of schnapps.
That number is still finite, even if it is quite large.
h(tc). But consider the total number of hobo drunks that have existed up to a given time,H(tc), it should be fairly obvious thatH ∝ t. Thereforelimt→∞H(t) = ∞. QED.You still don't seem to understand. The time that hobos can exist is also finite. Entropy ALWAYS wins. All you've managed to accomplish is to make an inconceivably large finite number. To get an infinite number, you need to introduce an infinite element. For example, if you could somehow multiply love by stupidity...
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@Code Dependent said:
In the USA, "Overstocked" would be handled this way:
We're overstocked, and you're the beneficiary! This surplus must be expedited! We've got huge warehouses full of books to clear out to make way for next year's selections. Our loss is your gain!
"Quantities are limited" would be handled this way:
Call today! Quantities are limited, and this opportunity won't last long. Hurry, before supplies run out!
Oh, yeah... that works together. Yeah, buddy.Ok, let's say you're overstocked and you have x books in your "huge warehouse" (nb: I'm assuming the warehouse is finite). Your optimal stock level is y. You only intend to sell (x-y) books at a low price, because after that you'll no longer be overstocked. So there is a limited quantity. The limit may be large, but there is a limit. If their sale went insanely well and they cleared ALL their stock would you expect them to order in more and still sell at overstocked clearance sale prices? No, because the quantity on sale is limited.
In fact, if the company expects to clear out their surplus stock quickly due to their sale prices I'd think both sentences in your post make perfect sense side-by-side. In fact, I'm pretty sure I've seen advertisements that essentially read identically to those put together. I think you're missing the implied "Quantities [at sale prices] are limited". Personally I thought, like the advertiser clearly did, that it went without saying.
As for the more important intellectual debate going on, perhaps if one was to incorporate time travel into the boxcar that travels at the speed of light they could produce an infinite loop? Admittedly you may run out of hobo's... but if you brought a few back with you through time you could produce a self-sustaining hobo-explotation loop... you may need to incorporate space travel and life support into the boxcar to not run out of space though... You know that's a pretty damn fancy boxcar, I want one!
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@fyjham said:
I think you're missing the implied "Quantities [at sale prices] are limited". Personally I thought, like the advertiser clearly did, that it went without saying.
So, in other words, less is more? Or is it "More is Less"?We've got 50,000 of these sumbitches. We've had 'em for the past five years. You better damned well buy one quick before they all sell out.
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@Code Dependent said:
Your missing one key feature of the advertisement and the way that businesses work.@fyjham said:
I think you're missing the implied "Quantities [at sale prices] are limited". Personally I thought, like the advertiser clearly did, that it went without saying.
So, in other words, less is more? Or is it "More is Less"?We've got 50,000 of these sumbitches. We've had 'em for the past five years. You better damned well buy one quick before they all sell out.
Firstly, people are going to be more interested in buying stuff (or at least just clicking the link and looking, which is the entire point of the advert in question) when they are offered 70% off. Without this key feature I would agree with you, but since they have gone to the trouble of emphasizing it, I can't.
Secondly, many businesses work by predicting stock purchases months in advance to ensure they get quantities and appropriate discounts. If stuff doesn't sell as expected, the stock goes into "aged stock" and then gets flogged off at much cheaper prices. I know a number of companies where the aged stock limit is 3 months.
So its more like "We now have more stock then we'd like of some items. They are using up too much warehouse space we can use for more profitable stuf, so they have to go. Obviously we will not be buying any more until we run low (and then we'll hike the price back up if they are still selling), so stocks are limited at this price."
Or alternatively, exactly what the ad says.
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@Code Dependent said:
We've got 50,000 of these sumbitches. We've had 'em for the past five years. You better damned well buy one quick before they all sell out.
And, in fact, if they've been on offer for about half again what anyone was willing to pay for them for the past five years, and they're now on sale for
half30% of that price, and the price that people have been willing to pay for them has not changed, they will. I, for one, would not want to then be legally obligated to sell any additional sumbitches for that sale price, if that event were to transpire. Given that I live in the Land of the Litigious, I would certainly want to have a legal disclaimer up front.
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@Mole said:
Mole: whatever. It was never this important to me. I found what appeared to me to be a funny contradiction in terms, and I thought that by posting it here I might share a laugh with others. I didn't realize how important it was to the rest of you to demonstrate your superiority by shooting down every post.
@Code Dependent said:
Your missing one key feature of the advertisement and the way that businesses work.
@fyjham said:I think you're missing the implied "Quantities [at sale prices] are limited". Personally I thought, like the advertiser clearly did, that it went without saying.
So, in other words, less is more? Or is it "More is Less"?
We've got 50,000 of these sumbitches. We've had 'em for the past five years. You better damned well buy one quick before they all sell out.
Firstly, people are going to be more interested in buying stuff (or at least just clicking the link and looking, which is the entire point of the advert in question) when they are offered 70% off. Without this key feature I would agree with you, but since they have gone to the trouble of emphasizing it, I can't.
Secondly, many businesses work by predicting stock purchases months in advance to ensure they get quantities and appropriate discounts. If stuff doesn't sell as expected, the stock goes into "aged stock" and then gets flogged off at much cheaper prices. I know a number of companies where the aged stock limit is 3 months.
So its more like "We now have more stock then we'd like of some items. They are using up too much warehouse space we can use for more profitable stuf, so they have to go. Obviously we will not be buying any more until we run low (and then we'll hike the price back up if they are still selling), so stocks are limited at this price."
Or alternatively, exactly what the ad says.
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This is the side bar, you should know better than that :-) If people can pick a hole in your post, they will.
and now a picture of a cow:
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@Mole said:
I'm new to the sidebar. You should know that.This is the side bar, you should know better than that :-) If people can pick a hole in your post, they will.
And I post to share, not to butt heads. I guess in time I'll become as jaded as you, huh?
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Probably :-)
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@fyjham said:
Bless you. You are a trailblazer in the field of preposterous physics (which is a lot like theoretical physics, except that we readily admit that we're just making this shit up).As for the more important intellectual debate going on, perhaps if one was to incorporate time travel into the boxcar that travels at the speed of light they could produce an infinite loop? Admittedly you may run out of hobo's... but if you brought a few back with you through time you could produce a self-sustaining hobo-explotation loop... you may need to incorporate space travel and life support into the boxcar to not run out of space though... You know that's a pretty damn fancy boxcar, I want one!
