30 Sep
2014
30 Sep
'14
11:03 p.m.
On Tue, Sep 30, 2014 at 02:53:02PM -0400, Paul Davis wrote:
...
and now .... cars are almost all of a near-uniformly high quality, and that
quality exceeds the levels attained even in 1970's era elite vehicles. you
need to know almost nothing about them to use them (other than knowing how
to drive). their reliability and longevity have improved dramatically, as
have their safety qualities. maintainance is generally simple - regular oil
and other fluid changes, less frequent tire replacements, occasional body
work due to damage. oh, and much better fuel mileage too. of course, every
single one of these improvements isn't the end of the road (no pun
intended), and new engine and propulsion systems still offer huge new areas
of potential improvement, along with self-driven cars for some situations.
...
I don't think that is a valid analogy. True, quality and ease of use
have gone up dramatically, but:
* that is mainly the result of fierce competition (and environmental
regulations which have drive manufacturers towards high-tech solutions),
while today's world of information technology and services revolves
about a few de facto monopolies, lots of hype, and a complete absence
of regulations.
* Cars have different features that fit various needs, and I guess
most people select the car they will buy by considering the balance
of features and cost. Which is an entirely different approach than
buying the latest iphone because it is the latest iphone and even
if you don't need it.
* Before cars became a commodity they were the toy and status symbol
of the rich, not of 'car nerds' (although those exist as well).
* Nobody makes free (as in beer) cars.
* In most places, to be allowed to drive a car you don't need to
RTFM but you need formal training and to pass an exam. More so
if you drive something that's not your avarage family car or do
it professionally. In other words, even if car drivers may not
know much about the technology that makes their cars tick, they
are not the typical 'dumb user'.
Ciao,
--
FA
A world of exhaustive, reliable metadata would be an utopia.
It's also a pipe-dream, founded on self-delusion, nerd hubris
and hysterically inflated market opportunities. (Cory Doctorow)