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Silicon Valley - Still Important To Tech Advances

Posted by Zonk on from the its-not-a-carbon-based-valley dept.

mrspin writes "This week the The New York Times sparked a lively debate by publishing an article which argued that, when it comes to creating innovative technology, geography still matters — and that Silicon Valley is the place to be. It's certainly true that Silicon Valley, compared with other innovation hot-spots, has the much needed Venture Capital and the connections that enable money to flow from one new company to another. Want proof? ZDNet takes a look at LinkSViewer, a new web-based visual networking tool for exploring capital relationships in Silicon Valley." Is the success of Valley-area projects the result of a more creative environment, or is the cachet of the area (and the resulting money) the reason behind their success?

5 of 77 comments (clear)

  1. Like financial centers in New York and London... by usa1mac · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It's like New York and London that have become the major financial centers over the years. These things could move anywhere around the globe, but the connections, infrastructure, and history continue to keep these areas vital. Silicon Valley could remain vital for a long time for all sorts of new technology.

  2. Re:It's all about the benjamins by Thanatopsis · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Back in the 90s? You realize that the tech boom started literally decades ago right? The 90s themselves were the result of the investment infrastructure from the previous tech boom - the personal computer.

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    Thalasar
  3. Developers, developers, developers by xRelisH · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Sure, entrepreneurs are the ones that think up of the new ideas and lead the innovations, but nothing would get done without talented developers. It just happens that skilled developers tend to migrate toward the Bay Area because of the high density of good companies. This in return, encourages more startups and we start seeing even more talented developers flocking to the Bay Area. It's kind of self-renewing and I don't see it going away any time soon (save some catastrophic earthquake...).

    1. Re:Developers, developers, developers by Hoi+Polloi · · Score: 1, Insightful

      But who the hell can afford to live there anymore? You have to be a millionaire to live in a tiny ranch house (if even that).

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      It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
  4. Re:It's where the money (and the cost) is by aquarian · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Maybe your engineers would rather live in the Bay Area, despite the cost of living* -- to enjoy the world-class cosmopolitan atmosphere and cultural amenities, recreational opportunities, natural beauty, and freewheeling cultural vibe that embraces freethinkers and innovators.

    Frankly, I can't think of any place more boring, stifling, and backward than the suburban sprawl of North Carolina.

    *There's a reason the Bay Area cost of living is so high -- it's called supply and demand.