Here is an interesting new take on the value of information:

Owners were desperate to retrieve the [stolen] computer containing designs, contact details and financial information, the Rotorua Daily Post said.

They have offered free beer to anyone giving clues leading to its recovery.

Co-owner Paul Croucher said the company would provide a lifetime supply of about 12 bottles a month to anyone who could name the thief.

The company has back-up copies of the material stored on the laptop but these are not up to date, the newspaper said.

What are the chances this will work? And if it does, should security start trying to recover all laptops with beer? Makes a perfectly good excuse for storing large amounts of the beverage at the office, no?

Updated to add:

Cost of 12 beer from the company in question = $36

$36 X 12 months = $432/yr

Average lifetime of a kiwi male = 78.2

78.2 – 18 (kiwi drinking age) = 60.2

60.2 years X $432/yr = $26,006.40

The problem with this reward system, obviously, is that the type of person who might be motivated by beer as a reward is going to want more than 12 bottles a month. And the person not motivated by beer is going to want more than $432/yr. In fact, $432 is not much of a reward for a laptop and, given the questionable information security practices of the company (e.g. no current backups), is there any real guarantee that they would be around to deliver bottles for years two and three let alone in perpetuity?