Sounds like the duck is a fingerprinting honeypot.
“Just remove the duck” (2013)
31–40 of 347 posts
Re: “Just remove the duck” (2013)
#32I worked at a deli during college, and people did this same type of thing on slices. By default, I'd always pick a pretty thin slice. Most people really like thinly sliced meats. The first thing you do is slice once and show them the slice, making sure it fits what they wanted. 99% of the time, people would say "thinner," I would pretend to fiddle with the knob, slice the same thickness, and they'd say "perfect!" I t…
or maybe they don't want to appear rude or finnicky by pointing out that it looks the same?
Re: “Just remove the duck” (2013)
#33I worked at a deli during college, and people did this same type of thing on slices. By default, I'd always pick a pretty thin slice. Most people really like thinly sliced meats. The first thing you do is slice once and show them the slice, making sure it fits what they wanted. 99% of the time, people would say "thinner," I would pretend to fiddle with the knob, slice the same thickness, and they'd say "perfect!" I t…
In the case of managers I think it reassures them. If the product was good enough before they got involved, that means they weren't actually needed and that's not a cool feeling.
Re: “Just remove the duck” (2013)
#34A story from the time recounts that Piero Soderino, the head of the powerful Florentine Republic, even told the famously irascible Michelangelo that David's nose was much too large. Michelangelo then hid some marble dust in his hand, climbed back up his ladder and pretended to do some more "chiseling" on the offending proboscis. While he did so, he let some marble dust fall from his hand. The pompous Soderino was foo…
Another version I've heard of this is with film censorship - apparently when Hitchcock made Psycho, the film censor (I think in the UK - the BBFC) wouldn't give the film a certificate because it was too extreme for the era - too much nudity, too much violence - and suggested a few cuts to just trim back some of the offending shots.
Hitchock said of course he would, took the film back, and sat on it for a couple of weeks. He later sent back the 'fixed' version, and the censor was much happier with the 'changes' and certified it for release.
Re: “Just remove the duck” (2013)
#35There was a similar story, that I can't now find a source for, of an advertising company that regularly added a 'helicopter' into their customer quotes for video shots. As well as being superfluous it was massively expensive. So the customers say 'we don't need a helicopter', strike that out and feel good that they've done their cost cutting. The rest of the plan makes it through unscathed.
The "helicopter" may also be related to the "anchoring effect" [1], where adding such an expensive item with inflate the final cost of the project. That final cost will be the starting point, or "anchor", for clients to evaluate the true value and appropriate price of the project.
Re: “Just remove the duck” (2013)
#36[deleted]
Re: “Just remove the duck” (2013)
#37I heard a similar story (a joke from the communist era) around 1995 from a Czech colleague. It was about an artist whose works were never censored.
When the other artists asked him how he did it, he replied: "I always add a little white dog in my paintings. When the censor asks 'What is this dog?' I quickly remove it and he's satisfied."
Re: “Just remove the duck” (2013)
#38I worked at a deli during college, and people did this same type of thing on slices. By default, I'd always pick a pretty thin slice. Most people really like thinly sliced meats. The first thing you do is slice once and show them the slice, making sure it fits what they wanted. 99% of the time, people would say "thinner," I would pretend to fiddle with the knob, slice the same thickness, and they'd say "perfect!" I t…
This is one thing in humanity that will always kill me.
Re: “Just remove the duck” (2013)
#39>> The sacrificial duck kept the meddling manager away from the stuff that was important.
The territorial dog analogy is perfect. I've seen parks where they put fake fire hydrants and other features in the dog area so they can feel satisfied without leaving their designated area.
Re: “Just remove the duck” (2013)
#40I worked at a deli during college, and people did this same type of thing on slices. By default, I'd always pick a pretty thin slice. Most people really like thinly sliced meats. The first thing you do is slice once and show them the slice, making sure it fits what they wanted. 99% of the time, people would say "thinner," I would pretend to fiddle with the knob, slice the same thickness, and they'd say "perfect!" I t…
or maybe they don't want to appear rude or finnicky by pointing out that it looks the same?
This was my thought too. I've already asked you to "fix it for me" once. I feel to do so again would just be rude (and wasteful as now 2 slices would have to be put aside for another person, or thrown out)