I too would much prefer to buy quality at a higher price. The problem is that production is driven by two factors, demand and profitability. Cheap items are made out of bargain materials with cheap labor. Thus break sooner and therefore sell larger quantities generating profit. Most people can't think past their own wallet and therefore buy the cheapest thing on the market. They cannot remember when the world was not a throwaway society so they don't see the problem. Hence, supplying the demand.
Those of us that do think are a tiny minority and our demand for quality items does not even make the tiniest blip on the radar of large corporations. I strongly suggest soliciting small, owner-operator businesses when ever possible. Obviously, in the context of this thread, you can't stop by Steve Job's garage anymore and pick up his version of an Xbox but you can for many other types of goods.
The more money we spend at large box stores them more of the damn things will show up in every neighborhood and the fewer option we will have in the future. Let the sheeple shop at super-mega-crapbox-mart. Small businesses can afford to have a niche market like the quality-minded shopper. Support the independent producers and keep the option to buy quality open.
That's one argument I've heard advanced a lot, but I don't think it's necessarily a valid one. tighter targeting like that just increases the cost/benefit ratio of running a given campaign, right? More bang for their buck?
So it's cheaper, right? and what happens when the price goes down?
Demand (and volume) go up. - snip -
You are assuming that the cost will go down. Lowering prices does not increase profits. Remember, people only focus on the immediate gain these days. Assuming that the demand will increase due to the lower price is too risky by most corporations standards. Lower invenstment cost, print the tag to show that the price was reduced. It is standard practive to double the 'initial' cost, then print the 'sale' price at the previous price level and call it a sale. Don't expect this saving to roll down to the consumer level.
We use a product called iNode in our library open computer labs and it works very well. I work for a community college and the students REALLY hammer the machines. This software works like a charm and rarely needs attention. It is easy to learn and is very robust. Here is a link to some info on it if you are interested.
http://www.persystent.net/techflyer.pdf
If you would like to talk to us (the support people at the college) in person or via email, please let me know. I can also put you in touch with the vendor but I wouldn't throw a stranger to the salespeople without a warning first. They are great people to deal with but a salesperson is still a salesperson no matter who they work for!
IMHO, eBooks will only take off when more people who think that eBooks are how books have always been published exist than people who grew up reading hard copy. In case you couldn't guess from my name, I don't prefer to use technology to replace every aspect of my life. I can read a book anytime without waiting for a computer to boot up, while the airplane is sitting for hours on the tarmac, when the batteries are dead in my laptop, or whenever.
There is just no substitute for holding a hardbound book. Why? Because that is how I have been reading for the last 30+ years. It is unlikely that a phone/mp3 player/buffer/toaster/eBook reader will ever be found in my possession. I really think that if people continue to read books (unlikely at this rate) it will not be until eBooks are ubiquitous (like the Internet and 911 that have 'always existed' for the 20's and under crowd) that they are commonly used.
Now, if you will excuse me, I have to get back to my book...
First, it is unreasonable to expect parents to be supervising their child 100%
Then they should not have had children. The choice to have a child is completely between the parents and if they are not will to devote the time needed to raise said children in the manner they choose then they have chosen poorly.
offensive language can pop up without any warning
All shows aired to television are rated, even on PBS. Besides, if the parent took the time to watch the program first to be sure it was appropriate it would not be a problem. Do you never take your child to the mall? A place where no one ever uses foul language to be sure. Anywhere there are other people you could hear foul language.
How is a kid supposed to learn about things the parents might not like?
Public school.
The world is not a 'safe' place. It never was and it never will be. People will always have dissenting opinions about everything there is to have an opinion on and then some. Laws that limit what people may be exposed to only create a world full of thoughtless, mind-numbed fools. If you want to have children and raise them in a specific manner, take the time to do it. Don't foist the responsibility on the rest of us just because it is too inconvenient for you to do it yourself.
What is there to do in space? I would love to go into space but really, what the hell are you supposed to do there once you get bored with taking pictures out the tiny porthole?
Don't get me wrong, I am glad to see that private industry is getting into space since the government is doing it's typical job of constantly cutting funding for science and diverting it to better and more efficient ways to kill people. The question is really how many people can pay to go to space and what will they do there?
Each small step towards Dictatorship, like continuation of this law, erodes the core concepts of the Constitution (A country run by the people and not an all powerful government entity) is a small step towards the end of the Great Experiment.
The Founding Fathers tried to keep this from happening when they drafted the Constitution but over the years as politicians have repeatedly failed to do their intended jobs (which is to represent their constituents i.e. the People) they have inspired contempt and a lackadaisical attitude toward voting in those same constituents. By not voting and failing to write our representatives constantly we have allowed them to become political puppets of the people with the most money i.e. corporations. This in turn has led to the formation of a government that has no checks and balances and is not pressured to answer to the People. These types of intrusive laws will continue to propel this country towards a government system that is as oppressive as the governments that we work to overthrow every couple of years.
Time has proven that a government with the power to do things like this so-called Patriot Act allows will eventually rot from within and collapse. The people that will bear the burden of that collapse will not be the ones in that government or their supporters but the innocent, common people. History proves over and over that Totalitarian governments never last.
The only way that laws like this will be overturned is if politicians start asking themselves "Is this law something that will benefit ALL the people or just some of the people?" Since that is unlikely to happen we can expect to see more and more of our Civil Liberties eroded with time, especially if we continue to allow the government to be directed by the large corporations as it is now.
Any tools that are *required* for the job should be paid by the employer. Period. That is the cost of doing business. Something like broadband access from an employee's home should be covered if the employer deems it necessary but not covered if considered optional.
The trend is definitely toward cutting costs by overloading employees and cutting benefits but that only goes so far with me. If a prospective employer states in the interview that certain costs will be my responsibility and I accept the position then I accept those costs as well. If I am not informed of costs up front after I ask what my responsibilities are then the costs are not my problem.
Things do change from time to time and corporate policies do favor the company, often strongly. If an employer told me that I would now be paying for my work cell phone or that they wanted me to use my personal phone for work related business I would simply say no. Most employers that are worth working for will discuss changes before implementing them. If they don't then you don't want to work for them.
I have left a few positions over similar circumstances and will do so again if the situation arises. Look at the way your company treats you when you judge whether they are worth working for or not. Good money never comes close to making up for poor working relationships.
Strong point. I am also a Democrat that plays games of that nature from time to time and I would never support any attempts to limit what types of games people can play. This type of yellow journalism is a driving force in the political world because many sheeple blindly believe what they read without wondering if it is supported by fact or opinion.
Doing things just because we can is not a good reason to do them. In fact, it is a very bad reason. Building things to be disposable is fine if you plan to do more than burry them in the ground when you throw them away.
The problem is that all this 'stuff' that is build today is made of things that are expensive or out right not reusable. Someone sometime is going to the bill for the checks we are writing today and they are not going to be pleased when it happens.
By designing things that can last now, we can help the people of the future. By designing things for our immediate gratification is akin to giving the finger to everyone who is yet to come. Rampant commercialism is one of the biggest threats today to our world as a whole.
Hear Hear! How long do products that are made today last compared with products made a century ago? Will ANY products made today still be around in another century? Many more people that you think just want something simple and reliable. I for one would much rather pay more for a solidly built item that will last for a long time than pay repeatedly for some crappy item cranked out as fast as possible for the sole benefit of cost reduction.
Well, most cars are already driven unattended on the highway. I mean between the navi systems, cell phones, PDSs, shaving, lipstick, and other recrationial activities (Woohoo!) that I have seen, most cars pretty much DO drive themselves!
At the very least, they are already smarted than the people driving them appear to be...
Most all of the policies of this régime, erm, administration have been on the order of "How will this help us?" and not "How will this help everyone?". That is the core problem with the government structure as it stands (picture if you will a house of cards) and this is just another symptom of a deeper problem.
This type of obfuscation in answer to questions from the outsiders (i.e. the General Public hereby to be referred to as "The Boned") are typical, historically speaking, of governments that we have worked to overthrow, namely totalitarian dictatorships. The unfortunate problem for The Boned is that what was once the Great Experiment has become the latest Banana Republic (and I don't mean the clothing store).
Everytime I flip the light switch the AC turns off and if I use the coffee pot it does unspeakable things to anyone unfortunate enough to be in the bathroom!
The courts were not designed to raise children so that bad parents can push their responisbility and accountability over to society as a whole. If you want children be prepared to make the sacrifices needed to raise them properly. If you are having children because it is something that you 'should do' then you are a moron.
Children turn out like the people that they are exposed to as they develop and grow. If you allow the Internet to raise your children so that you can bahave like a teenager for 20 years then you deserve what you get (although your children should not be made to suffer for your mistakes). Spend quality time with your children and don't leave them with the electronic baby sitter. Be an active and responsible parent. Take responsibility for your decisions and stop foisting your problems on the rest of us. If you did your job properly as a parent you would not have to worry about these types of problems.
Well stated! The whole idea breaks down when you consider the technical structure of IP and how it can and cannot operate. These judges have no concept of what is even possible and yet they are make rulings that cannot be enforced due to the very technology they felt they were well suited to rule on.
This bodes well -- it would seem to put the kibosh on any effort to turn this into a "must produce your National ID card on demand" ruling.
How so? It seems to me to be the first step towards just that situation. If this law goes unchallenged, what would stop someone from saying "Well, we can already ask his or her name, but that may not give us what we need. I propose that we be able to ask for any information that we need in order to best protect the innocent!"
Laws like this are gateways to more restrictive laws that would be shot down if they were proposed in their full strength up front. It is far easier to fool people by taking steps like this and then expanding them (see the so called Patriot Act for further evidence).
There is a big difference between laws that help everyone like dictating how people drive on a public road and laws that single out people like the one in question here.
Perhaps the biggest difference is that all people who drive consent to abide by the rules laid down and have the ability to bow out of the rules by choosing not to drive. The law in question is forced on all people inside the borders of this country. No one had the ability to bow out of the rule.
Small steps toward the goal of a totalitarian society have historicaly been ignored until it was too late and then more drastic measures were needed to correct the oversights of the past. Laws like this chip away at out freedoms. I for one hope never to have to rely on the Second Amendment to restore my freedom.
but what will the hours be? And what about all of people with the skills willing to work for little or nothing in exchange for some experience? The boom for this career is over and will not return. It is just another job; long hours, little pay, little recognition. Welcome to the 21st century!
in regards to a tradtitional education anyway. I would rather pay for better professors who are inspiring and capable and for better classrooms and labs than Internet access. How many more distractions do the students need?
I work for a College and I can tell you that the overwhelming belief here is that computers will solve all the problems. Of course, their idea of a problem may not match your idea of a problem. A big problem seems to be the cost of instructors who are limited to teaching 32 max students per session and limited to so many sessions per term. Online classes do not have limits on enrolment so you can now teach 100's of students for the same cost and not need a new building for house them! Never mind that the quality suffers because your typical student cares only about how fast they can finish their chosen program...
Most of the people that I have talked to outside the technology field still believe all of the marketing hype about computer related jobs and how they are the key to fast easy riches. They just stare in disbelief when I regale them with stories about 65 hour weeks with little or no recognition or time off (Over what? What time? What what?).
The pace of technology (and our lives because of it) is so fast that the unthinking masses will always be a technological century behind the times and our constant pursuit of personal gains will only make the situation worse with time. If this is news to you, perhaps you should spend less time in front of the computer.
Slashdot Mirror
I too would much prefer to buy quality at a higher price. The problem is that production is driven by two factors, demand and profitability. Cheap items are made out of bargain materials with cheap labor. Thus break sooner and therefore sell larger quantities generating profit. Most people can't think past their own wallet and therefore buy the cheapest thing on the market. They cannot remember when the world was not a throwaway society so they don't see the problem. Hence, supplying the demand.
Those of us that do think are a tiny minority and our demand for quality items does not even make the tiniest blip on the radar of large corporations. I strongly suggest soliciting small, owner-operator businesses when ever possible. Obviously, in the context of this thread, you can't stop by Steve Job's garage anymore and pick up his version of an Xbox but you can for many other types of goods.
The more money we spend at large box stores them more of the damn things will show up in every neighborhood and the fewer option we will have in the future. Let the sheeple shop at super-mega-crapbox-mart. Small businesses can afford to have a niche market like the quality-minded shopper. Support the independent producers and keep the option to buy quality open.
That's one argument I've heard advanced a lot, but I don't think it's necessarily a valid one. tighter targeting like that just increases the cost/benefit ratio of running a given campaign, right? More bang for their buck?
So it's cheaper, right? and what happens when the price goes down?
Demand (and volume) go up.
- snip -
You are assuming that the cost will go down. Lowering prices does not increase profits. Remember, people only focus on the immediate gain these days. Assuming that the demand will increase due to the lower price is too risky by most corporations standards. Lower invenstment cost, print the tag to show that the price was reduced. It is standard practive to double the 'initial' cost, then print the 'sale' price at the previous price level and call it a sale. Don't expect this saving to roll down to the consumer level.
We use a product called iNode in our library open computer labs and it works very well. I work for a community college and the students REALLY hammer the machines. This software works like a charm and rarely needs attention. It is easy to learn and is very robust. Here is a link to some info on it if you are interested.
http://www.persystent.net/techflyer.pdf
If you would like to talk to us (the support people at the college) in person or via email, please let me know. I can also put you in touch with the vendor but I wouldn't throw a stranger to the salespeople without a warning first. They are great people to deal with but a salesperson is still a salesperson no matter who they work for!
- Randy
IMHO, eBooks will only take off when more people who think that eBooks are how books have always been published exist than people who grew up reading hard copy. In case you couldn't guess from my name, I don't prefer to use technology to replace every aspect of my life. I can read a book anytime without waiting for a computer to boot up, while the airplane is sitting for hours on the tarmac, when the batteries are dead in my laptop, or whenever.
There is just no substitute for holding a hardbound book. Why? Because that is how I have been reading for the last 30+ years. It is unlikely that a phone/mp3 player/buffer/toaster/eBook reader will ever be found in my possession. I really think that if people continue to read books (unlikely at this rate) it will not be until eBooks are ubiquitous (like the Internet and 911 that have 'always existed' for the 20's and under crowd) that they are commonly used.
Now, if you will excuse me, I have to get back to my book...
First, it is unreasonable to expect parents to be supervising their child 100%
Then they should not have had children. The choice to have a child is completely between the parents and if they are not will to devote the time needed to raise said children in the manner they choose then they have chosen poorly.
offensive language can pop up without any warning
All shows aired to television are rated, even on PBS. Besides, if the parent took the time to watch the program first to be sure it was appropriate it would not be a problem. Do you never take your child to the mall? A place where no one ever uses foul language to be sure. Anywhere there are other people you could hear foul language.
How is a kid supposed to learn about things the parents might not like?
Public school.
The world is not a 'safe' place. It never was and it never will be. People will always have dissenting opinions about everything there is to have an opinion on and then some. Laws that limit what people may be exposed to only create a world full of thoughtless, mind-numbed fools. If you want to have children and raise them in a specific manner, take the time to do it. Don't foist the responsibility on the rest of us just because it is too inconvenient for you to do it yourself.
What is there to do in space? I would love to go into space but really, what the hell are you supposed to do there once you get bored with taking pictures out the tiny porthole?
Don't get me wrong, I am glad to see that private industry is getting into space since the government is doing it's typical job of constantly cutting funding for science and diverting it to better and more efficient ways to kill people. The question is really how many people can pay to go to space and what will they do there?
Each small step towards Dictatorship, like continuation of this law, erodes the core concepts of the Constitution (A country run by the people and not an all powerful government entity) is a small step towards the end of the Great Experiment.
The Founding Fathers tried to keep this from happening when they drafted the Constitution but over the years as politicians have repeatedly failed to do their intended jobs (which is to represent their constituents i.e. the People) they have inspired contempt and a lackadaisical attitude toward voting in those same constituents. By not voting and failing to write our representatives constantly we have allowed them to become political puppets of the people with the most money i.e. corporations. This in turn has led to the formation of a government that has no checks and balances and is not pressured to answer to the People. These types of intrusive laws will continue to propel this country towards a government system that is as oppressive as the governments that we work to overthrow every couple of years.
Time has proven that a government with the power to do things like this so-called Patriot Act allows will eventually rot from within and collapse. The people that will bear the burden of that collapse will not be the ones in that government or their supporters but the innocent, common people. History proves over and over that Totalitarian governments never last.
The only way that laws like this will be overturned is if politicians start asking themselves "Is this law something that will benefit ALL the people or just some of the people?" Since that is unlikely to happen we can expect to see more and more of our Civil Liberties eroded with time, especially if we continue to allow the government to be directed by the large corporations as it is now.
Now if that's not a deal I don't know what is!
Any tools that are *required* for the job should be paid by the employer. Period. That is the cost of doing business. Something like broadband access from an employee's home should be covered if the employer deems it necessary but not covered if considered optional.
The trend is definitely toward cutting costs by overloading employees and cutting benefits but that only goes so far with me. If a prospective employer states in the interview that certain costs will be my responsibility and I accept the position then I accept those costs as well. If I am not informed of costs up front after I ask what my responsibilities are then the costs are not my problem.
Things do change from time to time and corporate policies do favor the company, often strongly. If an employer told me that I would now be paying for my work cell phone or that they wanted me to use my personal phone for work related business I would simply say no. Most employers that are worth working for will discuss changes before implementing them. If they don't then you don't want to work for them.
I have left a few positions over similar circumstances and will do so again if the situation arises. Look at the way your company treats you when you judge whether they are worth working for or not. Good money never comes close to making up for poor working relationships.
Strong point. I am also a Democrat that plays games of that nature from time to time and I would never support any attempts to limit what types of games people can play. This type of yellow journalism is a driving force in the political world because many sheeple blindly believe what they read without wondering if it is supported by fact or opinion.
Doing things just because we can is not a good reason to do them. In fact, it is a very bad reason. Building things to be disposable is fine if you plan to do more than burry them in the ground when you throw them away. The problem is that all this 'stuff' that is build today is made of things that are expensive or out right not reusable. Someone sometime is going to the bill for the checks we are writing today and they are not going to be pleased when it happens. By designing things that can last now, we can help the people of the future. By designing things for our immediate gratification is akin to giving the finger to everyone who is yet to come. Rampant commercialism is one of the biggest threats today to our world as a whole.
Hear Hear! How long do products that are made today last compared with products made a century ago? Will ANY products made today still be around in another century? Many more people that you think just want something simple and reliable. I for one would much rather pay more for a solidly built item that will last for a long time than pay repeatedly for some crappy item cranked out as fast as possible for the sole benefit of cost reduction.
Well, most cars are already driven unattended on the highway. I mean between the navi systems, cell phones, PDSs, shaving, lipstick, and other recrationial activities (Woohoo!) that I have seen, most cars pretty much DO drive themselves!
At the very least, they are already smarted than the people driving them appear to be...
To quote the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on the entry for Politicians...
"Politicians: The first one up against the wall when the revolution came."
Most all of the policies of this régime, erm, administration have been on the order of "How will this help us?" and not "How will this help everyone?". That is the core problem with the government structure as it stands (picture if you will a house of cards) and this is just another symptom of a deeper problem.
This type of obfuscation in answer to questions from the outsiders (i.e. the General Public hereby to be referred to as "The Boned") are typical, historically speaking, of governments that we have worked to overthrow, namely totalitarian dictatorships. The unfortunate problem for The Boned is that what was once the Great Experiment has become the latest Banana Republic (and I don't mean the clothing store).
Everytime I flip the light switch the AC turns off and if I use the coffee pot it does unspeakable things to anyone unfortunate enough to be in the bathroom!
No. Children need parents who are commited to raising them instead of their parent's social standing in the local burbclave.
The courts were not designed to raise children so that bad parents can push their responisbility and accountability over to society as a whole. If you want children be prepared to make the sacrifices needed to raise them properly. If you are having children because it is something that you 'should do' then you are a moron.
Children turn out like the people that they are exposed to as they develop and grow. If you allow the Internet to raise your children so that you can bahave like a teenager for 20 years then you deserve what you get (although your children should not be made to suffer for your mistakes). Spend quality time with your children and don't leave them with the electronic baby sitter. Be an active and responsible parent. Take responsibility for your decisions and stop foisting your problems on the rest of us. If you did your job properly as a parent you would not have to worry about these types of problems.
Well stated! The whole idea breaks down when you consider the technical structure of IP and how it can and cannot operate. These judges have no concept of what is even possible and yet they are make rulings that cannot be enforced due to the very technology they felt they were well suited to rule on.
This bodes well -- it would seem to put the kibosh on any effort to turn this into a "must produce your National ID card on demand" ruling.
How so? It seems to me to be the first step towards just that situation. If this law goes unchallenged, what would stop someone from saying "Well, we can already ask his or her name, but that may not give us what we need. I propose that we be able to ask for any information that we need in order to best protect the innocent!" Laws like this are gateways to more restrictive laws that would be shot down if they were proposed in their full strength up front. It is far easier to fool people by taking steps like this and then expanding them (see the so called Patriot Act for further evidence).
There is a big difference between laws that help everyone like dictating how people drive on a public road and laws that single out people like the one in question here.
Perhaps the biggest difference is that all people who drive consent to abide by the rules laid down and have the ability to bow out of the rules by choosing not to drive. The law in question is forced on all people inside the borders of this country. No one had the ability to bow out of the rule.
Small steps toward the goal of a totalitarian society have historicaly been ignored until it was too late and then more drastic measures were needed to correct the oversights of the past. Laws like this chip away at out freedoms. I for one hope never to have to rely on the Second Amendment to restore my freedom.
but what will the hours be? And what about all of people with the skills willing to work for little or nothing in exchange for some experience? The boom for this career is over and will not return. It is just another job; long hours, little pay, little recognition. Welcome to the 21st century!
in regards to a tradtitional education anyway. I would rather pay for better professors who are inspiring and capable and for better classrooms and labs than Internet access. How many more distractions do the students need?
I work for a College and I can tell you that the overwhelming belief here is that computers will solve all the problems. Of course, their idea of a problem may not match your idea of a problem. A big problem seems to be the cost of instructors who are limited to teaching 32 max students per session and limited to so many sessions per term. Online classes do not have limits on enrolment so you can now teach 100's of students for the same cost and not need a new building for house them! Never mind that the quality suffers because your typical student cares only about how fast they can finish their chosen program...
Most of the people that I have talked to outside the technology field still believe all of the marketing hype about computer related jobs and how they are the key to fast easy riches. They just stare in disbelief when I regale them with stories about 65 hour weeks with little or no recognition or time off (Over what? What time? What what?).
The pace of technology (and our lives because of it) is so fast that the unthinking masses will always be a technological century behind the times and our constant pursuit of personal gains will only make the situation worse with time. If this is news to you, perhaps you should spend less time in front of the computer.
Yes.