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Netflix Changes Its Mind, Will Keep Profiles Feature
xChange writes "I too was disappointed at Netflix's decision to remove the Profiles feature, and let them know via email and telephone. I was surprised to find the following email in my inbox today: 'You spoke, and we listened. We are keeping Profiles. Thank you for all the calls and emails telling us how important Profiles are. We are sorry for any inconvenience we may have caused. We hope the next time you hear from us we will delight, and not disappoint, you.' I thought that it sounded too good to be true, and went to their blog to confirm, finding this entry. Netflix decided to listen to its customers, and keep a feature that many of us find essential for our use of their service. I am surprised, and very pleased."
This is our own fault. We allowed ourselves to become dependent on a single energy source. It's yet another case where homogeneous systems lead to failure. The good news is, the prices have risen enough that alternative energy has become economically feasible. In fact, several different energy sources have moved into the range of being cost-effective. This will allow a whole new generation of billionaires to capitalize on our energy lust.
They will be heralded as heroes, praised as brilliant entrepreneurs. And they will deliver to us light and heat and transportation. Just as the roughnecks, oil prospectors and oil "barons" once were. Then one day the energy sources they come up with will become eclipsed by something else. And the cycle will begin again.
I'd say that getting angry at the profits is a little of an over-reaction. After all, profit is the motive force. It's the reason all those men are spending their lives pushing around paper, digging oil wells and driving and building tankers (instead of playing World of Warcraft.) Contrary to current rhetoric, they aren't doing it because they like you as a person.
We just need to find alternative energy sources. If I ever move out of my parents basement (haha, I mean crappy apartment), I'd like to buy a place in the mountains where I could set up a micro-hydro system. It's one of the few systems that's both inexpensive and large enough to actually work. Then I would be one electric car away from energy independence.
I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours. - Hunter S. Thompson
it's like every year the oil company has been saying things like "we're only making 7% profit, which is the average for a company like ours in a different business."
First, grow up about oil companies already and get some education because a) profits aren't bad and b) this notion that oil companies are out to screw you is fantastical delusion.
A small percentage of vast amounts is still vast amounts. To the simple minded (read mass media news outlets) seeing "record profits for oil companies" sure sounds like "oil companies" are the "big bad wolf", but anyone who's got half a brain for critical thinking knows what "profits" means.
It means jobs. Lots of jobs. A profitable company is one that pays well and pays often. It also means research and development. Were do you think these alternate energy funds are coming from? It's not all some kind of magical government subsidy. Energy companies are spending billions of dollars on finding ways to produce more energy for cheaper. Of course, this money they're spending also means... jobs.
Oil companies are not price fixing. How many times do you want the oil companies executives hauled up in front of congress and investigated on price gauging in a 1 year period? What would it take for you to understand this? Nothing obviously. You're the kind of person who prefer having a scapegoat to point a finger at and blame. Let alone the fact that you cannot understand that a) Oil is priced in dollars and the value of the dollar was devalued to obscene levels (blame Bush and Bernanke for that) to help to stave off the housing market crash. b) Continued explosive demand for oil as (particularly) China continues to grow as well as India. c) Most oil fields, particularly in the middle east, are mature and are not capable of producing more. d) world conflicts as Iran and Israel ratchet up the rhetoric. e) some say speculation, but I'm not quite familiar with these mechanics.
Your costs are exceeding the price we're willing to pay... the only reason we still are is because we don't have a choice.
You have a choice, they're just not the convenience you want at the price you want it. That's simple economics. You want cheaper oil costs? Ok, then add more product to the supply or reduce demand. What's the best way to do that for oil? How about we get more of it from the one of the largest un-tapped reserves... USA.
Nope, you won't agree to that because of equally over hyped and biased reports from places like CNN who give these poor mathematical estimates of supply and hyperbolic imagery that drilling for oil in ANWAR will cause some kind of near atomic explosion to the entire ecosystem. Forgoing any critical idea of true supply and demand, producing from American companies (trade deficit and jobs anyone?), very restrictive American (see lobbyists) regulations on environmental protection, and the like.
I assure you that drilling in the US will have a far greater impact than some silly CNN reporter doing clearly flawed napkin math can prove. Except, said CNN shepherds are the only ones to overwhelming number of sheep will follow. Maybe they have nice ties?
Not only will it add more supply (and no, it won't take 10 years if proper support), it will be an American supply, which will significantly reduce the American trade deficit and create more jobs, it will drop all speculators flat on their faces, lower the cost of oil (and therefor gas) which will in turn stimulate the economy (more so than some tax rebate check will), which will in turn save jobs (like the numerous automobile jobs being lost), which will have further impact on the economy, and so and and so forth.
Is it a magic bullet? of course not. Is it a short term fix? You bet. That's exactly what we need as oil companies and others continue to dump billions of dollars into R&D for other forms of energy.
But this asinine notion of "your model is technically failing" is coming straight from the
I'm not so sure. Your argument just indicates that increased production cost would be justified by an increase in price. We definitely have had a price increase but that doesn't mean that productions cost have increased accordingly, which is something I don't really know. I do, however, feel inclined to believe otherwise, at least until I see any evidence in the contrary. But maybe that's just because I don't like playing devil's advocate as much.