- Joined
- Thursday January 27, 2011
What is PIF? What does it mean?
It's not a modern slang word for a gay person?
It's not a modern slang word for a gay person?
FrenchBlade said:PIF, or Pay it Forward.
Basicly a freebie, with the understanding that you try and pay it forward (instead of paying back), no obligations on your part though.
I've had plenty of PIFs on here, and I have sent quite a few off now. (the last of the blades went today!)
It's a concept that really works well on this forum, I've tried to start the trend on another forum now
Max
At one point you'll have quite some bits and pieces, including soaps, blades etc.. that you either don't use, or don't suit you, you can then PIF those to other members if you feel so inclineddylan-shave said:Pay it forward?
FrenchBlade said:At one point you'll have quite some bits and pieces, including soaps, blades etc.. that you either don't use, or don't suit you, you can then PIF those to other members if you feel so inclineddylan-shave said:Pay it forward?
Someone else can then try something, and the person once a receiver becomes the giver, and so forth...
Hope that's a bit clearer
Max
Arrowhead said:There's a whole cash free economy operating behind the scenes.
Arrowhead said:Yeah, it's another one of those acronyms which seem to be designed to confuse newcomers. Here's a worked example:
- I buy a couple of ridiculously under priced razors from anonymous - for the sake of argument let's call him "the Rev". I am very happy and rather embarrassed at having scored a bargain. This is a straightforward sale.
- A certain soap maker - shall we say "Granny"? - wants opinions on her revolutionary new shaving soap, so following some negotiations, she sends me a preposterously large tub for evaluation. This is a sample, albeit an abnormally large one.
- In the meantime, the aforementioned Rev has decided that he just can't get on with a certain type of much praised and now unobtainable razor blade, so he puts some in an envelope and sends them to me, all unannounced. Now, this one is a PIF.
- Our soap maker, whilst pleased by the unequivocally positive feedback I've sent her, is convinced that her competitors are poised to steal a march on her. I order some of the revolutionary shaving soap (a sale), and furthermore send her a slice of someone else's soap (and in the interest of not starting any conspiracy theories here I may as well say that it's Maggi Dearmer's). This is industrial espionage.
- Now, by this time I have acquired a soap surplus, so in recognition of the Rev's generosity, I send him the rather substantial remains of the soap sample, and once again this is a PIF.
... and so it goes on. A roll of industrial shrink wrap gets exchanged for a batch of soapy stuff; a couple of straight razors get new scales and honing in exchange for a batch of restoration grade blades in you scratch my back: I'll scratch yours type arrangements. Samples of products get sent out to selected members of other forums on the condition that they give their opinion in SOTDs: viral advertising. There's a whole cash free economy operating behind the scenes.
Hope that helps
man of leisure said:Or simply pass on to a new lad some blades for instance to use for nothing. He is blown away by such a kind gesture, vows to do the same thing in the future. This is one of the things that makes this site such a nice place to be.
This is what I try to do - PIF different types of blades on to newbies. If someone sends me something as a PIF, though, I always ask if I can give them anything in return.man of leisure said:Or simply pass on to a new lad some blades for instance to use for nothing. He is blown away by such a kind gesture, vows to do the same thing in the future. This is one of the things that makes this site such a nice place to be.