IT and Technological development and Quality Of Life 2

[guestgulkan]

What should be the underlying drive behind the development of IT and Technology?
As I see it, current technological developments are simply widening the gap between the so called first, second and third 'worlds'.

Do we need to take a step back and try to take in the wider world picture, rather than fixate on local national political self-interest?

 

[CajunCenturion]

The underlying drive(s) behind the development of IT and Technology are -- in no particular order -- to make money, to improve efficiency of processes, improve quality of life (medical tech as one example), better utilization of resources (less waste of both time and material), generally to make things easier. This list is by no means complete and I'm sure other can easily add other benefits.

I would also like to say a goal is to simplify certain things, but often this goal is missed as some tech improvements actually complicate things. Good Luck
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As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[edfair]

For software sellers, to make money. For the users, all the rest.
Unfortunately most users can't make informed choices because there is too much stuff out there to look at, so they make the safe choice. Nobody gets fired for choosing the latest Microsoft product.
Seems I heard that about 20 years ago, at the beginning of the PC revolution. Nobody ever got fired for choosing IBM. And everybody knows what happened to IBM's PC business. Or should. Ed Fair
unixstuff@juno.com
Any advice I give is my best judgement based on my interpretation of the facts you supply. Help increase my knowledge by providing some feedback, good or bad, on any advice I have given.

 

[Techart]

There may be some widening of the gap in some things particularly as related to technology, but there is much good that is being accomplished in third world countries. Particularly in medical advancement brought about by technology. One example would be the finding of a cure for leprosy in the USA. Volunteer groups in third world countries administer the medication to afflicted individuals. I personally see much more good than bad resulting from increasing technological knowledge. IT is such an important part of todays world, where would we be without it? I would say the underlying drive should be to improve the world in any way we can. Making money will automatically follow. However, if money is the number 1 priority, then improvement will follow, etc. I understand your concern, it is laudable. I have also felt that way, but slowing down your fastest vessels so the slowest can keep up is not always the best solution. By the way, look at the bottom and the rear of the equipment your working on. Was it made in a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd world country?

 

[svanels]

Under lying drives:

1) Make money: "look at the bottom and the rear of the equipment your working on"

2) Make money: check out the various threads about IT related industries moving out of the US

Slowing down is not the solution. I am no 1^st world citizen. 15 years ago I was tied to books and magazines to expand my knowledge (If there lasted some money after satisfying my primary needs).

I agree that the balance is positive. Steven van Els
SAvanEls@cq-link.sr

 

[gurner]

In the 1st world, technology enables production efficency to increase, turnover will increase, prices will fall as the world becomes flooded with these products, the third world will be roped into it because of the even lower living costs (a malnorished african will live on 50p, 1$ a day)

Corporations get richer, giving most to the higher order of their ranks, making lower staff redundant, because their call centre has moved to India, the speed of PBX and PSTNs mean that Judith in her 3 bed semi in Slough doesn't know she is speaking to Himali (aka Sarah) in Deli.

Car plants become almost entirely automated, requiring only a couple of guys to wander around ever half an hour inbetween reading the Sun newspaper.

Builders, Plumbers, general skilled labourers salaries will sky rocket (x2 x3 x4 that of a White collar worker) because so many have jumped on the IT band wagon with promises of Riches, and there is a desperate shortage of skilled labour.

People start jumping on a fast moving train called '.COM'

The IT industry will straighten itself out, it moves to fast for fly boys and lazy types to hang around and develop a Status Quo in their environment (they will be exposed as get rich oportunist, that will backrupt themselves, and end up asking for change outside Waterloo)

What does this leave us with?

More PR, Marketing, sales, Media, Spin, Politians with 70 Spin Doctors and 4 Jaguar Cars, Pop Star Wannabes as the youth today have it to easy, its either Drugs and Fame or Working hard to make a living, to be comfortable safe in the knowledge that you are OK, the state and all associated with it is robbing you blind but you don't care, you can comfortably get by, not having to worry about how the poor types live.

Nah, they'll pick the drugs

Yes you can make a differece, go off and be a missionary, god knows we need more people like that.

But real change comes from above, the Fat cats in their Gentlemens clubs, Footballers earning x70 the national average salary, Mummies little baby dashing around London living such an oh so fabulous Bohiemian life style getting free drinks and borrowing that Gucci handbag, whilst the rest of us wait out in the rain to pay £6 or 10$ for a Budweiser after paying enough to get in to buy a new television from Dixons off of a disgruntled miserable student that would rather be sat in a bus stop getting high.

Illegal Aliens invading 1st world countries because all they see from the out side is riches and state sponsored bliss (US included)

Dustmen earning more than Firemen, Nurses working x2 as long as an IT techie and getting paid less, IT Techies being infinatly more intelligent, resourceful, generally better than the Univ Educated Business graduate that got the job above him coz his dad knows the director.

Any of this sound familiar?

Im not predjudice in any way, just needed to get this out before i went mad.

Just my little Rant

 

[gurner]

Clyde from Botswana working as a PBX consultant or Citrix engineer is fine, more the better. Paul from Salibury teaching english in Taiwan, getting there!

Jonhan from Albania selling 14 year old girls as prostitues behind the cloud of an illegally setup Kebab house, Hang On!

 

[svanels]

"Nurses working x2 as long as an IT techie and getting paid less" looking back to some of the threads, people swore that that nursery was paying more then IT, but Girth, sadly but true, that is the picture

"Illegal Aliens invading 1st world countries because all they see from the out side is riches and state sponsored bliss (US included)"
Nurses from 3^rd countries working 3x as long, and 4x harder for less money, because the "Alien" headhunters snooped out the workforce after they took out first the teachers, engineers, doctors etc.
Passing nursery school is a passport to the 1^st world. Steven van Els
SAvanEls@cq-link.sr

 

[guestgulkan]

I personnally disagree with the importation of 2nd/3rd world techies or general workers to - say for example - the UK.
I say this not because of any personal prejudice - but because they tend to be paid to be paid less than the locals, and in certain jobs less than the minimum wage.
£1.50 /hour may be a vast improvement compared to their country of origin, but in the UK it's still slave wages, all you will create is an underpaid mistreated underclass.
The importation of nurses/technicians/scientists can also produce a 'Brain Drain' effect on the 2nd/3rd world country.

On the other hand I disagree with companies from the UK closing down whole factories and moving production to countries such as
Malaya [happened recently with a company close to my home].

I propose a 'Middle way' - exportation of jobs.
By all means build a factory in a 2nd/3rd world country - but
say that 25% - to 33% of the jobs will be done by people from the UK/US/France or whatever.
This method has been used by the Armed forces of coutries like US/UK/France who have bases around the world to great effect.
In addition they may be tax breaks associated with living/working abroad.

 

[svanels]

25% - 33% of the jobs will be done by people from the US/UK/France whatever. The good companies will send out their top performers to run the show, but most of the companies will send the as... they want to get rid of and they will be paid x times the locals who are performing far more better.
We have seen it, company who deliver the equipment send a "hillbilly" who is disposable to act like expert. The problem is hydraulic, expert says: I only do piping, ask for the hydraulic expert. End of story locals modify equipment to let it work. Consultant leaves with photos of "new technology" !!! Talking about brain-drain and technology transfer. Locals get the change to compare their skills with "1^st world expert", take plane and substitute expert at home for less money. Company makes profit. Hail to globalization. Steven van Els
SAvanEls@cq-link.sr

 

[Tarwn]

Heh
I'm not sure that was supposed to be funny or if thats a side reaction of waking up late and not having coffee yet

-Tarwn --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
For my next trick I will pull a hat out of a rabbit (if you think thats bad you should see how the pigeon feels...)

 

[petermeachem]

Girth and guestgulkan. Excellent articles, well thought out and I agree with every word.
What we need is to stop exploiting less well off countries and using less well off countries to exploit us, particularly if it is done to please shareholders. Peter Meachem
peter @ accuflight.com