[matusz13]

The author only reinforces the fact that booth babes work. His argument that he hates them because he falls for them would probably only get me to consider using booth babes in the future. Sure, the approach is kind of 'Don Draper' but considering the audience... it's probably a viable marketing approach.

There's probably an argument there about looking for original marketing approaches, as booth babes are an old and one "might" say overdone idea.

but meh, bring on the booth babes.

[sp332]

The problem is that it's impossible to tell the knowledgeable ones from the BBs, so it's easier to ignore all the women at the booths. That doesn't help anybody.

This is true whether or not you "fall for" the BBs.

[MostAwesomeDude]

Yes. I will remember your product. I will remember that you had a pair of very polite models wearing baby-doll tees with your logos on them, and that they were completely clueless about your product. I will never buy your product and actively recommend against it. I remember all the booth babes I saw at OSCON and LinuxCon this year, and I will not forget.

[matusz13]

Did you all shun Apple when Foxconn employees started jumping to their deaths? I'm guessing not.

Is it possible that you'd be letting your bias get in the way of your business sense? What if those products could have significantly helped your business?

[sunahsuh]

Yes. Because it's not called bias, it's called ethics and they help me sleep at night. And while the Apple issue was not applicable to me (I can't remember the last dollar I spent on an Apple product), I do, for instance, make a conscious effort to try and buy electronics that are made with conflict-free coltan (which is difficult due to the paucity of information on the subject).

I find your nonchalant suggestion sell out morally on this topic appalling, particularly as a woman myself.

[burgerbrain]

Seriously, lets get some perspective.

If women with tight clothing are the best reason you can think of to not purchase a product, that is a pretty damned good endorsement of that product... Your objectivity is compromised if that is how you make your decisions.

[lawnchair_larry]

Seriously, lets get some perspective.

If women with tight clothing are the best way you can think of to sell your product, that's pretty telling of the technical merits of your product. It's safe to assume you've given up at that point, and you don't have anything else worthwhile to see.

[bragh]

You're holding the wrong end of the rifle at the moment - women in tight clothing and other stuff meant to draw attention are not 'the best way to sell your product', they're just advertising. Only when one has become interested in something can you sell him a product thanks to technical merits.

[burgerbrain]

Women in tight clothing and selling your product based on it's merits are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the two of them have been shown to make quite a powerful couple.

If you are making your purchasing decisions based on the presence of women in tight clothing instead of the absence of technical merits, you are compromised. You should be able to judge the technical merits while ignoring the "booth babes", otherwise you're not much better than people who only purchase products because of them.

If no technical merits are present, then you by certainly have a far better reason to not purchase a product than just "they had women in tight clothing".

[MostAwesomeDude]

Actually, my boycott of Apple started a long time ago, during the iPodLinux days, when Apple C&D'd people decrypting the fifth-generation iPod firmware.

Business should not preempt ethics.