RE: [rp-ml] FYI

Not sure what you makes you think that people are getting less and less
creative all the time. There has certainly been a culture shift over the
last few decades where people will 'repair' less and 'replace' more and
to be honest that's just how the manufacturers want it to be. If you
take the automotive industry for example there has been a growing trend
for parts to be supplied as 'sealed units' and you certainly don't see
as many people tinkering around with their cars like you used to but
that in part at least is due to economics and product design. The time
was when a television would cost you a month's wages and it would be
built to high quality in terms of robustness, aesthetics and durability.
I was a piece of furniture to be prized. Now you can watch Homer Simpson
in his underpants on a piece of kit that has cost less than a week's
wages on a piece of kit that you will keep for three or four years and
is there for purely functional reasons. The manufacturers of course want
you to replace the kit this frequently so there is no craftsmanship
involved at all just an injection moulded case from China stuffed with
an ever changing range of technology aimed at being up to date for
slightly less time that your standard warranty will last. So if that's
what you were getting at then I'm with you but I disagree with the
notion that people are getting less and less creative all the time.

I must admit to not being up to date with exactly what is happening
regarding US patent laws but if it is making it more like European
patent laws then I really don't see the cause for alarm. Sure it will
changes to your side of the pond and if US patent law had been like
European patent law in the past then things would have been much
different in the history of US invention. The world's most prolific
patent generator Thomas Edison openly ripped off hundreds of European
inventions and got away with it. The wizard of Menlo park would have
been just as creative and ingenious but would not have been able to file
anything like the 1,093 patents that he did and probably would have been
a frequent visitor and loser in the patent courts. My point though is
this, Europeans create thousands upon thousands of inventions and
patents every year operating under their patent laws and there's no
reason why the talent in the US would not be able to do the same.
Invention throughout Europe is very much alive and kicking thanks, so
there's no reason at all to predict the death of American inventors just
yet.

Jez Pullin.

From: owner-rp-ml@rapid.lpt.fi [mailto:owner-rp-ml@rapid.lpt.fi] On
Behalf Of G. Sachs
Sent: 06 July 2011 17:12
To: rp-ml@rapid.lpt.fi
Subject: [rp-ml] FYI

Some of you may like to listen to this program today: Kind of strange it
would be on this kind of show (usually covers politics and social
issues). For us, this will be mostly a lot of old news though. I also
don't think average people are going to be making replacement parts for
their appliances - ever (or ever going to interested in doing their own
appliance repair or manufacture). 3D printer manufacturers can fantasize
all they want about this possibility but it's not going to happen, since
most people are actually getting less and less creative all the time.

http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2011/07/06/3d-printers

On a side note, the proposed changes to U.S. patent law (making it more
like European patent law), will surely have a deleterious effect on
individual creativity and invention in the future and further erode the
desire of most individuals to do anything on their own. How many people
in Europe make their own replacement parts, or anything on their own,
for that matter? If the U.S. Congress (beholding to big corporations)
gets its way, it will be bye, bye, independent American creators and
inventors. Maybe, "next time", they should learn to lobby better and pay
their Congressmen their expected "fees" - but then, if these changes do
go through, there won't be a next time for American inventors..

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Received on Wed Jul 06 20:38:57 2011