I think a major issue that arises in Capitalist countries is that profit is the main (only?) motivator for most technologies. In other words, if it isn't going to sell more copies, or reap more profit it's not worth doing. Many of the items mentioned in the article would have existed long ago in other countries had it been profitable to do so. Unfortunately, modern capitalism seems to trend towards maximizes proft, and minimizing cost (for both the businesses and consumers). This means that most people will suffer incoveniences to benefit from lower prices.
Supermarkets and other retail outlets are perfect examples of this. It's the classic service vs. price.
Even the stop lights in the article are an example of this. Most citizens would rather have dumb traffic lights and lower taxes than smart ones and higher taxes. Unfortunately this leads to a lifestyle that is filled with minor incoveniences.
A sad indicator of this is how surprised we are when someone gives us good service without charging us an extra fee.
Boy, the US must be a dangerous place to live if you're constantly having to defend yourself from "unjust aggressors". Here in Canada, we don't need to live in fear of "unjust agressors". I know a few people who own guns here, but they are hunters and they always keeps their guns properly locked and unloaded. I can't say I've ever met a Canadian who owned a gun for self-defence because it's just not necessary.
Not to nitpick, but having an ip address does NOT give you a web presence. Having an ip address AND a WEB server gives you a web presence. Simply having an ip address only qualifies for having an Internet presence.
As a Canadian, I can't say I've EVER had trouble seeing a doctor when I needed one. I know a lot of people have complained about not being able to find a "Family Doctor", but that's not the same thing as not being able to see a doctor.
As MUCH as CDN$40,000? I feel sorry for you. At my company an entry-level programmer makes CDN$50,000, with the more senior programmers pulling around CDN$90,000. This is in Vancouver though, so it is a little more expensive here.
And they're even cheaper in Vancouver! Almost all new CDs are available for around CDN$10-12. Some of the less popular ones do get up to CDN$15-18 though.
You can buy lumber in metric... In fact, you do almost anywhere except the US and Canada. In Canada though, we're kind of mixed up. We measure lumber dimensions in imperial (board feet, 2x4, etc), but we measure lumber volume in metric (m^3).
Of course you forgot one little piece... Insurance companies are corporations and are driven by profit, shareholders, etc. That means that a good chunk of that money you paid to the insurance company DOESN'T go to the medical industry but to the companies shareholders.
That's the KEY benefit to the Canadian healthcare system: It's not for profit.
Am I the only one that thinks this sounds like a mini version of a mainframe w/terminals? Maybe that's the next trend in computing, one PC per household, with multiple terminals for each family member!
First we have unix on mainframes, then Windows on PCs, and now we're moving back to Unix on mainframes again...;)
The general theory behind it is to aid the body in the removal of toxins from your system. The longer you go between urinating, the longer the toxins are just sitting in your body in your urine. If you drink large amounts of water, it helps to cleanse the bodies filters. There are tons of scientific studies to back this up, but I don't have any references at the moment.
Not to mention, most consumers prefer Canadian softwood to its American counterpart. I've heard many a lumber expert complain about the Southern Yellow Pine (SYP), and how horrible it is to build with in comparison with the Pine wood that comes out of Canada. A large portion of the American lumber market consists of SYP. There is a lot of demand for Canadian lumber across the border, and all the tariffs do is raise the cost of construction for consumers in the U.S.. Besides, there has already been a preliminary ruling on this issue that states that Canada has no unfair subsidies on softwood lumber. In fact, there have been many rulings like this.
Okay... I'm really confused about the legality of everything now...
If I buy a CD, I am legally allowed to listen to it. Correct? Am I legally allowed to play it for a friend while I am present? I would think so. Am I legally allowed to lend it to a friend for his sole listening? I should think so. Now... Can I listen to a CD with a friend via the telephone? Doesn't seem illegal to me? Is it? What about streaming a CD via a webcast to a friend and myself? This is very similar to listening on the telephone... Probably not legal... Why? Is this considered a "public broadcast"? What about the telephone version? Nobody would consider a telephone conversation to be a public broadcast would they?
The line between illegal and legal seems to be very arbitrary, and rather contrived.
Maybe they should follow the Open Source model and give the music away and make money on concerts, t-shirts, etc.;)
This would also be similar to the way Art sells... $$$ for an original painting, $$ for a limited print, and next to nothing for a poster. I figure it's just a case of particular industry that has become over-inflated in comparison with other industries and is facing a market correction... You can see the panic in their eyes!
Personally, I don't think this is a big deal. How many countries make up Europe? How many people are in those countries? And they're comparing all those to just two countries in North America?
Other people keep asking why a DreamCast, why not a laptop... I'm assuming they're using DreamCasts because they are cheap, and they don't mind throwing them away to accomplish their task.
If your software is non-trivial, I highly recommend that you have very detailed specifications for them to work for or you could end up with huge headaches. It can take many hours just trying to get the concepts and business rules across.
Also, the time difference can be a major problem when it comes to conference calls. We are on the west coast and trying to find a time that worked was difficult because we're something like 12 hours different. We ended up on the phone at 7am here and there were there at 7pm their time. If they run into problems, they don't have anyone to respond until we get in to work the next day.
All I'm saying is that you should tread cautiously. Outsourcing is not necessarily a huge gain in effeciency unless all your coding work in extremely trivial.
This may seems stupid when you're of the legal age, but I remember from my younger days that a large number of the fake IDs were non-local IDs such as foreign driver's licenses, etc. because bouncers aren't familiar with the security features, etc. and are less likely to spot a fake. Also, at the university I went to you could go get an international ID and you could put whatever age you wanted! They never validated it.
That said... I should think that a Passport would be enough...
The guys at Red Hat sure are jerks. I guess you can always depend on companies to look out for number 1 first, and screw everyone else whenever possible!
Many different control protocols already exist out there (Sony, Pioneer, JVC, etc. all have proprietary inter-component control mechanisms).
I'm sure the open source community could reverse-engineer those control signals and build the hardware/software necessary to control all kinds of already existing components. Imagine your PC sending signals to turn on your Sony TV and switch it to video, turn on your Pioneer DVD player and start the DVD playing, turn on your JVC Receiver and switch it to the correct input modes, etc. MUCH better than trying to create those individual components yourself, and it gives the consumer a lot more choice.
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I think a major issue that arises in Capitalist countries is that profit is the main (only?) motivator for most technologies. In other words, if it isn't going to sell more copies, or reap more profit it's not worth doing. Many of the items mentioned in the article would have existed long ago in other countries had it been profitable to do so. Unfortunately, modern capitalism seems to trend towards maximizes proft, and minimizing cost (for both the businesses and consumers). This means that most people will suffer incoveniences to benefit from lower prices.
Supermarkets and other retail outlets are perfect examples of this. It's the classic service vs. price.
Even the stop lights in the article are an example of this. Most citizens would rather have dumb traffic lights and lower taxes than smart ones and higher taxes. Unfortunately this leads to a lifestyle that is filled with minor incoveniences.
A sad indicator of this is how surprised we are when someone gives us good service without charging us an extra fee.
Boy, the US must be a dangerous place to live if you're constantly having to defend yourself from "unjust aggressors". Here in Canada, we don't need to live in fear of "unjust agressors". I know a few people who own guns here, but they are hunters and they always keeps their guns properly locked and unloaded. I can't say I've ever met a Canadian who owned a gun for self-defence because it's just not necessary.
Not to nitpick, but having an ip address does NOT give you a web presence. Having an ip address AND a WEB server gives you a web presence. Simply having an ip address only qualifies for having an Internet presence.
As a Canadian, I can't say I've EVER had trouble seeing a doctor when I needed one. I know a lot of people have complained about not being able to find a "Family Doctor", but that's not the same thing as not being able to see a doctor.
As MUCH as CDN$40,000? I feel sorry for you. At my company an entry-level programmer makes CDN$50,000, with the more senior programmers pulling around CDN$90,000. This is in Vancouver though, so it is a little more expensive here.
And they're even cheaper in Vancouver! Almost all new CDs are available for around CDN$10-12. Some of the less popular ones do get up to CDN$15-18 though.
You can buy lumber in metric... In fact, you do almost anywhere except the US and Canada. In Canada though, we're kind of mixed up. We measure lumber dimensions in imperial (board feet, 2x4, etc), but we measure lumber volume in metric (m^3).
Of course you forgot one little piece... Insurance companies are corporations and are driven by profit, shareholders, etc. That means that a good chunk of that money you paid to the insurance company DOESN'T go to the medical industry but to the companies shareholders.
That's the KEY benefit to the Canadian healthcare system: It's not for profit.
Am I the only one that thinks this sounds like a mini version of a mainframe w/terminals? Maybe that's the next trend in computing, one PC per household, with multiple terminals for each family member!
;)
First we have unix on mainframes, then Windows on PCs, and now we're moving back to Unix on mainframes again...
The general theory behind it is to aid the body in the removal of toxins from your system. The longer you go between urinating, the longer the toxins are just sitting in your body in your urine. If you drink large amounts of water, it helps to cleanse the bodies filters. There are tons of scientific studies to back this up, but I don't have any references at the moment.
Not to mention, most consumers prefer Canadian softwood to its American counterpart. I've heard many a lumber expert complain about the Southern Yellow Pine (SYP), and how horrible it is to build with in comparison with the Pine wood that comes out of Canada. A large portion of the American lumber market consists of SYP. There is a lot of demand for Canadian lumber across the border, and all the tariffs do is raise the cost of construction for consumers in the U.S.. Besides, there has already been a preliminary ruling on this issue that states that Canada has no unfair subsidies on softwood lumber. In fact, there have been many rulings like this.
Okay... I'm really confused about the legality of everything now...
;)
If I buy a CD, I am legally allowed to listen to it. Correct?
Am I legally allowed to play it for a friend while I am present? I would think so.
Am I legally allowed to lend it to a friend for his sole listening? I should think so.
Now... Can I listen to a CD with a friend via the telephone? Doesn't seem illegal to me? Is it?
What about streaming a CD via a webcast to a friend and myself? This is very similar to listening on the telephone... Probably not legal... Why? Is this considered a "public broadcast"? What about the telephone version? Nobody would consider a telephone conversation to be a public broadcast would they?
The line between illegal and legal seems to be very arbitrary, and rather contrived.
Maybe they should follow the Open Source model and give the music away and make money on concerts, t-shirts, etc.
This would also be similar to the way Art sells... $$$ for an original painting, $$ for a limited print, and next to nothing for a poster. I figure it's just a case of particular industry that has become over-inflated in comparison with other industries and is facing a market correction... You can see the panic in their eyes!
Personally, I don't think this is a big deal. How many countries make up Europe? How many people are in those countries? And they're comparing all those to just two countries in North America?
Other people keep asking why a DreamCast, why not a laptop... I'm assuming they're using DreamCasts because they are cheap, and they don't mind throwing them away to accomplish their task.
If your software is non-trivial, I highly recommend that you have very detailed specifications for them to work for or you could end up with huge headaches. It can take many hours just trying to get the concepts and business rules across.
Also, the time difference can be a major problem when it comes to conference calls. We are on the west coast and trying to find a time that worked was difficult because we're something like 12 hours different. We ended up on the phone at 7am here and there were there at 7pm their time. If they run into problems, they don't have anyone to respond until we get in to work the next day.
All I'm saying is that you should tread cautiously. Outsourcing is not necessarily a huge gain in effeciency unless all your coding work in extremely trivial.
This may seems stupid when you're of the legal age, but I remember from my younger days that a large number of the fake IDs were non-local IDs such as foreign driver's licenses, etc. because bouncers aren't familiar with the security features, etc. and are less likely to spot a fake. Also, at the university I went to you could go get an international ID and you could put whatever age you wanted! They never validated it.
That said... I should think that a Passport would be enough...
The guys at Red Hat sure are jerks. I guess you can always depend on companies to look out for number 1 first, and screw everyone else whenever possible!
Many different control protocols already exist out there (Sony, Pioneer, JVC, etc. all have proprietary inter-component control mechanisms).
I'm sure the open source community could reverse-engineer those control signals and build the hardware/software necessary to control all kinds of already existing components. Imagine your PC sending signals to turn on your Sony TV and switch it to video, turn on your Pioneer DVD player and start the DVD playing, turn on your JVC Receiver and switch it to the correct input modes, etc. MUCH better than trying to create those individual components yourself, and it gives the consumer a lot more choice.