Once upon a time, you had to go to a plumbing store to buy the stuff for a new sink. You’re going to need clamps, hoses, faucets… the works. An employee at the store with “Dave” on his shirt comes up and says, “I recommend the Really Simple Sink. I invented it, and it just works.”

Another guy named R.C. wanders over and agrees. “I love it. The faucets works pretty well, but there are a couple of extra parts you need to make sure it doesn’t leak. People make a lot of mistakes when they install it. So some of us have made a couple of minor changes to the seals and valve stems.”

Dave looks miffed, “The sink is fine the way it is.” He juts out his thumb at R.C., “Pay no attention to him. He only installs sinks, he’s not authorized to modify the design.” R.C. looks surprised, “You said I could, and you were even helping me.” Dave shakes his head, “I stopped helping, and never said you you guys could change anything.”

“Yes, you did.”

“No, I didn’t. The design is fine.”

“You discontinued this line, so customers can’t ever upgrade. To use the sink, people have to change some parts and get a better instruction manual.”

“No, they don’t!”

“Yes, they do!”

At this point the debate starts getting pretty heated. You get the sense they’ve had this discussion before. While they argue, you notice another employee in the next aisle. You go talk to him, noting the name on his shirt. “Hi Sam, I need a sink.”

He nods, “Try this one by Atom Manufacturing. It isn’t as popular as the older Really Simple Sink, and it is a little harder to install sometimes, but it serves the same purpose.”

“Will it leak?” you ask. Sam nods again, “Not usually, but anything can happen over the years. But if it does, you can upgrade it to a newer model. The design is actually an industry standard, so a bunch of plumbers are constantly working together on how to improve it.”

“So… what happens if the Really Simple Sink leaks?” He shrugs, “You’re out of luck; the sole inventor has discontinued that model. He’s focusing more on open-pipe machined levers these days. So, you’ll have to figure out how to plug the holes yourself. But that may not be so bad in a residential setting.”

“Oh,” you say, “But I have to install this one at work.” Sam raises an eyebrow. “You’ll want to be careful, then. Commercial plumbing has higher inspection standards.”

“I guess I’d better buy the Atom one, then.”

He smiles, “Oh, they’re both free. It’s the cost of owning one you have to watch out for.”

The End?

“Calling The Plumber” by Red Rover Studios