Raffael Cavallaro  <raffaelcavallaro@pas-d'espam-s'il-vous-plait-mac.com> wrote:
+---------------
| My deeply intuitive sensitivity of human beings tells me that many 
| prefer free software simply because they cannot resist a product, no 
| matter how flawed, that costs zero dollars.
+---------------

Indeed. See Dan Ariely's book "Predictablly Irrational":

    http://www.predictablyirrational.com/
    http://www.amazon.com/dp/006135323X

especially Chapter 3 "The Cost of Zero Cost", about "free" stuff
and its power to drag in the sucker\\\\\\ highly-valued customer:

    ...
    Have you ever grabbed for a coupon offering a free! package of
    coffee beans even though you don't drink coffee and don't even
    have a machine with which to brew it?
    ...
    It's no secret that getting something free feels very good.
    Zero is not just another price, it turns out. Zero is an
    emotional hot button -- a source of irrational excitement.
    ...


-Rob

p.s. Direct link to above excerpt:

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html/ref=amb_link_6358112_3/184-5604368-2950110?location=http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/books/a-plus/Predictably-Irrational-Excerpt.pdf&token=957BBB0669152D76BE1C614537975585163C1748&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=hero-quick-promo&pf_rd_r=007YVBE1F2DET2WSMP37&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=364675801&pf_rd_i=006135323X


-----
Rob Warnock			<rpw3@rpw3.org>
627 26th Avenue			<URL:http://rpw3.org/>
San Mateo, CA 94403		(650)572-2607