Apple changes things at pretty much the same rate...
iTools - Originally launched as a free collection of internet services for users of Mac OS Then "relaunched" in 2002 as a paid subscription as ".Mac" Then "relaunched" again in 2008 as "MobileMe" which it discontinued offering, and will kill in 2012 entirely as it herds everyone over to its newly launched "iCloud"
I'd say Apple is pretty much exactly the same thing.
As a further note, right now there's no way to trace that serial number to me. Generally speaking, tracing a serial number will get it to the store that sold it to me and not much further.
A lot of electronics stores record the product serial number on the customer invoice. From Dell to Newegg...
Unless you walk into best buy and paid cash, I wouldn't count on the store not knowing who you are.
Further, a lot of printers these days are internet enabled with "phone home features" to enable "cloud printing from your smart phone" and other nonsense features I haven't quite figured out the point of yet. I'm not sure what the adoption rate on these features is, but its probably not trending down.
Australians cannot take up arms against tyranny. The Australian people have been disarmed by their government.
Just like you can't get any of those drugs the US government declared illegal in any city across all of America right?
If that police state emerges, however, the people are powerless.
Trust me, if the population decides they want guns in large quantities, the government will be powerless to prevent it. You'll be able to get them on every street corner in even the small towns.
Good question - maybe part of a construction permit will be entering the location and lane configuration of construction zones.
First the road is diverted to a detour while they lay a conduit across, then they re-pave this side diverting traffic to the other, then they pave the other side and traffic flips over... and this all happens in a single 8hr shift.
Or maybe instead of flags and warning signs, they'll use RFID tags and RF beacons that instruct the cars what to do
a) And the national? international standards? de factor standards? for this stuff is nowhere in sight... at least not yet. b) Will every flag girl have all new rfid equipped stuff anytime soon? I don't think so. c) And can you imagine the security risks... anarchist types diverting highway traffic into residential areas for the lulz. Car jackers redirecting cars into dark unlit alleys...
GPS's are getting quite good with speed limit databases -- a state that allows driverless cars should also require electronic publishing of speed limit zones. A car that detects itself going over the speed limit should refer itself for maintenance.
What could possibly go wrong? Jokers broadcasting limits of 5mph on an interstate... or 150mph in a school zone...or overriding gps signals...
I think you're assuming driverless rather than "automatic" -- an automatic vehicle can allow driver overrides for unusual situations.
If he's going to sit there alertly paying attention for unusual situations he might as well be driving. At least it'll give him something relevant to do while he sits there. Otherwise, if the car usually gets him from his garage to the office parking lot without incident day after day, then the day the car is going to need an assist then I guarantee the driver will be watching TV, reading a book, or maybe even taking a nap in the backseat...
I would guess that automatic cars would be even better than humans at any of these conditions:
Quite possibly. But I'm curious about navigating construction sites with bizarre merges, lanes that don't line up in the slightest to the pavement markings, detours through the oncoming lane, with the crew directing traffic with hand signals...
I'm also curious how it copes when the car in front of it breaks down in a single lane no passing zone. Does it just sit there until a tow truck takes the car away? Does it get out of the tow trucks way if necessary.
How it deals with a police car trying to pull it over for a broken tail light. How does it know the speed limit at every segment of road, and if the limits change how does it get updated... what happens if it blows through a speed trap a 1 mph over the limit. Does it obey the officer trying to make eye contact with the nonexistent driver while he holds his hand up to wave you down.
How does it know a police officer is waving it down and not some kids... will it drive into a back alley or field everytime someone steps onto the road and points at one?
Its one thing to leave enough distance in front, and to safely come to a stop if the car in front of you has an accident.
But then what? Can it move out of the way of the rescue vehicles? Can it navigate the makeshift detour the police are directing?
I think we are decades away from practical driverless vehicles that could operate without a qualified driver sitting there ready to take over. At best we'll need to see a driver in the seat at all times, ready to take over when the car reports that its unable to proceed. Hopefully the car can at least detect situations it can't manage well enough... but im skeptical of it even being able to do that.
Wrong, they opt to make the most money with a supply ordained by the government
You do realize the demand for such prescription drugs is fairly inelastic to both price and supply controls. People don't use twice as much if the price is halved... at least they shouldn't.
There is some price sensitivity to prescription drugs, and at some price levels some people just can't afford it and go without... which is why I say its fairly inelastic as opposed to completely inelastic.
At the end of the day, the more profitable market is supplied. They are trying to force the less profitable market to be more profitable by upselling them into brand name versions, and it has really nothing at all to do with government regulated supply. If the supply weren't regulated, they'd still shoot for artificial scarcity on the less profitable versions... they just wouldn't be able to blame "the big bad government" for it.
you need to take into account FAR more than raw salary.
Or you can just look at their home address, choice of cars, choice of boat, choice of vacation spots, vacation homes and cottages, golf club memberships, and figure out that by and large it seems they are generally doing JUST FINE, and we don't have to worry too much about them finding their next meal.
Having a powerful weapon rendered useless by simple closing your eyes is funny.
The weapon wasn't rendered useless. The weapon was simply selectively killing those that chose to look upon the opened ark, and sparing those chose not to.
It was no more "rendered useless" than an infantry unit deciding not to shoot civilians who lay on the ground unarmed. Its not that lying on the ground unarmed renders M16s unable to kill them, but rather that the intelligence behind the M16s is only interested in killing combatants.
That anyone could think that the idea in Raider's was that the arks power was somehow defeated by closing one's eyes... blows me away. Wow. Just Wow.
I would say... 1/3-2/3 of Windows tech persons don't even understand how to manage files well
IMO those aren't techs. Many people administering windows systems aren't techs...:p Ditto for macs.
And that is the reason why MS is bringing this ISO mounting to new windows, because it really needs to be much easier for Windows techs.
Not sure what you are trying to say here. Making it easier so its just a few mouse clicks makes it the same as Mac and Linux. I guess those techs must be even worse than windows techs then..
I doubt that's your intended argument, but that's pretty much what you just argued.
2011 Porsche 911 Targa 4S 0-60 mph 4.5 2011 Porsche 911 Black Edition 0-60 mph 4.6 2011 Porsche 911 Black Edition Cabriolet 0-60 mph 4.8 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet 0-60 mph 4.9 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet 0-60 mph 4.6
So... which Porsche 911?
It looks like pretty much any normally aspirated Porsche 911... which is most of them out there. Your Carrera, Carrera 4, Carrera S, Carrera 4S, Targa, Targa, Targa S, Targa 4S, Carrera 4 Cabriolet, Carrera S Cabriolets... outnumber the Turbo variants by a wide margine.
Hmm. "I may be an idiot," I said to my colleagues, "but I can't figure out how to mount this ISO file."
This post seems fake to me. Even your average "mac tech" should have enough passing familiarity with windows to be able to figure this out.
"Burn it," they said.
This part is especially fake sounding. Where did you find a windows tech who didn't know how to deal with an iso file?
Half the PCs out there come with some sort of 3rd party CD burning software that can deal with opening and extracting ISOs just fine.
On the rest I usually just use 7zip portable to extract isos to a folder. Its what? an 8 second download that doesn't need to be installed.
I agree I'm boggled that it wasn't built in in Windows Vista/7 as well, but its hardly like it was a hard problem to solve.
Re:Such systems have been proposed before
on
The Zuckerberg Tax
·
· Score: 1
Instead, let's just choose a definite ending point where we know the dollar value: when the stock is sold. If you buy low, sell high, you pay money. If you buy and sell at the same price, you don't pay taxes.
Oh, wait, that's how the system currently works.
And the system as its currently set up is fine... except:
Firstly, for some reason, the tax rate on income earned on these share price capital gains is MUCH LOWER than that earned on actually working your ass off.
So the bottom line is that the wealthy pay a lower tax rate on their income then someone who actually works, because a big chunk of their income is capital gains vs actually working.
If they were taxed at the same rate, it would be a lot more fair.
Secondly, as the larry ellison example demonstrated -- he was able to spend a pile of money based on the capital gains he made -- WITHOUT having to sell the stocks to get the money. Thereby effectively getting his money out of the stocks, and avoiding paying any taxes on it.
Sure eventually he has to pay back the loan, and eventually has to sell the shares to do it in theory... but there are all kinds of games to play... he gets to spend the money when he wants at the peak of his career, and then can pay the taxes when he wants... say a year when he takes a huge loss so he can offset those taxes with a huge tax deduction... or in small chunks after he's 90 years old... or even after his death.
meanwhile the average family has to pay the taxes in the year they earn them. they don't get to play these games.
If I am going to invest into an idea, it will be for equity in that idea, not a free ride for someone else to possibly make millions..
Agreed. If you have enough money to invest then that is the correct route to take.
But this model is more for people who just want to toss $1-$20 at something and you'll probably not bother getting your lawyer involved.
Re:Such systems have been proposed before
on
The Zuckerberg Tax
·
· Score: 2
Now, each year when your house gets worth more, you will be happy to get a tax bill?
For starters, I already do. Property taxes aren't new.
But wait, there are a lot of people who buy them as investments instead of other investing, why should they be given tax shelter?
Again, where I live, your primary residence is already given some tax relief. People who have multiple houses as investments pay larger property taxes on the ones they don't live in.
In which case, when that old great aunt dies and leaves you a nice big house, you dont mind ponying up the 'tax' to be allowed to keep it?
Why exactly should I be entitled to get it anyway?
It wasn't MY wealth, so if I should be counting myself lucky to get any of it. In any case, as far as my wealth is concerned its income. Why exactly shouldn't I be taxed on it?
And if she didn't leave me enough money to cover the taxes too, and I have to sell it or rent it ouot to cover the taxes... why exactly is that a huge travesty?
What part of the american dream was "live in a house your great aunt gave you tax free"?
Hugh Pickens is completely wrong, Ellison DOES pay tax on that superyacht, and there is no avoiding it - as he has to pay back the loan! to do that he must use tax paid money!
Unless he borrows more money against his share equity to finance the interest payments on a revolving line of credit.
Then he eventually sells the boat at loss, and pays the difference with "tax paid money" except that he gets a tax deduction of the loss on the superyaht so the "tax paid money" amounts to no tax paid.
They also provide the growth that the US is addicted to - attack them, and see how the economy looks in ten years!
A yes, the mythical job creators... attack them and the economy will tank... oh wait... it also tanked THANKS to them. Guess we can't win.
Re:Such systems have been proposed before
on
The Zuckerberg Tax
·
· Score: 4, Insightful
The sleight of hand actually occurred when the wealth grew to a larger amount of wealth without its owner ever needing to describe this "increase in wealth" as "income".
yeah, except there were few sectors that weren't effected. Basically, most people got screwed, diversified, or not
Yes, but most will bounce back before retirement, or even have bounced back already largely.
And anyone who was invested in anything even slightly risky right on the verge of retiring... well that's exactly the risk they were taking... they shoud have been in GICs government bonds, cash, etc... yeah the returns are crap... but if you CANT AFFORD RISK then that's what you hold.
Anyone invested in European banks pre 2008 will have been taken to the cleaners and in many cases those stocks will *never* recover to pre 2008 levels.
Anyone not diversified always gets screwed. Your portfolio should be able to withstand a sector just cratering with no hope of recovering in your life time.
Not saying its fair, or that i don't have empathy for a lot of people who watched their retirements blown apart this last downturn, but people were taking risks.
Every time you read a prospectus, there are always these fine print warnings that essentially say "buying this could permanently blow up in your face a whole bunch of different ways outlined below..." Those things DO ACTUALLY HAPPEN from time to time.
It would have random in-store coupons and offers that you could only get by connecting to that hotspot.
Forcing your customers to dick around with their phones in your store is probably not the right direction to take. Punishing customers who don't shop with their smartphones... who don't want to connect to a hotspot in every department...
offer an amazon like price to customers that are repeat buyers and signup to their "membership" card
Price matching amazon is not a solution.
Bottom line... does your local bookstore make a profit? Yes?
At the rate bookstores are going under, its hard to say.
Perhaps they should innovate...
You mean exactly like I how said they were?
offer an amazon like price to customers that are repeat buyers and signup to their "membership" card.
Price matching amazon is not innovation. Its not going to keep them in business either.
. Offer a member only seating/reading area with member only wifi.
In other words make it harder for normal people to shop there, by making them 2nd class visitors?
Offer a purchasable platinum account that gives free shipping and gift wrapping (this is the primary reason I use amazon... gift giving).
Gift wrapping as a service is interesting... but its going to cost a boutique bookstore chain a LOT more to train and maintain gift wrapping supplies at each location than it does for amazon to have a couple wage-slaves doing it full time in a giftwrapping department in the warehouse...
Also, if online retailers can make money online, then your local bookstore should do the same. Augment your brick and mortar store profits with online only sale profits
If your online store is more expensive than amazon then it fails.
If its the same price, then you are basically competing with a warehouse distribution except you get to pay for scads of employees and commercial retail rents.
That won't work. Your whole argument won't work, because it keeps boiling down to: "be innovative"
Which is fine, except "be innovative" seems to be a catch all for :
match your cheapest competitors prices while doing a lot mroe than them.
Apparently you think that after matching your competitors prices, and doing a lot more than them, there will still be profits left to make running the business worthwhile...
This really isn't that difficult. If someone is coming into your store and won't buy from you because they can get it elsewhere for cheaper then simply match the price.
Except that a race to the bottom on pricing is a game the physical retailers will lose every time.
I'm curious what "real value" you suggest they add?
The local bookstore has a coffee shop, lets you preview the books in comfy chairs, has kiosks to let you see what's in stock and where in the store it is, a whole bunch of staff, a club/rewards card...
And its pretty busy too.
But half the people i know, walk in browse around, look it up on amazon on their smart phone, and if they can get it a dollar cheaper online will walk out without making a book purchase.
I think they've realistically done everything they can, short of simply matching amazon's prices. But that's not a value add, and a race to the bottom is a losing proposition for the retail world... amazon can lower prices more than a store in can. So they'll be out of business before they can win.
Simply put, there's too many Eurotrash and Second World pirates out there who simply aren't willing to pay for ANY intellectual property.
So what? If they aren't customers at $60 with DRM... and they aren't customers at $1 with no DRM just forget about them...THEY AREN'T CUSTOMERS.
They aren't costing the industry any sales, because they will never buy anything anyway, so just forget about them.
Focus on getting the customers that would pay for their games, but currently don't due to pricing and DRM. There are tons of those... and unlike the people who will never pay, this group actually will pay if you make the right value proposition to them.
Slashdot Mirror
Apple changes things at pretty much the same rate...
iTools - Originally launched as a free collection of internet services for users of Mac OS
Then "relaunched" in 2002 as a paid subscription as ".Mac"
Then "relaunched" again in 2008 as "MobileMe"
which it discontinued offering, and will kill in 2012 entirely
as it herds everyone over to its newly launched "iCloud"
I'd say Apple is pretty much exactly the same thing.
As a further note, right now there's no way to trace that serial number to me. Generally speaking, tracing a serial number will get it to the store that sold it to me and not much further.
A lot of electronics stores record the product serial number on the customer invoice. From Dell to Newegg...
Unless you walk into best buy and paid cash, I wouldn't count on the store not knowing who you are.
Further, a lot of printers these days are internet enabled with "phone home features" to enable "cloud printing from your smart phone" and other nonsense features I haven't quite figured out the point of yet. I'm not sure what the adoption rate on these features is, but its probably not trending down.
Australians cannot take up arms against tyranny. The Australian people have been disarmed by their government.
Just like you can't get any of those drugs the US government declared illegal in any city across all of America right?
If that police state emerges, however, the people are powerless.
Trust me, if the population decides they want guns in large quantities, the government will be powerless to prevent it. You'll be able to get them on every street corner in even the small towns.
Good question - maybe part of a construction permit will be entering the location and lane configuration of construction zones.
First the road is diverted to a detour while they lay a conduit across, then they re-pave this side diverting traffic to the other, then they pave the other side and traffic flips over... and this all happens in a single 8hr shift.
Or maybe instead of flags and warning signs, they'll use RFID tags and RF beacons that instruct the cars what to do
a) And the national? international standards? de factor standards? for this stuff is nowhere in sight... at least not yet. ... anarchist types diverting highway traffic into residential areas for the lulz. Car jackers redirecting cars into dark unlit alleys...
b) Will every flag girl have all new rfid equipped stuff anytime soon? I don't think so.
c) And can you imagine the security risks
GPS's are getting quite good with speed limit databases -- a state that allows driverless cars should also require electronic publishing of speed limit zones. A car that detects itself going over the speed limit should refer itself for maintenance.
What could possibly go wrong? Jokers broadcasting limits of 5mph on an interstate... or 150mph in a school zone...or overriding gps signals...
I think you're assuming driverless rather than "automatic" -- an automatic vehicle can allow driver overrides for unusual situations.
If he's going to sit there alertly paying attention for unusual situations he might as well be driving. At least it'll give him something relevant to do while he sits there. Otherwise, if the car usually gets him from his garage to the office parking lot without incident day after day, then the day the car is going to need an assist then I guarantee the driver will be watching TV, reading a book, or maybe even taking a nap in the backseat...
I would guess that automatic cars would be even better than humans at any of these conditions:
Quite possibly. But I'm curious about navigating construction sites with bizarre merges, lanes that don't line up in the slightest to the pavement markings, detours through the oncoming lane, with the crew directing traffic with hand signals...
I'm also curious how it copes when the car in front of it breaks down in a single lane no passing zone. Does it just sit there until a tow truck takes the car away? Does it get out of the tow trucks way if necessary.
How it deals with a police car trying to pull it over for a broken tail light. How does it know the speed limit at every segment of road, and if the limits change how does it get updated... what happens if it blows through a speed trap a 1 mph over the limit. Does it obey the officer trying to make eye contact with the nonexistent driver while he holds his hand up to wave you down.
How does it know a police officer is waving it down and not some kids... will it drive into a back alley or field everytime someone steps onto the road and points at one?
Its one thing to leave enough distance in front, and to safely come to a stop if the car in front of you has an accident.
But then what? Can it move out of the way of the rescue vehicles? Can it navigate the makeshift detour the police are directing?
I think we are decades away from practical driverless vehicles that could operate without a qualified driver sitting there ready to take over. At best we'll need to see a driver in the seat at all times, ready to take over when the car reports that its unable to proceed. Hopefully the car can at least detect situations it can't manage well enough... but im skeptical of it even being able to do that.
Wrong, they opt to make the most money with a supply ordained by the government
You do realize the demand for such prescription drugs is fairly inelastic to both price and supply controls. People don't use twice as much if the price is halved... at least they shouldn't.
There is some price sensitivity to prescription drugs, and at some price levels some people just can't afford it and go without... which is why I say its fairly inelastic as opposed to completely inelastic.
At the end of the day, the more profitable market is supplied. They are trying to force the less profitable market to be more profitable by upselling them into brand name versions, and it has really nothing at all to do with government regulated supply. If the supply weren't regulated, they'd still shoot for artificial scarcity on the less profitable versions... they just wouldn't be able to blame "the big bad government" for it.
My GP isn't rich either; but he's not hurting, and I certainly don't need to worry about him.
you need to take into account FAR more than raw salary.
Or you can just look at their home address, choice of cars, choice of boat, choice of vacation spots, vacation homes and cottages, golf club memberships, and figure out that by and large it seems they are generally doing JUST FINE, and we don't have to worry too much about them finding their next meal.
Having a powerful weapon rendered useless by simple closing your eyes is funny.
The weapon wasn't rendered useless. The weapon was simply selectively killing those that chose to look upon the opened ark, and sparing those chose not to.
It was no more "rendered useless" than an infantry unit deciding not to shoot civilians who lay on the ground unarmed. Its not that lying on the ground unarmed renders M16s unable to kill them, but rather that the intelligence behind the M16s is only interested in killing combatants.
That anyone could think that the idea in Raider's was that the arks power was somehow defeated by closing one's eyes... blows me away. Wow. Just Wow.
I would say... 1/3-2/3 of Windows tech persons don't even understand how to manage files well
IMO those aren't techs. Many people administering windows systems aren't techs... :p Ditto for macs.
And that is the reason why MS is bringing this ISO mounting to new windows, because it really needs to be much easier for Windows techs.
Not sure what you are trying to say here. Making it easier so its just a few mouse clicks makes it the same as Mac and Linux. I guess those techs must be even worse than windows techs then..
I doubt that's your intended argument, but that's pretty much what you just argued.
The Porsche 911 only has a six cylinder engine. You need the turbo to get respectable performance.
I can only imagine you've never driven one.
Cherry pick much ? from the same site:
2011 Porsche 911 Targa 4S 0-60 mph 4.5
2011 Porsche 911 Black Edition 0-60 mph 4.6
2011 Porsche 911 Black Edition Cabriolet 0-60 mph 4.8
2011 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet 0-60 mph 4.9
2011 Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet 0-60 mph 4.6
So... which Porsche 911?
It looks like pretty much any normally aspirated Porsche 911... which is most of them out there. Your Carrera, Carrera 4, Carrera S, Carrera 4S, Targa, Targa, Targa S, Targa 4S, Carrera 4 Cabriolet, Carrera S Cabriolets... outnumber the Turbo variants by a wide margine.
Hmm. "I may be an idiot," I said to my colleagues, "but I can't figure out how to mount this ISO file."
This post seems fake to me. Even your average "mac tech" should have enough passing familiarity with windows to be able to figure this out.
"Burn it," they said.
This part is especially fake sounding. Where did you find a windows tech who didn't know how to deal with an iso file?
Half the PCs out there come with some sort of 3rd party CD burning software that can deal with opening and extracting ISOs just fine.
On the rest I usually just use 7zip portable to extract isos to a folder. Its what? an 8 second download that doesn't need to be installed.
I agree I'm boggled that it wasn't built in in Windows Vista/7 as well, but its hardly like it was a hard problem to solve.
Instead, let's just choose a definite ending point where we know the dollar value: when the stock is sold. If you buy low, sell high, you pay money. If you buy and sell at the same price, you don't pay taxes.
Oh, wait, that's how the system currently works.
And the system as its currently set up is fine ... except:
Firstly, for some reason, the tax rate on income earned on these share price capital gains is MUCH LOWER than that earned on actually working your ass off.
So the bottom line is that the wealthy pay a lower tax rate on their income then someone who actually works, because a big chunk of their income is capital gains vs actually working.
If they were taxed at the same rate, it would be a lot more fair.
Secondly, as the larry ellison example demonstrated -- he was able to spend a pile of money based on the capital gains he made -- WITHOUT having to sell the stocks to get the money. Thereby effectively getting his money out of the stocks, and avoiding paying any taxes on it.
Sure eventually he has to pay back the loan, and eventually has to sell the shares to do it in theory... but there are all kinds of games to play... he gets to spend the money when he wants at the peak of his career, and then can pay the taxes when he wants... say a year when he takes a huge loss so he can offset those taxes with a huge tax deduction... or in small chunks after he's 90 years old... or even after his death.
meanwhile the average family has to pay the taxes in the year they earn them. they don't get to play these games.
If I am going to invest into an idea, it will be for equity in that idea, not a free ride for someone else to possibly make millions..
Agreed. If you have enough money to invest then that is the correct route to take.
But this model is more for people who just want to toss $1-$20 at something and you'll probably not bother getting your lawyer involved.
Now, each year when your house gets worth more, you will be happy to get a tax bill?
For starters, I already do. Property taxes aren't new.
But wait, there are a lot of people who buy them as investments instead of other investing, why should they be given tax shelter?
Again, where I live, your primary residence is already given some tax relief. People who have multiple houses as investments pay larger property taxes on the ones they don't live in.
In which case, when that old great aunt dies and leaves you a nice big house, you dont mind ponying up the 'tax' to be allowed to keep it?
Why exactly should I be entitled to get it anyway?
It wasn't MY wealth, so if I should be counting myself lucky to get any of it. In any case, as far as my wealth is concerned its income. Why exactly shouldn't I be taxed on it?
And if she didn't leave me enough money to cover the taxes too, and I have to sell it or rent it ouot to cover the taxes... why exactly is that a huge travesty?
What part of the american dream was "live in a house your great aunt gave you tax free"?
Hugh Pickens is completely wrong, Ellison DOES pay tax on that superyacht, and there is no avoiding it - as he has to
pay back the loan! to do that he must use tax paid money!
Unless he borrows more money against his share equity to finance the interest payments on a revolving line of credit.
Then he eventually sells the boat at loss, and pays the difference with "tax paid money" except that he gets a tax deduction of the loss on the superyaht so the "tax paid money" amounts to no tax paid.
They also provide the growth that the US is addicted to - attack them, and see how the economy looks in ten years!
A yes, the mythical job creators... attack them and the economy will tank... oh wait... it also tanked THANKS to them. Guess we can't win.
The sleight of hand actually occurred when the wealth grew to a larger amount of wealth without its owner ever needing to describe this "increase in wealth" as "income".
Most of them bounced back, or will bounce back in a reasonable time frame.
yeah, except there were few sectors that weren't effected. Basically, most people got screwed, diversified, or not
Yes, but most will bounce back before retirement, or even have bounced back already largely.
And anyone who was invested in anything even slightly risky right on the verge of retiring... well that's exactly the risk they were taking... they shoud have been in GICs government bonds, cash, etc ... yeah the returns are crap... but if you CANT AFFORD RISK then that's what you hold.
Anyone invested in European banks pre 2008 will have been taken to the cleaners and in many cases those stocks will *never* recover to pre 2008 levels.
Anyone not diversified always gets screwed. Your portfolio should be able to withstand a sector just cratering with no hope of recovering in your life time.
Not saying its fair, or that i don't have empathy for a lot of people who watched their retirements blown apart this last downturn, but people were taking risks.
Every time you read a prospectus, there are always these fine print warnings that essentially say "buying this could permanently blow up in your face a whole bunch of different ways outlined below..." Those things DO ACTUALLY HAPPEN from time to time.
It would have random in-store coupons and offers that you could only get by connecting to that hotspot.
Forcing your customers to dick around with their phones in your store is probably not the right direction to take. Punishing customers who don't shop with their smartphones... who don't want to connect to a hotspot in every department...
Not a store I'd want to shop at.
offer an amazon like price to customers that are repeat buyers and signup to their "membership" card
Price matching amazon is not a solution.
Bottom line... does your local bookstore make a profit? Yes?
At the rate bookstores are going under, its hard to say.
Perhaps they should innovate...
You mean exactly like I how said they were?
offer an amazon like price to customers that are repeat buyers and signup to their "membership" card.
Price matching amazon is not innovation. Its not going to keep them in business either.
. Offer a member only seating/reading area with member only wifi.
In other words make it harder for normal people to shop there, by making them 2nd class visitors?
Offer a purchasable platinum account that gives free shipping and gift wrapping (this is the primary reason I use amazon... gift giving).
Gift wrapping as a service is interesting... but its going to cost a boutique bookstore chain a LOT more to train and maintain gift wrapping supplies at each location than it does for amazon to have a couple wage-slaves doing it full time in a giftwrapping department in the warehouse...
Also, if online retailers can make money online, then your local bookstore should do the same. Augment your brick and mortar store profits with online only sale profits
If your online store is more expensive than amazon then it fails.
If its the same price, then you are basically competing with a warehouse distribution except you get to pay for scads of employees and commercial retail rents.
That won't work. Your whole argument won't work, because it keeps boiling down to: "be innovative"
Which is fine, except "be innovative" seems to be a catch all for :
match your cheapest competitors prices while doing a lot mroe than them.
Apparently you think that after matching your competitors prices, and doing a lot more than them, there will still be profits left to make running the business worthwhile...
Reality seems to disagree.
This really isn't that difficult. If someone is coming into your store and won't buy from you because they can get it elsewhere for cheaper then simply match the price.
Except that a race to the bottom on pricing is a game the physical retailers will lose every time.
Don't bother adding *real* value
I'm curious what "real value" you suggest they add?
The local bookstore has a coffee shop, lets you preview the books in comfy chairs, has kiosks to let you see what's in stock and where in the store it is, a whole bunch of staff, a club/rewards card...
And its pretty busy too.
But half the people i know, walk in browse around, look it up on amazon on their smart phone, and if they can get it a dollar cheaper online will walk out without making a book purchase.
I think they've realistically done everything they can, short of simply matching amazon's prices. But that's not a value add, and a race to the bottom is a losing proposition for the retail world... amazon can lower prices more than a store in can. So they'll be out of business before they can win.
Simply put, there's too many Eurotrash and Second World pirates out there who simply aren't willing to pay for ANY intellectual property.
So what? If they aren't customers at $60 with DRM... and they aren't customers at $1 with no DRM just forget about them...THEY AREN'T CUSTOMERS.
They aren't costing the industry any sales, because they will never buy anything anyway, so just forget about them.
Focus on getting the customers that would pay for their games, but currently don't due to pricing and DRM. There are tons of those... and unlike the people who will never pay, this group actually will pay if you make the right value proposition to them.