Because the baby bells are government granted local monopolies. Our tax money occasionally gets thrown their way to improve the infrastructure. For this specail privilege, they have to accept certain regulation.
Don't forget these are the same lines that carry your telephone communications. SBC is getting plenty of money to maintain them. They are most definately NOT selling them at a loss, but are slowly squeezing everyone else out.
The problem is that SBC owns the lines going to your house. SBC also sells DSL access. So they open it up to everyone like they are legally supposed to, but then start jacking up the prices so all the other DSL businesses go under. This leaves SBC as the only DSL provider in your area. Prices and restrictions on users go up. Not good for the public that has to pay more money for less service. This type of behavior crowds out good ISPs like Speakeasy.
Of course, they could reduce the work hours back down to a sane 40 hour work week. Maybe these workers are stressed because they are working 12 hour days (stat from article). This just stinks of a new way for the corporate masters to sqeeze more hours away from my life.
The human workers are only cheaper because of the retooling costs. If the Big Three were to actually build new plants, they would be far more automated than what we see in current plants. Even with that in mind, the auto plants have slowly become more automated compared to, say the 1970s.
It was only unprofitable because Apple was inflexable. They insisted on staying in the hardware business while the clones were beating them senseless. If they dumped the hardware business and concentrated on software, they would have been massively profitable.
Ever hear of a little company called Microsoft? They only sell the OS. Wait, check that, they only lease the OS. By leaving the hardware to clones, you sell more computers. Soon the profit from selling the OS will far, far eclipse the profit from hardware. In short, Apple would radically expand it's marketshare and make more money.
How will it benefit consumers?
Lower cost Macs with the same quality. You got a problem with that?
Now, if I had finished with "they are practicing the tried and true Microsoft method of security: security through obscurity" instead of the backhoe comment, then it would have been +5 Insightful.
The real reason they want this classified is so they DON'T have to protect it. If everyone knows where it is and something happens to it, then everyone will know law enforcement and the government failed because of incompetence. They would rather this info is secret so they can say, "we had no idea it was there." Plus, if everyone knew where these are, we can't have a backhoe in BFE take down the east coast.
And that didn't tell me the before and after picture, did it smartass? That statistic by itself doesn't allow me to draw conclusions on weather the county as a whole is seeing better income or if a small minority is become super wealthy while everyone else remains poor.
But thank you to everyone else who did answer my question.
An even more interesting story would be HOW they turned around from a crumbling, ex-soviet Estonia into the successful, wired Estonia. What are the employement levels, per capita income, etc. What turned it around for them?
You're forgetting about sueing the Girl Scouts for singing at camp. That's a public performance and royalities are due.
And don't even think about singing HAPPY BIRTHDAY at some party. That is a COPYRIGHTED song and that would be a public performance requiring royalties. When those chain resteraunts come out clapping and singing for someone's birthday, they sing their own little diddy, not Happy Birthday. Now you know why.
I listened to it on the radio despite never buying the CD. Guess I just 'stole' it again, eh?
That is the reason it is copyright infringment not stealing. Even if I download the song, I have not prevented the artist or the RIAA orgainization from selling the music.
How the fuck am I supposed to support indie music WHEN I CAN'T BUY THIER CDS because no store can carry them? When radio cannot play them for fear of RIAA retailation? Break the cartel and these guys won't be indie music, they'll be mainstream.
The file trading "black market" exists because the illegal music cartel engages in price fixing and other monopolistic practises. This isn't speculation, the RIAA and it's members are FEDERALLY CONVICTED on the price fixing issue. Music prices are kept artifically high by this cartel and they have not come down post conviction. The file sharing problem just highlights the fact that public's utlity for music is far below it's current price. The music cartel's inability to respond to customer demands (lower prices, different distribution methods) also highlight thier cartel status. The music cartel is also using it's illegal monopoly power to shut out new players in the market. Remember MP3.com? The only avenue catering to the rational consumer are the P2P networks. If the music industry actually competed against each other, there would be little need for music swapping networks.
This is all about control. Pre internet and mp3, the RIAA controlled every aspect of music. If you were a band that wanted to be heard, make some money, and live the rock and roll life, the RIAA was the only place you could go and do it. They were the only way to get heard outside your local city. They control the strings to distubution, so they also had the supply locked up to themselves. As a consumer, the only way to get music was through the stores that only puchased from the RIAA, because they had distribution locked up. The stores that carried both independant and RIAA music have long since disappeared, no? So they have both sides of the equastion (supply and demand) locked up tight. What was comming pre-mp3 was a pay-per-use scheme (monoploy pricing). That is what has the music industry up in arms, they can charge you $0.05 everytime you listen to a song.
The only rational thing for a consumer to do is to reject the industry and either put thier money away and stop buying or turn to a 'black market' that is more responsive to their needs. Now that the music industry is closing the 'black markets' they are sliting their own throats because people will begin to stop buying a la the post-Napster dip in sales.
How is this stupid? I'll never buy another CD until they back off to my statisfaction. Quite frankly, after the LoTH trilogy is done, I'm also done with movies and DVDs. Fucking with me and those that love music/movies/entertainment? Fine. I'll stop buying. Think the post-Napster dip in sales was bad, wait for the aftershocks of this crackdown.
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Because the baby bells are government granted local monopolies. Our tax money occasionally gets thrown their way to improve the infrastructure. For this specail privilege, they have to accept certain regulation.
Don't forget these are the same lines that carry your telephone communications. SBC is getting plenty of money to maintain them. They are most definately NOT selling them at a loss, but are slowly squeezing everyone else out.
The problem is that SBC owns the lines going to your house. SBC also sells DSL access. So they open it up to everyone like they are legally supposed to, but then start jacking up the prices so all the other DSL businesses go under. This leaves SBC as the only DSL provider in your area. Prices and restrictions on users go up. Not good for the public that has to pay more money for less service. This type of behavior crowds out good ISPs like Speakeasy.
Of course, they could reduce the work hours back down to a sane 40 hour work week. Maybe these workers are stressed because they are working 12 hour days (stat from article). This just stinks of a new way for the corporate masters to sqeeze more hours away from my life.
How's that John Deer treating you?
The human workers are only cheaper because of the retooling costs. If the Big Three were to actually build new plants, they would be far more automated than what we see in current plants. Even with that in mind, the auto plants have slowly become more automated compared to, say the 1970s.
Lighten up, Francis.
It was only unprofitable because Apple was inflexable. They insisted on staying in the hardware business while the clones were beating them senseless. If they dumped the hardware business and concentrated on software, they would have been massively profitable.
Ever hear of a little company called Microsoft? They only sell the OS. Wait, check that, they only lease the OS. By leaving the hardware to clones, you sell more computers. Soon the profit from selling the OS will far, far eclipse the profit from hardware. In short, Apple would radically expand it's marketshare and make more money.
How will it benefit consumers?
Lower cost Macs with the same quality. You got a problem with that?
Now, if I had finished with "they are practicing the tried and true Microsoft method of security: security through obscurity" instead of the backhoe comment, then it would have been +5 Insightful.
Payback for speaking out against the collective can be a bitch.
The real reason they want this classified is so they DON'T have to protect it. If everyone knows where it is and something happens to it, then everyone will know law enforcement and the government failed because of incompetence. They would rather this info is secret so they can say, "we had no idea it was there." Plus, if everyone knew where these are, we can't have a backhoe in BFE take down the east coast.
But thank you to everyone else who did answer my question.
Easy to say, but difficult to implement. Again, how did they do it?
An even more interesting story would be HOW they turned around from a crumbling, ex-soviet Estonia into the successful, wired Estonia. What are the employement levels, per capita income, etc. What turned it around for them?
But like most Asian government proclimations, it's full of hot air and fist shaking, yet light on action.
Flamebait? What's the matter, can't take your own medicine?
Its such a bitch. Its soooo unpopular yet millions still willingly use it productively everyday. Maybe, just maybe, you're talking out of your ass.
And Linux hasn't? Start nameing OS features that Linux 'invented' and didn't just rework.
It may be, but this is typical. They're using Access when they should be using SQL.
And don't even think about singing HAPPY BIRTHDAY at some party. That is a COPYRIGHTED song and that would be a public performance requiring royalties. When those chain resteraunts come out clapping and singing for someone's birthday, they sing their own little diddy, not Happy Birthday. Now you know why.
That is the reason it is copyright infringment not stealing. Even if I download the song, I have not prevented the artist or the RIAA orgainization from selling the music.
How the fuck am I supposed to support indie music WHEN I CAN'T BUY THIER CDS because no store can carry them? When radio cannot play them for fear of RIAA retailation? Break the cartel and these guys won't be indie music, they'll be mainstream.
This is all about control. Pre internet and mp3, the RIAA controlled every aspect of music. If you were a band that wanted to be heard, make some money, and live the rock and roll life, the RIAA was the only place you could go and do it. They were the only way to get heard outside your local city. They control the strings to distubution, so they also had the supply locked up to themselves. As a consumer, the only way to get music was through the stores that only puchased from the RIAA, because they had distribution locked up. The stores that carried both independant and RIAA music have long since disappeared, no? So they have both sides of the equastion (supply and demand) locked up tight. What was comming pre-mp3 was a pay-per-use scheme (monoploy pricing). That is what has the music industry up in arms, they can charge you $0.05 everytime you listen to a song. The only rational thing for a consumer to do is to reject the industry and either put thier money away and stop buying or turn to a 'black market' that is more responsive to their needs. Now that the music industry is closing the 'black markets' they are sliting their own throats because people will begin to stop buying a la the post-Napster dip in sales.
How is this stupid? I'll never buy another CD until they back off to my statisfaction. Quite frankly, after the LoTH trilogy is done, I'm also done with movies and DVDs. Fucking with me and those that love music/movies/entertainment? Fine. I'll stop buying. Think the post-Napster dip in sales was bad, wait for the aftershocks of this crackdown.