Letters to the Editor
dawdler
Published Letters: 98 Editor's Choice: 10
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Data Portability is Important
[Read the article: Does Blockbuster edit its movies?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Netflix is somewhat of a trivial example, but I agree with the underlying guiding principle that allowing users to import and, more importantly, export data is important.
If the value proposition of your product depends on user-generated content - I'm talking about the content itself, not the ability to generate it or what you can do with it - then you don't really have much of a value proposition. You're just stealing your user-base's creative output.
Products that provide true value outside of user-generated content don't need to lock user-generated data into their silo. Because the value of the product comes from what you can do with that data and how it adds value to system-generated data or functionality.
Most product managers simply don't really think this through. They have a gut-reaction of "hey, that's OUR data" and leave it at that.
Really visionary product managers will understand that it's the unique functionalty of your web-based product that actually adds value, not the content that users generate.
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It's Autobiographical Social History, Skunkeye - Whaddaya Want?
[Read the article: Remembrance of tacos past]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]There's always a handful of people that'll call "navelgazer" on these Salon articles. Yeah. So what if it is? :) That's the point. It's a social/cultural history lesson, just in an autobiographical context. Sometimes the memoir-iness can be a little nauseating, but I'm not sure what you'd want in its place. Not every article has to be about the Iraq War. And as someone who grew up in LA, I can tell you that this article will be an interesting read for some people. :)
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I have to agree with ByteDruid - it may just be targeting demographics
[Read the article: Women are the new men on TV]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]My guess is that mainstream sitcomes and especially dramas are watched by more women than men and that's why they are being developed the way they are.
I'm a male and these are some of the shows/channels I (unashamedely :) watch:
- Comedy Central
- Daily Show
- Colbert Report
- Fox
- Family Guy
- PBS
- Nature
- Blue Planet
- Discovery Channel
- Mythbusters
- Animal Planet
- Animal Cops
- HBO
- Flight of the Conchords
- Entourage
- Movies
- Bravo
- Top Chef
- Project Runway
- NBC
- The Office
- A&E
- Intervention
Do you notice something? No primetime sitcoms or dramas with ONE exception. The Office.
I simply don't care about primetime dramas or sitcoms. And I get most of my news from the internet.
Most men I know have similar tastes in terms of channels and shows. I know very few men who watch primetime sitcoms or dramas.
Maybe this is simply marketing?
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Um... Biological Imperative?
[Read the article: Greening the mommy wars]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Conversations about reproduction that focus mainly on lifestyle or natural resources - i.e. childbirth as a microeconomic equation - baffle me.
The defining characteristic of life is that it reproduces. Reproduction propagates your genes. Propagation of your genes is a primary goal of life.
That is NOT by itself a justification for reproduction.
However, it also seems strange to not mention this simple imperative as a factor in the "decision" to have children.
The simple fact is that we are all programmed to reproduce. Not that we all should or will reproduce. But to reduce reproduction to issues of lifestyle or environmental impact seems to miss a major part of the decision that is more intangible and metaphysical.
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The Consolidation Prisoner's Dilemma - "They can do this voluntarily..."
[Read the article: Ask the pilot]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I thought "Prisoner" has a nice double meaning here... :)
It's a classic prisoner's dilemma:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner%27s_dilemma
Nobody wants to be the first to consolidate for fear of losing business. Whether the fear is justified by the facts of the market or just perceived threat is moot. Probably no carrier wants to be the first. Unless somehow the market makes it clear that it WANTS consolidation. But the market doesn't care whether it's on a big plane or a little one.
The government will have to force the issue.
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Nobody - You Need Some Perspective
[Read the article: Born-again sneaker freak]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The world is a foul and onerous place precisely because of the selfish consumerist behavior of the vast majority of the citizens of the United States.
Huh? By that logic, if the US disappeared right now, the world no longer be a foul and onerous place? That's right. People in Darfur would stop killing each other. Saudi's would decide that woman are human beings. And China would decide to stop spewing industrial pollution. Among other things.
Yes, we over-consume. But so does every society that is able to up its production. So we're not alone. The Chinese are much more brand-conscious than we are and you can bet that their consumption will continue to ratchet up for decades as long as their economy keeps humming along.
Human nature is self-interested and certainly we have some cultural roots in materialism (Protestant work ethic). It takes great leaders, a lot of education and a solid civil society to teach people to look beyond the material and to strive for sustainable resource consumption. And I agree that we absolutely should keep working at that.
But to say that it's because of the US that the world is a dark place is, in my humble opionion, lacking in perspective.
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Snobbery is a State of Mind
[Read the article: Snobbery rules]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]snob /snɒb/ –noun a person who believes himself or herself an expert or connoisseur in a given field and is condescending toward or disdainful of those who hold other opinions or have different tastes regarding this field
To me snobbery is something that involves both condescension and a sense of moral superiority.
There's nothing wrong with having knowledge about food and appreciating good food.
However, there is something wrong for looking down on someone who does not know about food or appreciate good food.
And let us not forget that it can be just as snobbish to look down on someone for knowing too much about food or over-appreicating good food.
For example, tomreedtoon is as much of a snob for disparaging French cheese as is the cheese buff who disparages Kraft singles. I, for one, like them both. (Grilled cheese sandwiches call for American cheese IMHO).
It cuts both ways.