Archive for January, 2009

Jan 20

Observing the Observer

I’ll be the first to admit that I am an introvert.

I dislike crowds, noisy place and find it very difficult to be comfortable around new people I have only recently met.

But despite that, I like watching people, actually, it’s closer to an addiction.  In fact, my wife finds it damn annoying.  We can be sitting at a cafe or restaurant, and while I am listening to her, I will be watching and listening to three or four other tables, or the staff behind the counter, or even things happening on the street.

Today for instance I was at a kebab cafe waiting for a takeout order. I saw various people. Some young office workers chatting about the Big Day Out. A couple of obvious IT people, discussing quite heatedly the fact their project manager was a fuck wit.  An older woman, maybe in her 60s sitting in a corner with a notebook (a paper one, not a computer!) The most intriguing was a family, with a son and two daughters.  The eldest looked to be about 14, and was at that point teasing her sister while still trying to be “mature” while talking to her parents. It was amusing because she would break into childish giggles, then try to be all adult a moment later. She felt very grown up when her dad asked her to go order some more drinks.

Very seldom do I ever get caught “observing” people, although I sometimes get strange looks when I chuckle about a conversation I overhear when it’s obvious I am standing there on my own.

However, I caught the eyes of older lady and she beamed a smile that was nearly as cheeky and childlike as the young teenage girl I had just been observing. Her eye were piercing blue and full of life.  I smiled back, a little embarrassed at being caught out.

After getting my food,  I walked past the window where she was sitting. Looking in, I saw various sketches, including a couple of me.

Guess I am not the only observer around, and she obviously had far more practice at it than me because I never knew she was observing the observer.

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Posted in People

Jan 19

Legal Downloads Increase By 25%

EARLIER this month I wrote a piece on the music industry (Is The Music Industry Dead?)

Today, I heard a soundbite on the radio that last year, 95% of all music downloaded was done so illegally. This was a scarey number!

Then a few more “minor” details were added, which shows the industry and the consumer are finally starting to find a balance.

Legal downloads had increased by a wopping 25% over 2007 figures and legal downloads account for 20% of revenue.

However, the music industry are still pressuring for legislation to disconnect habitual individuals who download music illegally.

On one hand, I can see their point, but as my original post tried to highlight, they need to explore better options than punitive punishment.  The pressure it puts on individuals and ISPs plus the policing is just too great a task.

The model they need to move for is “all-you-can-eat” subscriptions.  Make it relatively cost effective for the consumer, easy to monitor and so easy people will move away from piracy.  If they can get 50% of all downloads to be legitimate, the problem becomes much easier to manage.

I know of several people who will download tracks illegally, see if they like them (takes them days or weeks) then they will buy either the CD or buy the track, and sometimes others once they like the artist etc.  These people are good for the industry but technically break the law and would be caught up in the new legislation some countries like France and New Zealand have put in place.

It would be great if they could do something without alienating people. I for one would be happy to pay $20-30 a month and be able to download music as often as I like. It’s a great model for an ailing industry, and I hope they finally realize the old approaches won’t work.

What about you, have you downloaded illegally?  What’s your price point that it becomes easier just to download it legally?

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Posted in Internet, Law and Order, Piracy

Jan 06

Is the music industry dead?

I read some article ages ago (still trying to find it again, but that issue is  for another time) about the state of the music industry.

They were, and are, in deep shit.  This is bad for the artists, and largely the executives of the various music industry corporates dropped the ball.  This holds true for the film industry to a degree as well.

Many, many years ago now, when I developed my very first internet application (we are talking around 1995), I showed it to a few of my colleagues.  They were amazed that a file over on that server could be accessed via the telephone like a fax machine is used for sending the image of a piece of paper. (best analogy I could come up with back then).

I had immediately thought about the possibilities and implications.  Even then copying games and the like was prolific.

Years later internet based piracy had gained traction, and the music industry was in damage control.  They were losing revenue through piracy with sites like Napster and they didn’t like it. What is worse is the executives and their legal advisers did not understand the technology or the way the internet would change society forever.

This was where the music industry reached a crossroad, embrace the internet, crush the internet or ignore the internet.

We all know what happened.  The law suits started, DRM (Digital Rights Management) was introduced.  But the music industry is still losing it’s fight. And it will disappear unless it changes.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but the reality is they should have gone to Napster and made a deal. A friend of mine created an online music store called Digirama, it does OK.  iTunes does OK, as did Coke’s venture.

But at the end of the day, the music industry as we know it is dead.  $0.99 for a track?  It’s still too much when you can grab it for free.  DRM?  Damn it, I made hundreds of cassette copies from my record collection, why should I be limited to 3 computers/devices?  Why can’t I play it in the car? One in three CDs with DRM or similar protection DON’T WORK in car stereos!

They also have the problem that there are the equivalent of  “self publishing” companies popping up targeting new artists.  For example tuneflow.com (I’m affiliate, so sue me ;) ) pay up to 80% of the sales price to the artist, that certainly beats the 15% the music industry pays it’s artists!

So what does the music industry need to do?

Simple.  Ditch the “hard” copy of the media, go electronic.  Work with companies like Napster to get electronic distribution going.  Cut costs and “dead weight” in the industry.  Use the internet to their advantage.

Does it really need to cost $250,000 for the producer to help produce the album?  What do they bring to the table in the modern age?

You can buy pretty good recording gear for less than US$5,000 – you can set up a basic sound room for about the same.  Your dad, sister, brother whoever can help produce it.

The music industry needs to realize they are no longer needed for the production of a quality album.  And with sites like Bebo, Facebook and the like, marketing “new artists” is no longer the huge expense it used to be. Hell, look at some of the new artists only being release on iTunes and so on.

They need to embrace the internet, or they are gone in the next 5-10 years.

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Posted in Internet, Law and Order, Music, Piracy

Jan 05

Karuun and the shirt…

His misery lay in a pool of vomit resembling porridge and diced carrot. His shirt was covered, wet with half digested alcohol. As he stirred, it was obvious he was coherent enough to know what had happen, but perhaps he was not quite so aware of the extent of the mess he was in.

As he walked through the kitchen towards the bathroom, people looked sideways. His glazed eyes focused on nothing in particular as he moved unsteadily towards his goal. Their faces were a mixture of disgust, concern and sympathy. Most had been as bad or worse at some stage in their young lives.

His intent was obvious as he weaved unsteadily towards the bathroom, but as most males know, the bathroom at a 20 something’s party is off-limits to males. The line of young women ensuring the fence out back is the best option for the guys. His addled mind had missed that detail.

As realization dawned on him, a young woman approached him. Although the crowd parted for his reeking presence, she was finding it much harder. He had almost reached the front door when she finally caught up.

“Jack? Are you alright?” Karen said with concern.

“Karuun? Oh, shit.”

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Posted in Culture, People, Responsibility

Jan 01

What world leaders are paid

It has recently been determined that some leader’s around the world are paid more than others.

What is a surprise is that at face value some leader’s are paid disproportionately to their country’s financial health.

This “health” can largely be determined by the GDP of a country adjusted for Purchasing Power Parity.

There was a recent NZ Herald article that had undertones attacking what our leader, and politicians are paid, plus an editorial by Fran O’Sullivan.

However, what I found is the following:

GDP(PPP) Leader Salary Ratio
Hong Kong 42,123 546,762 12.98
Germany 34,212 335,112 9.79
New Zealand 26,610 229,287 8.61
United Kingdom 36,570 297,015 8.12
Australia 36,225 232,815 6.42
Bolivia 4,084 22,576 5.52

What I found interesting is New Zealand’s leader is paid substantially more than Australia’s, and furthemore, that Australia’s PPP is less than New Zealand’s.  This dispells the myth that Australia is a better place to live. Yes, salaries are higher, but overall their is less wealth per person.

However, New Zealand is on par with the UK, and compared to richer countries our leader’s are paid substantially less.

Poor old Bolivia however, their leader is basically doing it out of the goodness of their heart.

I may extend this little investigation to include the minimum wage as a ratio as well.  Might be too hard with limited resources.

John Key can rest assured that he is not really all that overpaid as some people say.

I do however agree with Fran O’Sullivan’s point that our politicians and leader should be paid based on economic performance of the country.

My formula is quite simple. 2/3 of their salary is paid as normal. 1/3 is paid upon meeting agreed fiscal and social targets.  If they exceed the targets by say 20%, they get a further 1/3 bonus.

Obviously with so many politicians being completely out of touch with private sector, it is unlikely they will every agree to something like this.  They may actually have to perform for a change.

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Posted in Income, Politicians