From ccb334111dd602841dbfd6f7c20c217637a20cbd Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Marcin Chrzanowski Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2021 01:39:01 +0200 Subject: Add fear marketing post --- src/blog/dont-fall-for-fear-propaganda.html | 67 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 67 insertions(+) create mode 100644 src/blog/dont-fall-for-fear-propaganda.html (limited to 'src/blog') diff --git a/src/blog/dont-fall-for-fear-propaganda.html b/src/blog/dont-fall-for-fear-propaganda.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..422fc99 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/blog/dont-fall-for-fear-propaganda.html @@ -0,0 +1,67 @@ +title: Don't Fall For Fear Propaganda +date: August 27, 2021 01:08 +--- +

+I was recently traveling from a busy US airport. If you've been to a larger +American airport in recent years, you may have noticed, near the security line, +a bunch of booths from this company called Clear. They essentially allow you to +exchange your personal information, including a biometric scan of your iris, in +exchange for quicker processing through TSA security. (and they also take a +monthly subscription fee, billed annually, so you pay even for months you're not +traveling in) +

+ +

+When I got to the airport, I was a little annoyed because the line through the +security check looked really long. I had lots of spare time arriving at the +airport, so I wasn't worried about missing my flight, but standing in an airport +line is never fun. +

+ +

+What annoyed me more, however, were Clear employees shouting as loud as they +could, for everyone in the security line to hear, that "you're going to miss +your flight!", "you're going to have to wait through this entire security +line!", unless you enroll with Clear (which is quick, easy, and only +requires you to give away a scan of your personally identifiable biometric data +to some new, overfunded tech company). +

+ +

+I was initially annoyed by this just because I'm not sympathetic to either +marketing or privacy violating technologies. But I got really mad when I +realized that + +

    +
  1. the line was actually moving really fast;
  2. +
  3. + the spacer tape appeared to deliberately be set up in a way that made + the line visually appear as long as possible. +
  4. +
+ +What I mean by the second point is that there was an entire row of unutilized +space that the line could have been directed to, but that row was the one +furthest away from the spot you enter the security line from. This made +it seem like there was an entire additional long bend to the line. Was this +collusion between Clear and airport staff? I don't know. But Clear definitely +capitalized on this illusion. +

+ +

+Like I said, the line was moving quickly, there were many TSA lines open +processing a lot of people at a time. The Clear employees, standing by the line +for hours at a time, would have known this, but of course they're going to use +the scary looking queue as a fear tactics marketing opportunity. I got through +the line in about 30 minutes, which is a perfectly reasonable amount of safety +margin time any air traveler will include in their schedule. +

+ +

Moral of the story

+

+When you're being marketed something on the basis of fear (or on any basis, +really, but especially when your emotional instincts might be exploited), take +the time to really consider whether the bogeyman you're supposed to fear +actually exists and is that scary. I'm sure you'll find other situations where +similar logic applies. +

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