Re:So I’m the guy who sent the t-shirt out as a thank you
by DanielStraight on Thursday October 03, 2013 @11:41AM
(#6489704)
Exactly. This guy accidentally crossed into market norms by doing something that seemed completely reasonable at the time.
Imagine you ask a friend over to help fix your car in exchange for beer. This would clearly not be interpreted as payment, but as a way of saying thanks. Now suppose it turns out they generally like beer but hate the particular kind you purchased, so you feel bad and give them $10 to buy themselves a beer they like. Suddenly, thinking you were doing something nice, you've crossed into market norms.
This, as far as I can tell, is basically what happened.
Imagine you ask a friend over to help fix your car in exchange for beer. This would clearly not be interpreted as payment, but as a way of saying thanks. Now suppose it turns out they generally like beer but hate the particular kind you purchased, so you feel bad and give them $10 to buy themselves a beer they like. Suddenly, thinking you were doing something nice, you've crossed into market norms.
This, as far as I can tell, is basically what happened.