At the suggestion of my friend I am considering purchasing a home water carbonator. My son and I drink a lot of soda water. It makes more sense than carrying 2.4 metric tons of the stuff home from Trader Joe's every year. Soda-Club shrieks, and leaps to the rescue!

Soda-Club has a selection of soda makers. While I was checking out the various options and combo-deals, specifically weighing the cost of purchasing an extra CO₂ container now, I noticed something interesting. I wouldn't be purchasing a container at all, I'd be licensing it. The license reads like a classic software shrink-wrap license:

BY OPENING THE VALVE SEAL OF THE ALCO2JET CARBONATOR YOU ARE
AGREEING TO BE BOUND BY THE USER LICENSE.
IF YOU PREFER NOT TO BE BOUND, PLEASE PROMPTLY RETURN THE
ALCO2JET CARBONATOR WITH ITS VALVE SEAL UNBROKEN.

I guess there's an implicit "and we'll give you the bird" after that last sentence.

Will 2006 be the year I have to read a three page document before licensing a hotdog from 7-11? I better check the wrapper.



- posted Friday, August 25, 2006 11:06 PM by Steve