I have a nice story.
A girl in my econ class today told the story of how she sold internet at the airport. Apparently, she and her cousin read that the airport wouldn't have wireless that day, so they took the light rail to the airport and sold their own wireless off of the hotspot on their phone. They made $500 before being shooed away by police for standing in one place for 4 hours.
I thought that this was a brilliant example of the free market working - and price gouging too!
They saw an unfilled need. They got their tools together. They sold a useful product to people obviously willing to buy it. The customers were happy. The girls were happy. All sides win.
That's why I still have faith in the world.
Most people use wireless while waiting in the terminal. Where were all these people that they were using laptops and this girl could get to them?
They were probably in the terminal.
The real question is, how did the TSA not know that the girl was selling Wi-Fi in the airport?
To paraphrase Marc Faber: We're all doomed, but that doesn't mean that we can't make money in the process. Rabbi Lapin: "Let's make bricks!" Stephan Kinsella: "Say you and I both want to make a German chocolate cake."
Daniel Muffinburg:They were probably in the terminal.
If that's the case then I challenge your submission for "the real question"...I would say the real question is...how the hell did she get to the terminal...just bought a random ticket, went through security, and let the airline constantly call out for her saying the flight was about to leave?
I shall respond to your challange:
It could have been a small airport where the users would have been well within the range of the router and she need not have gone through security. The airport in Santa Barbara comes to mind.
So you mean she hung out in front of the security line and convinced people that they would be able to access her signal (which she had no way of verifying...for herself, or them), they paid her cash, then went through security and trusted not only that she was telling the truth about being able to utilize her signal, but that she would remain there until their flight departed?
She must be a dead ringer for Jessica Alba.
It's not as if Internet service is a physical good that she had to hand to her customers... Haven't you been to a hotel that sells Internet service to its guests? There can be a pop up that pops up when a user connects to the network that the girl set up.
To put your debate to rest, the airport was BWI and I believe she was in the area before people go through security.
Daniel Muffinburg:It's not as if Internet service is a physical good that she had to hand to her customers... Haven't you been to a hotel that sells Internet service to its guests? There can be a pop up that pops up when a user connects to the network that the girl set up.
So you're suggesting this high school girl was able to set up an online pay-access firewall that allowed her to accept online payments before granting access to the www when people connected to her wifi signal...from her laptop?
So you're suggesting this high school girl was able to set up an online pay-access firewall that allowed her to accept online payments before granting access to the www when people connected to her wifi signal...
Sure. But what does her being a high school girl have to do with anything?
from her laptop?
Ha! I think we finally found an instance where you made a flaw. Of course, you could have been trying to put words in my mouth.
Daniel Muffinburg:"So you're suggesting this high school girl was able to set up an online pay-access firewall that allowed her to accept online payments before granting access to the www when people connected to her wifi signal..." Sure.
Sure.
Ooookaaayy.
But what does her being a high school girl have to do with anything?
Did I say it did?
"from her laptop?" Ha! I think we finally found an instance where you made a flaw. Of course, you could have been trying to put words in my mouth.
Well. I was giving you the benefit of the doubt that this amazingly technologically savvy high school girl didn't manage to set up such a system from her phone.
But if you want to take the laptop out of the equation, and assert she did all this on her handheld device, that's fine by me.
I'm pretty sure this story is the plot of a Verizon commercial.
they said we would have an unfair fun advantage
John James: But what does her being a high school girl have to do with anything? Did I say it did?
Then why did you mention it? How did you even know that she was in high school?
"from her laptop?" Ha! I think we finally found an instance where you made a flaw. Of course, you could have been trying to put words in my mouth. Well. I was giving you the benefit of the doubt that this amazingly technologically savvy high school girl didn't manage to set up such a system from her phone. But if you want to take the laptop out of the equation, and assert she did all this on her handheld device, that's fine by me.
The OP never mentioned "laptop"; therefore, I assumed that it was all done on a phone.
Daniel Muffinburg:Then why did you mention it?
Because it's more descriptive, more interesting, and sounds better than "this person"?
Plus, since you bring it up, I suppose one could say that it is relevant because the whole point of my statement was to illustrate the severe unlikelihood of what you're saying actually being the case, and the fact that this was a high school girl doing all this makes it a lot less probable, as, as unlikely as it is for anyone to accomplish such a thing, the odds are incredibly less that it would be someone with those two characteristics, as being high school age and being female are two characteristics that are incredibly rare in someone with that level of computer know-how and ability.
How did you even know that she was in high school?
Because the OP said she was in his class.
Quite an assumption.
John James: Daniel Muffinburg:Then why did you mention it? Because it's more descriptive, more interesting, and sounds better than "this person"? Plus, since you bring it up, I suppose one could say that it is relevant because the whole point of my statement was to illustrate the severe unlikelihood of what you're saying actually being the case, and the fact that this was a high school girl doing all this makes it a lot less probable, as, as unlikely as it is for anyone to accomplish such a thing, the odds are incredibly less that it would be someone with those two characteristics, as being high school age and being female are two characteristics that are incredibly rare in someone with that level of computer know-how and ability.
We could ask the OP.
How did you even know that she was in high school? Because the OP said she was in his class.
I didn't know that he was in high school. Where did he mention it?
The OP never mentioned "laptop"; therefore, I assumed that it was all done on a phone. Quite an assumption. So would assuming that there was a laptop. To paraphrase Marc Faber: We're all doomed, but that doesn't mean that we can't make money in the process. Rabbi Lapin: "Let's make bricks!" Stephan Kinsella: "Say you and I both want to make a German chocolate cake." | Post Points: 35
How about we ask Wheylous to ask the girl to write out how she did it and everything and that some men are bickering on an econ forum about the in's and out's of a hypothetical involving her.
Daniel Muffinburg:The OP never mentioned "laptop"; therefore, I assumed that it was all done on a phone.Quite an assumption.So would assuming that there was a laptop.
Assuming that a high school girl was able to set up an online pay-access firewall that allowed her to accept online payments before granting access to the www when people connected to her wifi signal, from a cell phone
is equivalent to
assuming a girl brought a laptop to an airport?
Or maybe people paid her in cash and she gave them the password to her mobile wireless hotspot? I'm not an expert on how mobile wireless hotspots work.
Also, John, calm down buddy.
The keyboard is mightier than the gun.
Non parit potestas ipsius auctoritatem.
Voluntaryism Forum
I think Autolykos got it.
Also, you guys must be the happiest men in the world if this debate is the action that most reduces your uneasiness in the world.
Ha, yeah, I figured people would just pay in cash, and go to an ATM if they only had their card, and when the customers came up, "sold their own wireless off of the hotspot on their phone."
Pretty simple to figure out isn't it?
Or if not that one of those wireless usb connectors, and sold the time to people who have their own laptops, etc.
Wheylous: Also, you guys must be the happiest men in the world if this debate is the action that most reduces your uneasiness in the world.
lol
The whole point of the thread was - she saw a need and filled it - and even price gouging was (obviously) good in this scenario for both parties. If price ceilings had been instituted, neither side would have benefited, and we know both sides clearly would have lost. An everyday example of price gouging doing what it does best - allocating resources to their most pressing need.
Autolykos:Or maybe people paid her in cash and she gave them the password to her mobile wireless hotspot? I'm not an expert on how mobile wireless hotspots work.
Said that 12 posts ago, homeboy. The Muff was the one who said "Haven't you been to a hotel that sells Internet service to its guests? There can be a pop up that pops up when a user connects to the network that the girl set up."
Try and keep up
Cry me a river, John. At least I was nice about it in my post.
Autolykos:Cry me a river, John.
I don't get it. I'm supposed to cry because you don't read rtft, suggest something I already said a long time ago as if it was some profound new idea, and then whine that people aren't as nicey nice enough for your wittle feewings?
This might be a news flash to you, bro, but some people don't appreciate you acting like a dick most of the time. Just thought I'd help you out there.
Don't expect me to shut up or back down about this, either. Trust me, I won't. You can call it "whining" all you want. I couldn't care less, and it will have absolutely no effect on me.
John James: Autolykos:Or maybe people paid her in cash and she gave them the password to her mobile wireless hotspot? I'm not an expert on how mobile wireless hotspots work. Said that 12 posts ago, homeboy.
Said that 12 posts ago, homeboy.
**rolls eyes** You're the one saying that she couldn't have done it.
Autolykos:Don't expect me to shut up or back down about this, either. Trust me, I won't. You can call it "whining" all you want. I couldn't care less, and it will have absolutely no effect on me.
Yes, yes. We're all very aware of your constant crusade of not being intimidated. No effect on you, won't be shamed into shutting up, we don't intimidate you, you won't let us, you won't be intimidated, blah blah blah.
It might save you some keystrokes if you just kept some links handy. Or maybe even just a single link to your post history.
Daniel Muffinburg: Autolykos:Or maybe people paid her in cash and she gave them the password to her mobile wireless hotspot? I'm not an expert on how mobile wireless hotspots work.Said that 12 posts ago, homeboy.**rolls eyes** You're the one saying that she couldn't have done it.
Um. Noo...I suggested she couldn't set up a drawbridge firewall to grant access to people who paid through a custom page after setting it all up on her cell phone. To simply convince people to give her cash and trust that they'd be able to access her network after they passed through security I said she must look like Jessica Alba. Just click the link. You even quoted it. It's right there for you.
John James:drawbridge firewall
Getting fancy, ey?
Daniel Muffinburg: John James:drawbridge firewall Getting fancy, ey?
Gettin desperate, ey?
P.S.
I'm always fancy.
Your derailments are never fancy.
Daniel Muffinburg:Your derailments are never fancy.
My posts were on the topic of the OP. However if someone else wishes to engage a conversation about something else (such as Autolykos and his probably unhealthy obsession with intimidation) I'm usually happy to oblige.
Nice to see you follow my links though.
John James: Daniel Muffinburg:Your derailments are never fancy. My posts were on the topic of the OP. However if someone else wishes to engage a conversation about something else (such as Autolykos and his probably unhealthy obsession with intimidation) I'm usually happy to oblige. Nice to see you follow my links though.
To quote the OP:
The whole point of the thread was - she saw a need and filled it - and even price gouging was (obviously) good in this scenario for both parties.
You're the one who started complaining about the how it's implausible that a high school girl would have been able to do it.
And they said voluntary interactions bring people together...
I assume you're asking about Bawerk's pairs?
Daniel Muffinburg:To quote the OP: The whole point of the thread was - she saw a need and filled it - and even price gouging was (obviously) good in this scenario for both parties.
If that's all there was to it, there would be no need for a thread. In that case it would be more like an announcement.
Either way, my initial response was a simple question regarding detail. Your first post came directly after mine, not only attempting to offer an answer to my question, but also asking a similar detail-oriented question of your own that had absolutely nothing to do with "she saw a need and filled it".
So I'm not quite sure how you can accuse me of derailing anything without calling yourself out.
I wasn't complaining about anything. Again, my initial posts were all questions about how exactly this whole operation went down. You continued to respond with answers that seemed less and less probable with every post. All I did was point this out.
Then you started in with ginormous pictures and even more ridiculous notions, and eventually claiming I said something I didn't (brought about in part by someone else not rtff, but I suppose that still wouldn't exonerate you from going along with it.)