Vending machines Vegas style
I’m skimming Hoare’s Communicating Sequential Processes, a rather technical book on concurrency.
One of the examples discusses a vending machine providing a food sample first, before payment. The vending machine is used as an illustration for Hoare’s theoretical notation.
But think of that vending machine for a moment.
A vending machine which randomly serves free stuff. For example, on average, 10% is served free.
It could work two ways:
- Refund the money, "compliments of the house", or
- Just walk up and push a random button, free food pops out.
I have a hunch the sales volume would go up. Way, way up.