Call me crazy (or at least sleep deprived) but after waiting in line today for 6 hours, only to have stock run out after 20 people because most were buying two and planning to resell online for profit, and after seeing the innumerable threads on here and disappointed people every damn day, I figure it's time do something about this.
I have finals this week, but despite that, it seems there's a pretty straightforward way to beat these guys at their own game. It just takes a little help from your friends.
So, if you live in the bay area, I think it's time we started getting people to stores early and organizing shifts. At least where I live, I want to put the scalpers out of business, at least for the next week.
It's really quite simple and doesn't involve the exchange of any money. Stores in the bay area hand out tickets right before entrance. If people are willing to wait in shifts (of say 2-4hrs depending on the time of day), I'm confident we can nab every single one of the iPads that go on sale tomorrow. From there, we just play fairy godmother, and pick people, either in advance or in the line itself, who, for lack of a better word, deserve the device.
If for no other reason than it would royally piss off the scalpers who plan to line up early just to make a profit, I think it's worth doing. I know it sounds a bit stupid, but consider how happy you could make two people who just want an iPad (say, for a family member as a gift) and can't get one because the lines are too long.
After what I saw today, I know there's a better way to do this. And we among the MacRumors community can set the example of how good people can come together and do something nice for their community. Not for profit, not for charity, just to make the point that sometimes, decency can win out over greed.
I have finals this week, but despite that, it seems there's a pretty straightforward way to beat these guys at their own game. It just takes a little help from your friends.
So, if you live in the bay area, I think it's time we started getting people to stores early and organizing shifts. At least where I live, I want to put the scalpers out of business, at least for the next week.
It's really quite simple and doesn't involve the exchange of any money. Stores in the bay area hand out tickets right before entrance. If people are willing to wait in shifts (of say 2-4hrs depending on the time of day), I'm confident we can nab every single one of the iPads that go on sale tomorrow. From there, we just play fairy godmother, and pick people, either in advance or in the line itself, who, for lack of a better word, deserve the device.
If for no other reason than it would royally piss off the scalpers who plan to line up early just to make a profit, I think it's worth doing. I know it sounds a bit stupid, but consider how happy you could make two people who just want an iPad (say, for a family member as a gift) and can't get one because the lines are too long.
After what I saw today, I know there's a better way to do this. And we among the MacRumors community can set the example of how good people can come together and do something nice for their community. Not for profit, not for charity, just to make the point that sometimes, decency can win out over greed.
