Sometimes, buying intangible items makes sense: software, music off iTunes, even your electric bill (you can’t “touch” electricity in the truest sense, after all).

Sometimes it doesn’t make any sense at all.

Take Facebook gifts. These little icons (which I guess are 64x64 pixels each) can be yours to give to any facebook friend for a dollar! Now don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against the idea behind giving the gifts; it’s a small gesture to let someone know you’re thinking of them, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just that...I’m buying an icon. I’m buying something I can view on my computer screen ¹.

Whatever happened to sending cards? Or flowers? I mean, both cost more than a $1 Facebook gift, but you can smell and touch flowers. You can hold a card in your hands. Can’t do that with a Facebook gift. And a real gift is waay more personal. I don’t know.

Anyway, that’s my random thought for the night.

¹You could print the page, cut out the gift icon, and stick it on your fridge if you want, of course. ↩

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