Comment Re:Star Trek replicators (Score 1) 256
Starting with 2006 first...
I actually think that the reason why things are currently being 'DRM to hell' as you put it is that natural scarcity still exists somewhere. For example, a writer wants their work protected so you have to pay them for it. Then they can use the money you paid them to buy food, clothes, a home, ect. These things are truly scarse and have a cost to obtain.
Now what happens to those who create information for a living if all have free access? If you no longer have to pay them for their work, how do they afford to pay for the things that really are scarse? In addition to just the survival thing, there are other costs involved with creating knowledge including time, which itself is a scarse resource.
Thats why the direction is DRM and access control today: because those who create information and knowlege for a living need to be compensated to survive. Not to mention the fact that most of the U.S. economy is based on the knowlege and it is the core asset that most companies hold.
Now back to the Star Trek thing...
Notice how Star Trek not only had replicators, but they also had a renewable energy source to power the replicators. So in the Star Trek world, there was so much surplus thanks to these two technologies that all humans had enough to survive and had enough to fufill their wants too.
The conclusion: until the technology exists to eliminate all scarcity and make it so (couldnt resist) all human needs and desires can be fulfilled, there will always be some kind of imposed access restrictions to resources.
I actually think that the reason why things are currently being 'DRM to hell' as you put it is that natural scarcity still exists somewhere. For example, a writer wants their work protected so you have to pay them for it. Then they can use the money you paid them to buy food, clothes, a home, ect. These things are truly scarse and have a cost to obtain.
Now what happens to those who create information for a living if all have free access? If you no longer have to pay them for their work, how do they afford to pay for the things that really are scarse? In addition to just the survival thing, there are other costs involved with creating knowledge including time, which itself is a scarse resource.
Thats why the direction is DRM and access control today: because those who create information and knowlege for a living need to be compensated to survive. Not to mention the fact that most of the U.S. economy is based on the knowlege and it is the core asset that most companies hold.
Now back to the Star Trek thing...
Notice how Star Trek not only had replicators, but they also had a renewable energy source to power the replicators. So in the Star Trek world, there was so much surplus thanks to these two technologies that all humans had enough to survive and had enough to fufill their wants too.
The conclusion: until the technology exists to eliminate all scarcity and make it so (couldnt resist) all human needs and desires can be fulfilled, there will always be some kind of imposed access restrictions to resources.
