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?
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.
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