How Does a Poor Economy Affect Tech Innovation?

sshuber writes "It's no secret that the US and other parts of the world are currently having some economic problems. How is this affecting new technologies under development? With the large numbers of layoffs, are we seeing projects, such as things under R&D, that are being axed? Are companies playing it safe and sticking with what they know sells in lieu of pushing the envelope? Finally, how is this affecting the open source community, either positively or negatively?" A lot of open source work happens with the backing or at least the sufferance of corporations. Do laid-off tech workers contribute fewer cycles to open source projects, or more?

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Re:Is It Really A Poor Economy?

[bitbiter]

Just how many bad numbers do you need to see?????? Home values take the largest dump in 20 years. Oil hits all time highes everyother day. The dollar is weaker than ever in my life time (over 40). Food prices are on a huge increase. Consumer confidence falls to near 16-year low. Oh and that's just in todays headlines. I just don't get where the "bury my head in the sand and everything will be ok" mentality comes from? I'm not saying that the world is coming to an end, but to think that there is nothing wrong. huh?????? Stop watching Bush give speaches on the economy and you should be just fine....lol You can't ask an elected offical to tell you what's going on with the economy. He has too many "advisors" telling him not to hand out anything that might be negative. Ask normal people like me that lost 15,000 in home value in the last 2 years. Ask the construction worker that is finding it hard to find work, cause they just aren't building that many homes now. Ask the trucker that is having a hardtime affording all the diesel that he truck uses. Ask families that aren't eating out that much, cause everything cost too much. Ask the waitress that isn't getting that many or as big tips anymore. Ask all kinds of people that were looking forward to the boost the holiday travel was suppose to bring. Just how good was their weekend?????