Plain speaking

I tend to tune out messages meant to manipulate me.  There are a lot of the things on the internet that try to manipulate people into clicking, liking, or sharing by saying things like:

• What your doctor won't tell you
• What Obama doesn't want you to know
• 95% of people can't solve this puzzle.  Share if you can figure it out.
• Like this post if you care about people with cancer.  Most of my friends won't bother.  

Another type of manipulation is companies that try to get you to buy things by telling you that you are getting a discount.  For example, "The real price of this item is $14.95, but we'll give it to you for $12.95."

No, the real price is $12.95, because that's what you're selling it for.  

Sellers, if you tell me how much you are charging for something, I'll decide if I want to buy it or not.  But if you try to manipulate me into buying it, I'll walk away on principle. If you try to manipulate me into buying something, that tells me that your interest is not in providing me a quality product at a fair price, but rather in manipulating me into buying something, whether I want it or not.

And, people who write things on the internet, if I see something that seems interesting and honest, I'll read it, and if I like what I read, maybe I'll re-post it.  But if I see something that tries to manipulate me into clicking, liking, or sharing, then I will not read it.