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TLWIR 36: Why Hollywood MUST Embrace Free Software Concepts To Survive
The methods of delivering media are rapidly changing….for the better. Here is how the new media works. As a teen, I loved the music of the late Luther Vandross. I thought that I had heard every song that he had ever released. Last week, a friend of mine shared a Luther Vandross song with me via Facebook that I had never heard: Make Me a Believer. I was so blown away by the beauty of the song that I immediately purchased it on Google Play. I am a bright guy who knows multiple ways to easily pirate the song. I could get a torrent or use the Gnutella network to obtain the song in minutes (for free). But I have no desire to for the following reasons: |
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Comments (27)
7 earlier comments in the full thread.
@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.
@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.
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.
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?
> 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.
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.
@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.
> 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.
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.
The maker culture is alive and well. And underground, mostly.
@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.
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.
@skelband
The scary part is that you just might be right.
The scary part is that you just might be right.
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).
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....
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....
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.
> . 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.
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.
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.
@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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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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.