Terminalcoffee discussion

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/bus...

Apple's contracted factories in China are coming under fire (literally and figuratively, it would seem) for dangerous and illegal working conditions. One of the arguments against changing the appalling situation was consumer demand, but if consumers know that their shiny new iGizmo is causing people to die, do you think they might actually wait to get their hands on it, or do they even care?

As a current unidentified Apple executive points out to the Times: "You can either manufacture in comfortable, worker-friendly factories, or you can reinvent the product every year, and make it better and faster and cheaper, which requires factories that seem harsh by American standards. And right now, customers care more about a new iPhone than working conditions in China."

It isn't a choice between having gizmos at all and good working conditions. It's a choice between worker health and safety and having new gizmos at a slower pace and a higher price. I'd happily choose the latter but I know I'm in a minority.
The best I can do is only buy new tech when I really need it, and if the old stuff still works, try to give it to a charity that can use it.

Most people don't care, at least not enough to change their own behavior

Catherine wrote: "How much in debt are we in with China, that we as a country would just collectively sit back and just numb ourselves to what's going on there? Are we that sheep-like in mentality? "

1. Not as much as most people seem to think.
2. Yes.

Hmm...This American Life is retracting the story that started some of this furor.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03...

Mrs. Phil's new iPad 3 arrived about thirty minutes ago.

Here! Someone has finally figure out what ipads are useful for!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGVTp7...