Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Conditions of ACME's Unconditional Guarantee

kleinbottle.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–60 of 135 posts

Re: Conditions of ACME's Unconditional Guarantee

#51

Post by CliffStoll »

x1798DE wrote: post #40
cgb223 wrote: post #33

> I slightly guarantee your Klein Bottle for THREE MONTHS against any cracks or breakage, whether due to earthquakes, clumsy undergrads, or greasy fingers. Just mail us a fragment and $10, and we will send a replacement. What a perfect solution to the fake defective / return problem!

I assume you send a fragment and the receipt or something, otherwise you can smash your klein bottle into many fragments and the return policy becomes a bulk discount. (Though this particular business seems low volume enough that you can probably easily deal with that problem so long as you don't have to scale it.)

To my surprise, I haven't found anyone breaking their bottle on purpose. (or on a porpose). One of the nicest things about running this micro-business is that, sooner or later, I'll meet most of the people who own a Klein bottle. The math & physics community is a wonderful place...

Re: Conditions of ACME's Unconditional Guarantee

#52

Post by CliffStoll »

quelsolaar wrote: post #45

I sell software and have for many years, and I dont advertise it but I always give 100% money back to any unhappy customers (granted there is very few of them, for the last 2 years I have had one). Usually if someone mails me expressing unhappiness, I start by giving them a full refund even if they dont ask for it, then I mail them to tell them that I have refunded them, usually i let them keep the license, and then…

Oh, but I understand what you're saying, Solaar. You make your software to solve problems and make situations better and people happier -- if that doesn't happen, you'd way rather simply refund their money.

Re: Conditions of ACME's Unconditional Guarantee

#53

Post by CliffStoll »

sp332 wrote: post #15
jasonwatkinspdx wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's an episode of Nova about it as well, that's up free online various places. Cliff is such a unique and energetic personality it's really entertaining to watch.

The episode is called "The KGB, the Computer, and Me". Here's one on YouTube: https://youtube.com/watch?v=hTx9h3Sm29I

Hmmm -- that guy doesn't have grey hair! Or a cellphone. Or a web browser. I don't recognize him.

Re: Conditions of ACME's Unconditional Guarantee

#54

Post by tnorthcutt »

CliffStoll wrote: post #51
x1798DE wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I assume you send a fragment and the receipt or something, otherwise you can smash your klein bottle into many fragments and the return policy becomes a bulk discount. (Though this particular business seems low volume enough that you can probably easily deal with that problem so long as you don't have to scale it.)

To my surprise, I haven't found anyone breaking their bottle on purpose. (or on a porpose). One of the nicest things about running this micro-business is that, sooner or later, I'll meet most of the people who own a Klein bottle. The math & physics community is a wonderful place...

I’m not really part of the math and physics community, but I just wanted to say I’ve been delighted by everything I’ve ever seen that you’ve done. You make the world a more interesting and fun place.

Re: Conditions of ACME's Unconditional Guarantee

#55

Post by CliffStoll »

F00Fbug wrote: post #13

I received a Klein bottle as a gift. The box was covered in drawings by Cliff and the accompanying paperwork brings me as much joy as does my zero-volume container!

Which should answer others' questions, Foof: I have fun with this micro-business. And (I hope) the joy is reflected in those who receive a zero-volume, one-sided flask.

Re: Conditions of ACME's Unconditional Guarantee

#56

Post by CliffStoll »

tnorthcutt wrote: post #54
CliffStoll wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To my surprise, I haven't found anyone breaking their bottle on purpose. (or on a porpose). One of the nicest things about running this micro-business is that, sooner or later, I'll meet most of the people who own a Klein bottle. The math & physics community is a wonderful place...

I’m not really part of the math and physics community, but I just wanted to say I’ve been delighted by everything I’ve ever seen that you’ve done. You make the world a more interesting and fun place.

Thank you, oh North Cutt!

It's both an honor and a joy to find myself a member of several impressive communities ... old-style hackers, math & physics jocks, people with solder-burns on their fingers, and left-coast techies.

Re: Conditions of ACME's Unconditional Guarantee

#57

Post by andor436 »

amanaplanacanal wrote: post #4

Cliff Stoll is a pretty funny guy. He also wrote a fascinating book about tracking hackers back in the day.

[edit: already answered in the parent thread!]

Wasn’t there an old Nova episode about this on PBS? I vaguely recall it, and have always wanted to rewatch as an adult. Just a fantastic (real!) story.

Re: Conditions of ACME's Unconditional Guarantee

#58

Post by jimktrains2 »

CliffStoll wrote: post #51
x1798DE wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I assume you send a fragment and the receipt or something, otherwise you can smash your klein bottle into many fragments and the return policy becomes a bulk discount. (Though this particular business seems low volume enough that you can probably easily deal with that problem so long as you don't have to scale it.)

To my surprise, I haven't found anyone breaking their bottle on purpose. (or on a porpose). One of the nicest things about running this micro-business is that, sooner or later, I'll meet most of the people who own a Klein bottle. The math & physics community is a wonderful place...

I bought 2 to act as vases for the sweetheart table at our wedding years ago. Thank you!

Re: Conditions of ACME's Unconditional Guarantee

#59

Post by ValentineC »

CliffStoll wrote: post #38
stefan_ wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He is no different in person. Don't miss his warehouse complete with forklift: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k3mVnRlQLU

Well, I think he's different in person...

Oh, hi! I remember seeing the above video one of the previous times the Klein bottle was submitted here, and telling myself that I definitely need to do an order and pickup the next time I'm in the Bay Area (it's around 8,500 miles from where I'm at).

Hopefully that'll be possible once the pandemic passes!

Re: Conditions of ACME's Unconditional Guarantee

#60

Post by CliffStoll »

dekhn wrote: post #34
areoform wrote: post #18

This man has just given me half an hour of pure delight. I haven't laughed this much with unadulterated joy since I was a little girl. His enthusiasm and happiness and weltanschauung are contagious!

It's fun to read https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cuckoo%27s_Egg as well as watch the video made about it ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTx9h3Sm29I ) Once, at the Maker Faire, a guy walked up to me and showed enthusiasm for my exhibit (a solar telescope). He looked familiar, and I recognized him as Cliff Stoll.

Yup!

Many years ago- like fifty five - I worked at a museum that had a solar telescope. I had the wonderful summer job of doing sun-shows for the public. Beyond learning about sunspots, prominences, flares, and H-alpha filters, I learned how to speak to the public on a technical subject. How to keep kids' attention even though the subject may be out of their domain.

That summer job eventually led me to working at the solar observatory at Kitt Peak and was the start of my becoming a planetary astronomer.

So seeing your solar telescope brought back delightful memories and the happy feeling that someone else is discovering things that I once knew.

My smiles back to you, even in this week of solar minimum.

Post reply on HN