Life, Writing, Weirdness

Well, based on my experiences on the internet in the last few months, most of the time.

Let’s be clear at the outset that anything I talk about needing in this post is what I’ve already figured out about myself.  A blog isn’t social media in the same way as something like Facebook or BlueSky, and while I have some readers, I don’t have a lot of commenters (which is fine, I don’t mind interaction when it happens, but that’s not why I blog) but every so often when I write something, a comment will appear saying “you should do this thing instead”. Those comments don’t last long and I suspect almost all of them have been automated, anyway. For the two general types of things I’m going to mention, I’ve spent considerable time and effort in figuring out how my brain works and what I need. Reasons behind why I need them aren’t really relevant to my grumble today.

Those to things, to put the discussion back on track, are some language learning assistance and some fitness tracking. The language learning assistance breaks down to two basic types: vocabulary and pronunciation drilling, and conversation practice. In terms of things that suit my brain, I’ve had some luck with the first type and not very much with the second, and a little bit of luck with the fitness trackers.

The question was, “When is a free trial, not a free trial?” And my initial answer was “most of the time” but I think the real answer is almost always if I look at things a little more broadly.

The reason for that answer is that most of the things I’ve tried to check out not just for my current requirements or out of curiosity over what something looks like or how it might work is met with a requirement for personal information and a credit card number.

No.

I want to see what the service is or how it works before I give you any money. If that service wants a credit card for a free trial, that tells me that its makers don’t have enough faith in their product that I will actually want to use it after the trial is over. Further, they’re relying on some fraction of those folks attempting a free trial to forget to cancel before the end of the trial so they can be charged for that first month. Or until they remember, as the case may be, because life is crowded and demanding and sometimes things get in the way.

But let’s be clear: if a free trial involves asking for a credit card, the answer is no. I close the website. I never come back.

This is a business practice very much in line with how the business world treats our current society and its inhabitants and I have nothing but contempt for it. Of course, that’s true for a lot of current business practices.

And the only way I have to vote on those is with my wallet.

Be well, everyone.