Slashdot Mirror
Can China Pull An India?
ricst writes: "The New York Times has a story about how China is trying to leap ahead of India as the world's second-largest producer of software. Apparently the Chinese are trying to learn everything they can from the Indian software developers. It's not clear that if China becomes a strong competitor to India that 'jobs will be lost or simply not created' in the U.S. My guess is that the most creative software opportunities will remain in the US for some time, and the more routine development efforts will continue to be transfered overseas."
After looking at the latest three articles I would think I loaded slashdot.org.tw or something instead of just Slashdot.org.. ;)
how is reimplementing a 1970's operating system designed at ATT in the USA creative? Or ripping off a windowing system designed by MS in the USA? Looks like the USA is the leader again!
No company ever makes exactly identical code twice
Never worked at a company, have you?
So in the sense of fairness, will we be able to pirate any software we want that comes out of China without fear of punishment?
In the month of October of last year, I had written to William about this. I had stressed how important it is for us to discuss the situtation in China, and I had tried to reason with him the absurdity and furtility of the current biz techniques that Microsoft has been imposing on most world countries.
... I would never know.. for he would never call....
/.)
William, called me back sometime around November, he sounded very stressed and there was a slight edge to his voice.
"Taco, my friend", he gasped, shocking me by the utter desperation in his voice. "Taco, my love", he lowered his voice gently, but still retaining that sence of stress and urgency.
"You are going to hear a lot about me, my company run by you know who, China, India, and a number of things that would happen in the next few years", he went on.. "Taco, Dear, What I would do in the next few years make never make any sence to you, you may feel betrayed, you may feel I'm working for my own destruction, you may never even believe it, but dearest, please stand by me on this".
"But.... William what are you saying?", I quizzed, worried by the stress in his voice more than anything else.
"Taco, I just want you to take me on faith, In the next few years, I might do things that you would never forgive me for. In the next few years, you might hate me".
"William... I can never hate you", I whispered... gently.
"Taco, My Dearest Superime Taco, your son, CmdrTaco, that boy, he runs slashdot still doesn't he?"
"Yes dear, well, I think he does, or maybe it's Andover or VA or OSDN, I'm not sure what he does, he just likes to play with Anime."
"Nevermind about that, Suprime, I want you to do a favour for me, for the love, that you have had for me since you were 16. My dearest Mr. Taco of Holland, will you help me?"
"Without any conditions, I will help, what do you wish of me William?"
In the land of Washington, on the campus of Redmond, there was a gentle pause. I could feel my love William thinking, his eyes gazing at me, gently remembering the contour of my arse.
"Taco, I want you to make your son post stories about us"
"But, doesn't he do it already? Every since I told him that he was the first of a clone experiment we did in Harvard, and that he might be the heir to your empire, he has been obscessed with you and has been running this silly front of a cursade against you, I think he loves you terribly..."
"I know", he said camly, and I could sense a lot of relif pouring into those two words. He did not sound stressed, and I felt better, my heart slowed down a bit. "I love that boy, does he have any male friends?"
"Well, he's got Hemos, and that fat boy CowBoyNeal... no one like you my love."
"CowboyNeal? Oh, you never liked fat men, Taco."
"Never since I lost my love to one..."
"Let's not talk about that my dearest..."
"I won't"
"Taco, can you get these kids to pull a stunt for me?"
"What kind of stunt, William?"
"I want him to post stories about me and India and China"
"Why?"
"I love Gandi"
"Be serious dear.."
"Well... I've saturated the US market"
"You have what?!"
"I can't sell any more OS, everyone has a computer now, and everyone is thinking of this fin"
"I've heard of that, but what do you want in China or India, dear?"
"Money"
"That's what you always wanted..."
There was a pause.... a gentle pause... "No Taco".
A tear flamed down my cheek gently seeking its way onto my lips. Those lips that had one touched Williams... "You just want money honey?"
"No, I want to enslave them"
"Why ?"
"One OS to rule them"
"Dear what are you talking about?"
"And in the darkness bind them...."
"William.... are you allright..."
There was silence, and in the silence I knew, that our line has been disconnected, the legions of verizon has once again made their precene be felt. But a forboding thought still lingered in my mind, what was this OS and darkness and enslavement that my sweet Bill spoke of
Superime Taco,
Rannamari Idhuru Kilegefaan. (Society for creative 'rolling on
I agree, and I disagree. :-) I agree that many of these arrangements are basically a form of slave labour. Having said that there have been people crying the "we're going to hell with all our jobs leaving" mantra for many decades as the third-world industrializes, yet the US standard of living continues to edge upwards. While in the short term it might look like a job going overseas, that's putting $ in the hands of someone who often send it right back to buy American goods and products. That was the reason behind my comment about returning the favour: If the Chinese feel it's okay to pirate software and to act protectionist, then let the duties roll and let them reap what they sow. However if they're partners in prosperity then that's good for all.
On top of all of that the myth of overseas cheapness often slaps shortsighted CEOs in the ass: Hundreds of companies migrated to Mexico (again the prosperity of Mexico is good for all of North America), only to find that horrible education, low work productivity and ethics, horrible health care, widespread corruption and crime, etc, made it much MORE expensive, and they promptly moved back. I've read countless stories now about wonderous dreams of contracting software to Indian firms that have gone horribly awry. It's never as straightforward as "trying to beat down the working man" management types try to make it out to be.
DELETING DESKTOP ITEMS: Are you sure you delete!!! Yes or No's?
E-MAIL APP: A male has come. Do you want to read it now?
WEB BROWSER: Site you access is not protected. Do you want to condom?
QUAKE: Team B is 10 fags. You are no fags.
I love /. for this. The OP was american-centered, and here you come adding some more.
I am french, and being told that the only opportunities of development work are weel-paid jobs in the US or cheap routine work anywhere else makes me laught. Whatever.
No offence intended...
Olivier
Singularity stupid: stupid gotten so dense that no intellect can escape