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Parallax gives away knowledge (for free) - the most important part of their pro — Parallax Forums

Parallax gives away knowledge (for free) - the most important part of their pro

John BondJohn Bond Posts: 369
edited 2009-07-14 07:21 in General Discussion
Hey Guy’s at Parallax
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You guys NEED to listen to this book – not because it’ll teach you much new, but because it’ll give you (even more) insight into why your business model works and why you have such a loyal bunch of customers.
The Future of a Radical Price - ·by Chris Anderson
http://www.hyperionbooks.com/free/free_downloads.htm
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He suggests that in the future, more and more business will be given away for free - absolutely no cost. Fascinating stuff, I kept thinking, “Hey, Parallax does that” and “that describes how the guys from Parallax think”.
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For all those others forum members who wonder why Google works so well, this book is fascinating. While it discusses, the web, marketing and economics, the concepts are not too complex.

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Comments

  • PJAllenPJAllen Banned Posts: 5,065
    edited 2009-07-13 11:50
    The knowledge comes at no cost, but, you must bring your own container.
  • stamptrolstamptrol Posts: 1,731
    edited 2009-07-13 12:52
    John,

    Great find. Thanks for lead!

    Another good read along the same lines is James Burke's "The Axemaker's Gift" which helps explain why a lot of "foreign aid" has traditionally underperformed.

    Cheers,

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    Tom Sisk

    http://www.siskconsult.com
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  • vaclav_salvaclav_sal Posts: 451
    edited 2009-07-13 14:30
    I guess I could "read" your book after I am finished with "For whom the bell tolls", just for comparison.
    However, I am having a problem with your assessment of Parallax giving things away free.
    Can you be more specific?
    Call me old fashioned - but there is mo such thing as free lunch!!
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    ·Vaclav
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2009-07-13 15:35
    Northwest American Indians had an annual celebration called Polatch. The whole purpose was to give away the wealth that you accumulated during the year. If we all did this, there would be little need for welfare, creating wealth would be simply a big game to prove your stature to the community and to help others stay busy.

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    Ain't gadetry a wonderful thing?

    aka G. Herzog [noparse][[/noparse] 黃鶴 ] in Taiwan
  • vaclav_salvaclav_sal Posts: 451
    edited 2009-07-13 15:57
    On the contrary - newcomers from the Old World arrived with the intention to accumulate wealth regardless of means. Abused politic and religion to impress the neighbor.
    In the process managed to destroy native culture and are now backpedaling with all kinds of “green” ideas.
    Some cultures are·afraid to learn from past – theirs or others.
    Cheers Vaclav
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  • xanatosxanatos Posts: 1,120
    edited 2009-07-13 19:41
    Parallax's open info sharing has certainly made a customer-for-life of me! I can't think of any other company I've dealt with that has earned my confidence and admiration - and loyalty - as quickly as Parallax.

    Dave X
  • John BondJohn Bond Posts: 369
    edited 2009-07-14 06:30
    @Vaclav

    There is no such thing as a free lunch… or is there?
    How does America’s most successful company do business, they do my web searches for free!!! They also give me free email, a free world map and countless other free services. What makes this even more incredible is that even if they did swamp me with advertising (which they don’t), I would battle to buy the stuff because I am in the African bush.

    But GM charged for everything they made!!! They billed me more than a dollar for a 5c washer and that just got them a Chapter 11 for their troubles.

    Maybe we don’t understand the economy, maybe Adam Smith (the grandfather of economics) missed some vital parts of human psychology. You will only find out if you listen to the book (it’s an audio-book).

    Yet Herzog seemed to know some of the answers intuitively.

    And so do the guys at Parallax (just don't forget - I may live in a country that claims to support Communism but you don't. Parallax is in business to survive and prosper by making money. Is the value of Parallax goods and services greater that it costs us? I believe so! Oh (expletive), I have lapsed back into traditional economics&#8230[noparse];)[/noparse]

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  • John BondJohn Bond Posts: 369
    edited 2009-07-14 07:21
    The book gives an interesting example, it’s how the term “Free lunch” came about.

    Chicago bars and drinking houses traditionally offered a free lunch if you bought one beer. The cost of the lunch was more than the profit from one beer but the bars reasoned that you would drink several beers after the lunch. In the 1860’s America suffered a depression and many of the unemployed of Chicago would go to a bar and ask a buddy to shout them a beer so they could get the lunch, the only food they could get. Even though times were hard, the bars continued to honour the deal.

    50 years later, economists wondered why Chicago had come out of that recession quickly and become an economic force in the US. Some economists now believe the free lunch was one of the influences.

    But there was a downside to this practice. Bars became social institutions in Chicago and alcoholism became a problem. The goodwill the bars had created got the bars a lot more business during the good times that followed and this caused a social problem.

    What if you could offer a free service that helped humanity and at the same time promoted your business? What if you offered this service with NO strings attached? What if this service had no social downside (other than becoming a geek addicted to electronics). What if you could offer this service in good times as well as bad?

    Ask Parallax – they have the answer…

    It is this ingenuity, and only ingenuity that will eventually get the US out the current recession. China, India and Brazil now make most traditional US type products. Automotive sales in China up 32% last month, their stock market has already rebounded. Don’t waste your time making Hummers but focus on selling ideas. Just hurry up America or you’ll miss the race

    And what does Parallax sell, the parts and tools to exploit your ingenuity. A double strike!

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