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Are Car Dealers Aligned with You?

August 14, 2012 9:24:30.092

I agree completely with Mike Masnick on App.Net:

But it's flat out ridiculous to suggest that either one is somehow economically pure or has interests more aligned with users. What amazes me, however, is so many people are repeating Caldwell's assertions as if it's absolutely true, when it's clearly not. App.net may turn out to be a success or it may be a complete flop. I hope it succeeds because I like to see new companies innovate and do new things. But if it succeeds it won't be because it's more pure or more aligned with users. It'll be because it just executes better.

Consider car dealers - they offer a service (cars) for a fee. Have you ever really felt like they were "aligned" with you, the customer, when you went through the "let me check with my manager" dance? This notion that fee based services are somehow more pure than ad based ones is ridiculous, and Caldwell is either incredibly naive or deeply dishonest. I hope it's the former.

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posted by James Robertson

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