Posted by MrTim (152.163.252.134) on June 28, 2003 at 16:29:02:
In Reply to: easy secret posted by David on June 28, 2003 at 11:39:35:
:"Orffyreus commented that when the secret is revealed, he is afraid that people will complain that the idea is so simple it is not worth the asking price"?
: There were some pretty complicated and interesting machines and developements being made back then. Including the contest to find longitude. None of them were getting the asking price Bessler was wanting. It probably just means in comparison HIS machine wouldn't be worth it.
It took the people who solved the longitude problem almost 20 years to collect. You can't blame Bessler for wanting the money up front. (I think Bessler's comment applies to the reaction the buyer(s) would probably have when they saw how simple the design was: "We paid 20,000 pounds for THIS?!") Don't forget he had a money-back guarantee too.
And if he had revealed the secret and waited to be paid, snow skiing would have become the #1 sport in Hell....