on 12-11-04 1:23 PM, Steven Lee Stinnett at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > So - I'll repeat the question, "Why aren't we forcing digital business > community to ante up with free tech support for our kids?"
Wow! ::shakes head in amazement:: I'm always amazed/amused/appalled when people say something like: "Hey, business/industry X ought to perform action Y solely because it's the Right Thing to Do." Socialism aside, please ask youself what, exactly, is the incentive for businesses to give away free tech support? Or anything else that they can charge money for for that matter? > Having been on the inside of the publishing industry I can tell you > this means - as an example - $100 is discounted off the price of a > $170 dollar program which costs $14 (development cost included) to > publish. The example is a simplistic variation on a theme yet it's > still safe to say that the same sort of profit to cost ratio applies to > firmware manufacturers as well. Um, I could say the same thing about any number of other industries (consumer electronics, anyone?) But why do businesses do these things? 1) Because the free market lets them. If I'm a publisher and I price my product at a point that the market won't bear, I will price myself right out of business. I have to price my product so that some people are willing to meet that price. Likewise, there is always a possibility that a competitor will decide that s/he can sell an identical product for less money and undercut my pricing. I then have to decide if I should lower my existing price, somehow differentiate my product from theirs to justify my higher price, or just go out of business. 2) The people who run/work at these businesses like to drive big, shiny cars. The more money they make, the bigger/shinier their car will be. Never underestimate the power of this to motivate people. So, rather than saying, "Why can't we force businesses to do what we want them to," why don't you instead ask, "Is there a way to pitch this to the industry so that there's a perceived benefit for them?" Like, say, a tax write-off? <shrugs> Of course, pitching things to people requires you to Be Clever. There's no denying that this is hard work. It's much easier instead to get the State to step in and make other people do what you want them to do. Sadly, people seem to be sharply favoring the latter approach rather than the former without thinking hard about the long-term implications of this way of thinking. Won't you please help to reverse this trend? Best, James Fraser -- G-List is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- We have Apple Refurbished Monitors in stock! | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> G-List list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/g-list%40mail.maclaunch.com/> iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com
