I blogged a few days ago about Compulsive Shopping Disorder and wondered if marketers should ever feel responsible for it. At the other end of the spectrum is a Bay Area based group of people who have made "The Compact," a promise not to buy any new products during 2007. According to a Yahoo article and a SFGate article, the group was formed a year ago by a few environmentally-conscious friends chatting over dinner. Now, after having started "TheCompact" on Yahoo Groups, they have 3,000 members all over the world who have created local chapters of the organization.

How do they get by? With a little help from their friends (and their friends at thrift stores, as used products are agreeable by their pact). That's why the local chapters are important...borrowing from neighbors and friends can come in handy. While its founder, John Perry, has kept his end of the agreement, some other members have succumbed to the pressure of needing a new drill bit or fresh paint.  Still, on the third day of 2007, I would imagine that the vast majority of the group have remained loyal to their covenant. 

But, it seems that there a few overzealous members of the group.  For example, Perry has been waiting for a snake to show up at his local thrift store so he will be able to unclog a drain that has been backed-up for the past six months. John, you're a sharp Silicon Valley semiconductor company exec with an MBA who has attended Western Michigan, Stanford and Cal. Surely you know that there are a bunch of used drain snakes on Ebay for as low as $2. If you're worried about whether or not they are truly used, I'll buy one and I'll let you borrow it. Please, just let your family use the sink.