Thoughts on technology

[Alex]

After reading the thoughts provoked by Wildebloods democracy thought.

Why should we follow every tech thought, even after it is shown to be destructive,

Example.
Nuclear power.
Totally harmfull in every way. No exceptions.
It's not cheap.
Not actually efficient, bit like the hybrid car.
very poisinous in all stages of production.
batteries ain't safe, look into how they are made.

Any thoughts on what are actually real advances that help our planet?

I think the advance of communication between people like this is a good step forward.
Go internet
Down census of said.

What says yous?

[Diziet Sma]

What says yous?

No arguments from me..

Heck, I'd even be in favour of abolishing "Civilisation".

[SteveKing]

Heck, I'd even be in favour of abolishing "Civilisation".

As long as we can keep all our 'civilised' technology that makes our life that little bit more comfortable

[ClymAngus]

Communication is a two way street my friend. It will put you into contact with better read people who could potentially knock your arguments into a cocked had and make you look like a fool. Question is how do you deal with that? Do you learn from it, take their views on board and try to counter their arguments. Gracefully conceding when they prove to be correct?

Or do you stick your fingers in your ears shout LA LA LA! Then accuse everyone who doesn't agree with you to be involved in a planet wide conspiracy?

Communication does not guarantee the validity of the message being communicated.

That said your mining companies have too much power, your Prime minister is a twit and as a country that has more sun falling on it per square cm than you can bake a brick with; your governments attitude to solar makes me want to scream. In a nut shell; I can see why your pissed.

[Diziet Sma]

Communication is a two way street my friend. It will put you into contact with better read people who could potentially knock your arguments into a cocked had and make you look like a fool. Question is how do you deal with that? Do you learn from it, take their views on board and try to counter their arguments. Gracefully conceding when they prove to be correct?

Are you speaking to Alex's statements about nuclear power, here?

[ClymAngus]

Nope and that's the beauty of it. I'm not expressing an opinion on the subject matter. Merely warning of the folly of oversimplifying complex issues.

[Diziet Sma]

Ah.. gotcha.

In which case, my answer to your questions is, yes, I do.

[Alex]

Communication is a two way street my friend. It will put you into contact with better read people who could potentially knock your arguments into a cocked had and make you look like a fool. Question is how do you deal with that? Do you learn from it, take their views on board and try to counter their arguments. Gracefully conceding when they prove to be correct?

Or do you stick your fingers in your ears shout LA LA LA! Then accuse everyone who doesn't agree with you to be involved in a planet wide conspiracy?

Communication does not guarantee the validity of the message being communicated.

That said your mining companies have too much power, your Prime minister is a twit and as a country that has more sun falling on it per square cm than you can bake a brick with; your governments attitude to solar makes me want to scream. In a nut shell; I can see why your pissed.

Never had a problem about getting things wrong. Generaly one of the the best ways to learn. Ask, try, fail, ask again, repeat.
Usually more ways to skin a cat thing.

Absolutly no argument about Au Gov attitude to renewables and present PM mostly resembles a loose leaf in the wind with main leaf blowers held by.. Well that's a bit obvious.

As for baking a brick, would probably take about a square Km. They do need quite a bit of sustained heat to cook properly. But then agian, Aus, just over 7 million SqKms, That's a lot of bricks.

Renewable energy Vs Fossil energy.
Not really a complex issue.
Hold a referendum, KISS principal, That or that option.
Act on it 100%

Still
I really like the idea of banning all career/pro polititians from holding office.
Might not be practical, but would be fun to watch them as their trade became obsolete.
Mine became obsolete in the early 90's. Board level electronics tech. Was replaced by what we refered to as board jokeys.
Seen it coming years before, wasn't bothered, was kinda board of the job anyway.

[spud42]

me too. thats why i got into electronics. i had a great job for a small electronics company here in Brisbane but Keatings recession we had to have killed our customers off and then us.

wsa doing night school and after i was laid off i finished it off full time in 1 year. Sadly i have never really used it. still made the odd kit as needed and made a few guitar amps but for the past 20 years my soldering irons have been retired.....

Who wants to pay someone time to repair a board when they come off a production line so cheap?

[Alex]

most of the time board replacement isn't even an option. Now you just replace the whole unit.
About 20 years ago my mum burned out the clothes dryer motor. I called around for a replacment, ended up with the manufacturer. Replacement motor was going to cost more than replacing the whole machine!?

What does that say about our consumer enconomy.

[Diziet Sma]

What does that say about our consumer enconomy.

Welcome to the throwaway society, writ large..

And we wonder why we're destroying the environment..

[Selezen]

It's the same with laser printers. One can buy a laser printer at about the same price as one replacement toner cart. When one runs out, it's cheaper to buy a new printer, because then all the other toners are "refilled" as well.

Madness.

[spud42]

yep... not just printers. just about anything.

if you bought all the spare parts to build a $30,000 car it would cost you $100,000+ thats where they get you and make their money... spare parts. modules/boards are higher value items that can be charged at a high rate...

a single controller board for a mid range RICOH copier/printer/scanner costs us $1000. if you are not on contract and need this you are looking at over $2500 plus labour at $180/Hr +GST of 10%....
another weird example is if i order a fuser for a printer its over $400 our cost, if i order the same thin in a "Maintenance Kit" which has extra parts as well as the same fuser, it is only $200 ish.... go figure...

Capitalism at its finest.

[Selezen]

Interestingly, 3D printing seems to be an exception to the rule. It's a new, emerging technology that has components that collectively come to about the same amount as the full unit.

Example is the 3D Print and Create magazine collection. 2 years worth of magazines and parts to build a £700 3D printer - and the collective total of the installments is £700! That's pretty cool. SHame I need to wait 2 years for the printer, but when I have it, it'll be worth the wait!

[spud42]

i did a quick calculation when i saw the first isue in our newsagents in Australia. the first issue was $5 the second $10 then all the rest were $15. came to around $1500 for a printer that i could buy as a kit for under $1000... needless to say i didnt buy it.

3D printing is evolving so fast that by the time you had all the parts assembled for this printer it would be 3 or 4 generations old....