I wrote:
> Can you think of a recent spectacular innovation that has been marketed by >> deliberately acting in a way that suggests it can't and doesn't work? > > > Toyota's plug in Prius. Toyota kept saying existing model is not designed > for plug-in mode; they do not recommend it; it will take a complete > redesign. . . . > Obviously they were not saying "it does not work" but rather "it does not work yet, it is hard to make it work, don't count on GM making this work," etc. They were downplaying expectations. They did not circulate specifications, so automotive journalists were playing a guessing game about the range and features. Rossi has never said or implied that the thing "can't and doesn't work." What he does is to leave lots of room for plausible doubt in the minds of his opponents and competition. This lulls them into a false sense of security. Toyota was doing the same thing by downplaying expectations about the plug-in Prius. It is not possible for Rossi to fine tune the response to his tactics in other people's minds. He does not care about most people's response. He is only concerned about a small number of people who might buy 1 MW reactors. I believe he refuses all scientific tests because he knows that a test will prove beyond doubt the thing is real, and that would lead to disastrous consequences for him: a Niagara of competition. He knows as well as I do that not allowing tests will convince people such as Yugo that he is committing fraud. He does not care what Yugo thinks. Why should he? She is not going to buy a 1 MW reactor. Actually, she is doing him a favor by attacking him in the mass media discussion sections. In short, he is doing a "fan dance" striptease act. He does not want to sell smaller reactors because someone like me would buy one only in order to test it, and publish the results. Plus if he sells 100 small ones he will have less control over them than he has over one big machine with 100 reactors inside it. It is 100 times less work too, vetting customers, arranging deals, preparing contracts and so on. - Jed
