[TAG] Value by acquistion cost: a case study

[Jimmy O'Regan]

Rick Moen wrote:
> I've received, so far, no reply to this note to NOC staff at a former
> employer:
> 
> ----- Forwarded message from rick -----
> 
> Date: Tue, 15 Nov 2005 20:34:36 -0800
> To: dns-admin@[$COMPANY].com
> Subject: Secondary nameservice for zone linuxmafia.com: was switched off
> 
> Folks, I noticed that NS1.[$COMPANY].COM, IP=[$SOME_NUMBER], recently
> ceased doing authoritative nameservice for my domain, linuxmafia.com, 
> which you guys had been providing as a courtesy for many years.
> 
> (My primary DNS is at NS1.LINXUMAFIA.COM, IP=198.144.195.186.)
> 
> In the event that the shutoff was deliberate, then I guess we're done, 
> though I'm quite surprised to have had no notice.
> 
> In the event that it was accidental:  I've always appreciated the favour,
> and would be delighted if you could switch it back on.
> 
> All the best,
> Rick M.
> 
> ----- End forwarded message -----
> 
> 
> Some would call this yet another example of "You get what you pay for",
> using the societally near-ubiquitous assumption that things should be
> valued (to a first approximation) at acquisition cost.  Favours you pay
> money for are assumed valuable; favours you pay nothing for are assumed
> valueless.
> 

It's an underappreciated fact that gratitude in itself has real value. 
It has been proven that the most effective way to, say, have a phone 
call returned is to play to people's love of thanks: "I'm just calling 
to say how much I appreciate what you did. Give me a call back so I can 
thank you properly" works almost every time.

Building on that: to get a favour done, *never* thank someone in 
advance. Instead, say "I'd really appreciate that", or "I'd really be 
grateful for that" - the subconscious acknowledges the conditional in 
the sentence, and you haven't spent your currency of gratitude.

If that doesn't work, and you're left hanging, instead of calling to 
remind them, say you've thought of some unspecified small way you can 
show your appreciation for the favour: it serves as a reminder without 
turning it into an unpaid debt, adds gain they weren't expecting, and 
takes advantage of their curiosity.