Comments on: More anthropologists and R&D 2.0 http://cultureby.com/2009/06/more-anthropologists-and-rd-20.html This Blog Sits At the Intersection of Anthropology and Economics Wed, 23 May 2012 20:32:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Scott Ellington http://cultureby.com/2009/06/more-anthropologists-and-rd-20.html/comment-page-1#comment-723 Scott Ellington Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:33:11 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=84#comment-723 Josh Levy (of Free Press) in scrutinizing the AT&T/iPhone relationship says: "These 'exclusive deals' remind me of the days when AT&T held a monopoly over all phone communications. Consumers could only use one phone, on one network, at rates set by one company. No innovations could take place without AT&T's permission. When federal rules forced AT&T to open its network, an explosion of innovation occurred with new fax machines, Internet modems and answering machines. I'm content to illustrate my contention with a cheesy reference to "Eloi". Josh Levy (of Free Press) in scrutinizing the AT&T/iPhone relationship says:
“These ‘exclusive deals’ remind me of the days when AT&T held a monopoly over all phone communications. Consumers could only use one phone, on one network, at rates set by one company. No innovations could take place without AT&T’s permission. When federal rules forced AT&T to open its network, an explosion of innovation occurred with new fax machines, Internet modems and answering machines.

I’m content to illustrate my contention with a cheesy reference to “Eloi”.

]]> By: Christopher http://cultureby.com/2009/06/more-anthropologists-and-rd-20.html/comment-page-1#comment-722 Christopher Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:52:01 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=84#comment-722 Numbering these as sequential seems a mistake and ignores the important historical history of mixing "hard" and "soft" scientists with writers and artists:from Bletchley Park in England, Riverbank Labratories in the U.S. to Xerox PARC. It's important to have those successful historical precedents, especially when trying to break through resistance to this concept. Numbering these as sequential seems a mistake and ignores the important historical history of mixing “hard” and “soft” scientists with writers and artists:from Bletchley Park in England, Riverbank Labratories in the U.S. to Xerox PARC. It’s important to have those successful historical precedents, especially when trying to break through resistance to this concept.

]]> By: srp http://cultureby.com/2009/06/more-anthropologists-and-rd-20.html/comment-page-1#comment-721 srp Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:12:26 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=84#comment-721 In poor countries, lots of people "hack" or repair their stuff because they can't afford to do otherwise. An important stage of development--which most of the population of these countries is now reaching--is precisely when people stop hacking because prosperity reaches the point that their opportunity cost of time has risen so much. They'd rather pay more to get reliability or to replace things when they break or become obsolete. Hacking and other forms of tinkering-for-fun then re-occur (for a small subset of the population)at a later stage of development when leisure time has soared beyond the level available during industrialization. They are probably still at the waning stage in most durable goods markets in these countries. Product planning based on customer-generated tinkering will probably miss the window of growth. In poor countries, lots of people “hack” or repair their stuff because they can’t afford to do otherwise. An important stage of development–which most of the population of these countries is now reaching–is precisely when people stop hacking because prosperity reaches the point that their opportunity cost of time has risen so much. They’d rather pay more to get reliability or to replace things when they break or become obsolete.

Hacking and other forms of tinkering-for-fun then re-occur (for a small subset of the population)at a later stage of development when leisure time has soared beyond the level available during industrialization. They are probably still at the waning stage in most durable goods markets in these countries. Product planning based on customer-generated tinkering will probably miss the window of growth.

]]> By: Scott Ellington http://cultureby.com/2009/06/more-anthropologists-and-rd-20.html/comment-page-1#comment-720 Scott Ellington Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:17:56 +0000 http://localhost/wp_culture/?p=84#comment-720 Engineers, scientists, anthropologists, ethnographers and development economists will still be employees of multinational corporations engaged in the creation of proprietary mass-market products in R&D v2.0. Customers customize those products. The fundamental conflict of interests between "customers" and "producers" will persist until "hackers" are venerated on R&D v3.0 teams. "No user-serviceable parts within." is the unambiguous sign of olden times. Engineers, scientists, anthropologists, ethnographers and development economists will still be employees of multinational corporations engaged in the creation of proprietary mass-market products in R&D v2.0. Customers customize those products. The fundamental conflict of interests between “customers” and “producers” will persist until “hackers” are venerated on R&D v3.0 teams.

“No user-serviceable parts within.” is the unambiguous sign of olden times.

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