Please create an account to participate in the Slashdot moderation system

 



Forgot your password?
typodupeerror
×

Comment Re:Crapfinity (Score 1) 224

It all depends on where you live.

Even though I live in the East SF Bay (not inland either), OTA, DSL, and non-landline phone are not much of option for me. OTA I get 2 channels - QVC and HSN, so my choices are Comcast or DirectTV/Dish. Price wise, there both basically the same. I had DSL for years, but I would barely get 3megs. For a family of four w/ 2 teenagers, that just cant keep up. And as to using a cell phone instead of landline? Those hills that screww w/ OTA tv also screw with cell signal. I cannot get calls where I live, not matter the carrier (one reason I stick with sprint is the Airrave).

So I have a comcast bundle for 2 years. If they jack the prices, then i'll drop cable in a heartbeat for DirectTv again...

Comment Re:First Amendment implications? (Score 1) 646

It's a equal protection issue. The government is arbitrarily deciding what is "good" speech from what is "bad" speech. In this case it gives what it deems "good" speech protections under trademark law.

It starts with the Redskins. What happens when it denies a trademark to a maker of a product because while that product may be legal, its deemed "bad" by government bureaucrats? Cigarettes? Soda? Fast-food?

Comment Re:Fucking Bush! (Score 2) 272

See...I never saw the guy as a OK dude. When he has both his opponents (2004 Senate, Blair Hull in primary, Jack Ryan in general) sealed divorce records unsealed...he showed he playes very dirty politics. You knew he was more slimy the most politicians...it's people bought the whole Hope and Change con.

Comment Re:Time to become a better shopper (Score 5, Informative) 211

Was hatred of Standard Oil irrational?

Actually, it was somewhat.

In 1865, the price of kerosene was 58 cents/gallon and Standard oil had almost no share of the market. By 1870, Standard Oil had a 4% share of the market and kerosene prices were at 26cents/gallon. In 1880, Standard had a 90% share of the market. Kerosene prices were now at 9cents a gallon. After a decade of 90% market share, kerosene prices were down to 7cents/gallon.

Why? Efficiency.

Rockefeller did such things as purchasing entire forests so he could make his own barrels. The result is a barrel price drop from $3 to $1. Rockefeller also offered guaranteed daily traffic to the railroads using Standard-owned cars, loaded and unloaded in Standard owned facilities. The result was a lowering of transport costs from $900k per trip to $300k per trip.

When it came to take-overs of competitors, Rockefeller opened the books and made a reasonable offer as he wanted talent and assets. If they refused, then he would start undercutting on price (while still turning a profit).

Now Standard Oil wasn't broken up until 1911, but due to competitors copying Rockefellers methods, its market share was at 65% and falling. Standard Oil didn't stop competition, it only forced them to become better.

Slashdot Top Deals

Understanding is always the understanding of a smaller problem in relation to a bigger problem. -- P.D. Ouspensky

Working...