“… are ready to take your money”

I was compelled to install the confusingly-named, generic-sounding, un-hyphenated Shop application on my mobile telephonic device recently, for specific reasons that are beyond the scope of this post. It’s also beyond the scope of the previous post about HTML fractions, which had nothing to do with shopping whatsoever. Thank you Ruben, that clarification was exceptional in its utility. This coffee shop just started playing ABBA, and now all I can think of is that I need a man after midnight. That’s somehow even less relevant. Or is it? This was a notification I just received on my home screen: Why does this feel so… dystopian? Threatening, even? These vendors are here, and they’ll take your money whether you like it or not, damn it. Resistance is futile. But don’t worry, the alien probing will be done… in a fun way. Their market research must indicate such messaging works, or they wouldn’t broadcast it to their (presumably quite large) customer base. Or I’m the unwitting B in an A/B…