I agree with one part of this.
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| Ridcully Apr 28, 2012 10:38 PM EDT |
I think the writer has got it dead right on one thing: the prices we are currently being charged for these media products are outrageously high. Person after person in the past has written articles more or less along these lines: "People generally aren't in favour of piracy but they know when they are being taken for a ride and once that happens, all bets are off." As an example, an item has just hit the Australian press comparing Australian prices of IT items with those in America.....Now remember at the moment, A1$ = US$1.03 so an Australian dollar is worth more than a US one. It is no wonder that the big players as noted below are now being called in front of a Parliamentary committee to explain, and since these are downloads, the usual excuses of a smaller market and distance just don't apply. Here are the prices of the relevant downloads that are quoted in that SMH article: Microsoft Office Professional US, $349........ Australia, $849 Snow Leopard US, $499........ Australia, $699 iTune Greatest Hit record US, $9.99........ Australia, $24 Something is just a teensy bit smelly don't you think ? It all boils down to the big media companies of Hollywood changing their marketing strategies: sell more of your products at a lower price that the consumers regard as acceptable. Otherwise, you will continue to have frustrated consumers ignoring piracy rules and simply doing what they are. I know that movie dvds that sell here for $30 or more on first release can be had for $10 if you wait for two years - and the stores still stock them and sell them, so the stores and the makers are still making a profit. So who got the $20 differential ? Bet you anything it wasn't the film maker or the actors ! |
| Khamul Apr 29, 2012 2:13 PM EDT |
In light of these prices and obvious dirty dealing, Australia should legalize piracy of any software or music that comes from the USA. |
| Koriel Apr 29, 2012 3:13 PM EDT |
They do similar pricing tricks in the UK, a for instance a US $99 item in the UK would be sold for £99. Where £99 is really $160 its a complete rip-off. Apple and Sony were extremely guilty of this ploy and were pulled up on it in the UK and have now stopped this practice but others still do it. |
| Khamul Apr 29, 2012 3:23 PM EDT |
AFAIC, the UK should legalize pirating Sony's and Apple's products unless they go back and refund everyone who was ripped off by this practice. |
| Koriel Apr 29, 2012 4:48 PM EDT |
To late for Sony and Apple as they have lost this customer. Well in Apple's case they never had me as I don't buy Apple on general principle that they are overpriced anyway but I used to purchase a lot of Sony products but not anymore they are off my shopping list. |
| tracyanne Apr 29, 2012 6:25 PM EDT |
Quoting:In light of these prices and obvious dirty dealing, Australia should legalize piracy of any software or music that comes from the USA. They can't, the Australian Federal Government has already signed a "Free" Trade agreement with the US that binds them to, among other things, fighting software and Music/Movie "piracy" on behalf of the BSA, MPAA and RIAA, so unfortunately they will have to go through a lengthy and expensive Senate inquiry, which, no doubt, like the similar one into the [over] charging practices of the oil companies, will conclude that the prices are marginally higher than they should be, slap the culprits [fall guys] on the wrists, and deem the problem solved. |
| Khamul Apr 29, 2012 7:24 PM EDT |
Some of these governments need to start reneging on their agreements and treaties with the US. If a bunch of other countries stood up to the US and stopped being their patsy, there's nothing the US government could do about it. |
| jdixon Apr 29, 2012 8:18 PM EDT |
> If a bunch of other countries stood up to the US and stopped being their patsy, there's nothing the US government could do about it. Tell that to Bosnia, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya; to name the most recent examples. But even short of flat out military threats (which would be unlikely against a country like Australia), the US can bring a lot of economic pressure to bear. While I agree that no country should abandon its sovereignty in such a manner, the incentives to do so are substantial. |
| Ridcully Apr 29, 2012 9:03 PM EDT |
@Tracyanne.....I am of course speaking quite cynically now because I believe that "self-interest and remaining in their present position" are the dominant (only ?) aims of the "three amigos" in the Reps. But perhaps the two suggestions in their little pink ears that "the need to block forever this overcharging" and that "FOSS would save lots of Australian money in the long term" would both be honourable crusades for them to take to Parliamentary debates ? On second thoughts...naaaah. It wouldn't fit with their demonstrated ethical standards and besides, I suspect that they wouldn't understand the information in the suggestions anyhow. |
| Khamul Apr 29, 2012 9:26 PM EDT |
@jdixon: There's a big difference between Afghanistan and Australia. If China and Europe and Aus/NZ decided to stand up to US bullying together, there's nothing the US could do about it. Those countries, together, could easily destroy the US economy if they wanted to. The problem is when other countries don't act together and the US plays divide and conquer. The US only gets away with its shenanigans because the other countries allow it to, and because they don't stand together. |
| Fettoosh Apr 29, 2012 11:51 PM EDT |
Quoting:The problem is when other countries don't act together and the US plays divide and conquer. The US only gets away with its shenanigans because the other countries allow it to, and because they don't stand together. @Khamul, Why do you think they let it if it wasn't for their own benefits? The US market is pretty substantial and too lucrative for them they can't afford to lose. If China and others stop, and I wish they do, it probably would be the best solution for the US manufacturing economy to recover. Isn't how China built its own manufacturing infrastructure, by blocking/preventing all imports except what they wanted to learn from? |
| jdixon Apr 30, 2012 6:19 AM EDT |
> If China and Europe and Aus/NZ decided to stand up to US bullying together, there's nothing the US could do about it. Those countries, together, could easily destroy the US economy if they wanted to. There is no way China can destroy the US economy without destroying its own in the process. Europe is not a single entity (as the current difficulties in the EU are demonstrating), and is unlikely to act as one. And you underestimate the US economy. Even a complete cutoff of all imports and exports would not be sufficient to destroy the US economy. Cause a multii-decade long depression, perhaps, but not destroy. Of course, that may be what you actually mean. |
| Khamul Apr 30, 2012 1:51 PM EDT |
@Fettoosh: The US manufacturing economy can't recover. There's not enough people left who remember who to make anything. The people who knew how to do stuff are all retired or dead, and the younger generations only know how to brew coffee. There'd only be as much manufacturing as there is now (because there is some now, just not like >20 years ago), because there's not enough engineers and technicians to go around. Plus, all the newer technologies were never here to begin with, and we'd have no idea how to manufacture them without the Asian manufacturers showing us how. There's no one in this country who knows how to make the latest LCD panel technology, for instance. All that technology was developed in Asia. You might be able to find some people here who remember how to build LCD panels like they had in 1985, but that's about it. |
| jdixon Apr 30, 2012 2:36 PM EDT |
> The US manufacturing economy can't recover. There's not enough people left who remember who to make anything. You say that is if nothing were ever written down and no one can learn anything. Yes, the process would be difficult. No, it would not be impossible. |
| gus3 Apr 30, 2012 3:19 PM EDT |
The maker culture is alive and well. And underground, mostly. |
| skelband Apr 30, 2012 4:15 PM EDT |
@gus3: It will be until it starts to affect the margins of manufacturers. At the moment, they are just an annoyance off the radar. Then just watch the take-down notices for maker designs flood in. |
| BernardSwiss Apr 30, 2012 7:44 PM EDT |
@skelband The scary part is that you just might be right. |
| Khamul Apr 30, 2012 7:47 PM EDT |
Having stuff written down isn't much use if it's only for really old tech. You're not going to build a smartphone with 1970-era electronic components, and we don't know how to build things like SMT capacitors here; all that stuff is in Asia. Sure it's written down... in Asia. They're not going to send us all the plans for how to make those things. We never built those things to begin with here; that seems to be the part you guys don't understand. We only built the precursors, long ago, and those aren't very useful any more. As I said before, no one here knows how to make LCD panels, because no one's made such things here for decades. This is true for many other technologies. We're only good at two main technologies from what I can see: 1) software (and we're fading fast here), and 2) military hardware (which is all completely dependent on electronic components from Asia). |
| BernardSwiss Apr 30, 2012 8:16 PM EDT |
No smart-phones. Check. No cellphones. Check. No forced exposure to only one side of some dullard's "conversation" on the bus. Check. No "important" calls interrupting my coffee break, my walk, my weekend at the beach. Check. Ya' know, Khamul -- that doesn't sound so bad.... |
| JaseP Apr 30, 2012 8:42 PM EDT |
Quoting: As I said before, no one here knows how to make LCD panels, because no one's made such things here for decades... @Khamul: That's simply not true. I know for a fact that the developers of OLED screens are located in Upstate NY, in the Rochester area. They were formerly a division of Eastman Kodak. Manufacturing jobs are located in other countries because the infrastructure for it no longer exists in the US, not because the technical knowledge is lacking. These manufacturing jobs are low pay, high stress jobs. Americans don't want them. Plus, you need the materials and components to be available. That means shipping, warehouses, etc. It would simply cost too much to manufacture all but the most expensive or custom things in the US. There are two US manufacturers in my area, Crayola and Martin Guitars. Crayola doesn't ship the work overseas because they mostly sell high quality versions of inexpensive items that would be more expensive to ship over than to make here. Martin Guitars produce a specialty item (musical instruments), and prides themselves on their "made in America" product. |
| jdixon Apr 30, 2012 9:57 PM EDT |
> . You're not going to build a smartphone with 1970-era electronic components, You know, the last time I checked, both Intel and AMD were US companies. Somehow, I don't think they're stuck with 1970's tech. > As I said before, no one here knows how to make LCD panels, because no one's made such things here for decades. I believe 3M was an original manufacturer of much of the LCD technology. And aren't made here doesn't equal no one here knows how to make. > .We're only good at two main technologies from what I can see: The limitations of your perception aren't necessarily the limitations of reality. We're good at lots of things. We're just not as cheap. It hard to compete with $2/week employees with $20/hour employees. Especially with management that wants $20K/hour or more. |
| Fettoosh Apr 30, 2012 11:21 PM EDT |
Quoting: We're good at lots of things. We're just not as cheap. It hard to compete with $2/week employees with $20/hour employees. Especially with management that wants $20K/hour or more. That is the core of the problem in the US which brought about the very corrupt relationship between governments and international corporations. Globalization could be a very good thing on the very long term, but it is Turing out to be disastrous to the industrial world in the short run. It is being implemented too fast too soon. I believe greed is the driving motive. All your "Don't know", "Can't do", etc. is all pessimism. |
| skelband May 01, 2012 1:40 AM EDT |
@Fettoosh "Globalization could be a very good thing on the very long term..." On a smaller scale we are seeing the same thing in the ever expanding EU. When I used to live in England, my neighbour needed some plastering doing. They hired some available Polish guys that were there doing a tour and picking up work where they could to send money back home. They worked really hard and were very cheap. The quality of the work was excellent. The price they charged was low compared to the local plasterers, but it was good work for the Poles and far more than they could get at home. The EU is a great leveller and for that reason I think it is a good idea in theory. But for every guy/gal raised out of the mire, there are the local businesses that feel the pinch as a consequence. It is a good idea on a global scale, but short term there are bound to be losers. |
| skelband May 01, 2012 1:41 AM EDT |
@Bernard: "Printcrime" http://craphound.com/?p=573 |
| Bob_Robertson May 01, 2012 9:32 AM EDT |
Actually, US manufacturing is quite vigorous, it simply requires fewer people to make the same amount of stuff. Labor intensive work migrates around the world, as each country/area in turn benefits from "cheap labor" and their standard of living increases until they're not cheap any more. Then it's farmed out to the next "cheap labor" area, rinse, lather, repeat. US, Canada, Japan, Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, where next? Maybe Africa. It's called the Law of Comparative Advantage, better known as "division of labor": Do what you (individual, group or region) do best, even if someone else could do it better, and everyone is better off. |
| JaseP May 01, 2012 10:09 AM EDT |
Bob_Robertson is right,... US manufacturing is still strong. But, it's a matter of what we make here... If you take a look at the wiki for the US economy, you see that US manufacturing is second only to Wholesale Trade as a function of the US economy. Third is retailing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_United_States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_United_States_by... You can re-sort the chart there to see the US economy as a function of sales, jobs, number of companies, etc. Enlightening. |
| montezuma May 01, 2012 11:41 AM EDT |
and it is interesting that in the latest (rather weak) economic recovery jobs have actually been added in manufacturing in the US partially at least I suspect because of the deliberate weak dollar policy. This did not happen in previous recoveries instead the manufacturers output stayed steady but the employee level dropped markedly. For whatever reason this trend has abruptly stopped. |
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