My Feedjit keeps carrying an ad for Wordfence, supposedly a
security system for Word Press users (though you have to wonder.) Don’t get hacked, it says.
‘Hacked’ is a nasty word, isn’t it? To hack doesn’t just
mean ‘to cut,’ but also to shatter as it does so. Being hacked suggests being
bludgeoned with a blunt axe. It’s the perfect word to use if you’re trying to
scare somebody witless into getting your product. And then the ad continues Download Wordfence NOW!
If somebody compiled an inventory of the most commonly used
words in advertising, I’m sure the most prolific would be ‘now.’ They never say
‘Take your time. Talk it over with your family. Ask your mates in the pub
whether any of them have got one, and what they think of it.’ It’s always Buy it NOW!
I find advertising a turn off at the best of times, but as
soon as I see the word NOW, there isn’t
a cat in hell’s chance that I’ll read any further.
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