Geee Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Investors Business Daily:The news that Eastman Kodak is preparing to file for bankruptcy, after being the leading photographic company in the world for more than a hundred years, truly marks the end of an era.The skills required to use the cameras and chemicals required by the photography of the mid-19th century were far beyond those of most people — until a man named George Eastman created a company called Kodak, which made cameras that ordinary people could use.It was Kodak's humble and affordable box Brownie that put photography on the map for millions of people, who just wanted to take simple pictures of family, friends and places they visited.As the complicated photographic plates used by 19th century photographers gave way to film, Kodak became the leading film maker of the 20th century.But sales of film declined for the first time in 2000, and sales of digital cameras surpassed the sales of film cameras just three years later.Just as Kodak's technology made older modes of photography obsolete more than a hundred years ago, so the new technology of the digital age has left Kodak behind.Great names of companies in other fields have likewise vanished as new technology brought new rivals to the forefront, or else made the whole product obsolete, as happened with typewriters, slide rules and other products now remembered only by an older generation.That is what happens in a market economy, and we all benefit from it as consumers Unfortunately, that is not what happens in government.The post office is a classic example.Post offices were once even more important than Eastman Kodak, and for a longer time, as the mail provided vital communications linking people and organizations across thousands of miles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clearvision Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Kodak, What an end of an era. It will be interesting some time far in the future that the only thing left for people to learn about us will be little circuit boards. Gone will be photos, books, etc. But then who wants to be remembered by our Facebook walls anyways... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valin Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Kodak, The guy who taught me photography call it the great yellow father. I recall but film/paper from other companies just so it wasn't all yellow in my darkroom. I'm still trying to get used to digital...there that darn piece of glass between me and the image. Never mind the fact that you can lewarn to down things it took me year to learn in a day or two...grumble grumble grumble What an end of an era. It will be interesting some time far in the future that the only thing left for people to learn about us will be little circuit boards. Gone will be photos, books, etc. But then who wants to be remembered by our Facebook walls anyways... Extract from James Burke's 1978 TV series "Connections". This segment, from Episode 1 "The Trigger Effect", James Burke describes how we can be trapped by the reliance on our own technology. Have A Nice Day! There is a (IMO) very good series of Sci-Fi books by SM Stirling Dies The Fire The Change occurred when an electrical storm centered over the island of Nantucket produced a blinding white flash that rendered all electronic devices and fuels inoperable. What follows is the most terrible global catastrophe in the history of the human race-and a Dark Age more universal and complete than could possibly be imagined. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valin Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Kodak, The guy who taught me photography call it the great yellow father. I recall but film/paper from other companies just so it wasn't all yellow in my darkroom. I'm still trying to get used to digital...there that darn piece of glass between me and the image. Never mind the fact that you can lewarn to down things it took me year to learn in a day or two...grumble grumble grumble What an end of an era. It will be interesting some time far in the future that the only thing left for people to learn about us will be little circuit boards. Gone will be photos, books, etc. But then who wants to be remembered by our Facebook walls anyways... Extract from James Burke's 1978 TV series "Connections". This segment, from Episode 1 "The Trigger Effect", James Burke describes how we can be trapped by the reliance on our own technology. Have A Nice Day! There is a (IMO) very good series of Sci-Fi books by SM Stirling Dies The Fire The Change occurred when an electrical storm centered over the island of Nantucket produced a blinding white flash that rendered all electronic devices and fuels inoperable. What follows is the most terrible global catastrophe in the history of the human race-and a Dark Age more universal and complete than could possibly be imagined. PS: We are in one of those periods of history where everything changes...Fall of Rome, end of the Medieval world, the raise of the industrial world,...now the digital world. I wonder what they will say about us in 2-3 hundred years? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clearvision Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Kodak, The guy who taught me photography call it the great yellow father. I recall but film/paper from other companies just so it wasn't all yellow in my darkroom. I'm still trying to get used to digital...there that darn piece of glass between me and the image. Never mind the fact that you can lewarn to down things it took me year to learn in a day or two...grumble grumble grumble What an end of an era. It will be interesting some time far in the future that the only thing left for people to learn about us will be little circuit boards. Gone will be photos, books, etc. But then who wants to be remembered by our Facebook walls anyways... Extract from James Burke's 1978 TV series "Connections". This segment, from Episode 1 "The Trigger Effect", James Burke describes how we can be trapped by the reliance on our own technology. Have A Nice Day! There is a (IMO) very good series of Sci-Fi books by SM Stirling Dies The Fire The Change occurred when an electrical storm centered over the island of Nantucket produced a blinding white flash that rendered all electronic devices and fuels inoperable. What follows is the most terrible global catastrophe in the history of the human race-and a Dark Age more universal and complete than could possibly be imagined. PS: We are in one of those periods of history where everything changes...Fall of Rome, end of the Medieval world, the raise of the industrial world,...now the digital world. I wonder what they will say about us in 2-3 hundred years? "Like"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valin Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Kodak, The guy who taught me photography call it the great yellow father. I recall but film/paper from other companies just so it wasn't all yellow in my darkroom. I'm still trying to get used to digital...there that darn piece of glass between me and the image. Never mind the fact that you can lewarn to down things it took me year to learn in a day or two...grumble grumble grumble What an end of an era. It will be interesting some time far in the future that the only thing left for people to learn about us will be little circuit boards. Gone will be photos, books, etc. But then who wants to be remembered by our Facebook walls anyways... Extract from James Burke's 1978 TV series "Connections". This segment, from Episode 1 "The Trigger Effect", James Burke describes how we can be trapped by the reliance on our own technology. Have A Nice Day! There is a (IMO) very good series of Sci-Fi books by SM Stirling Dies The Fire The Change occurred when an electrical storm centered over the island of Nantucket produced a blinding white flash that rendered all electronic devices and fuels inoperable. What follows is the most terrible global catastrophe in the history of the human race-and a Dark Age more universal and complete than could possibly be imagined. PS: We are in one of those periods of history where everything changes...Fall of Rome, end of the Medieval world, the raise of the industrial world,...now the digital world. I wonder what they will say about us in 2-3 hundred years? "Like"? I like Burke and his approach to history, and how he makes it accessible to we the great unwashed, so that's good. SM Stirling Not sure if this is what you meant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clearvision Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 Ha no. I was joking. This digital era would be remembered for Facebook's "like" button. Sorry I was working on that when you posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casino67 Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 The Constitution authorized the development of the post office, but doesn't address eliminating it. I guess Congress could start making drastic cuts in the services it provides. Could any administration mandate everyone have a computer? How would a package be sent via the internet? There will always be a form of the USPS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clearvision Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I think there is precedent with Health Care. Why not mandate everyone have a computer? Similar to health care if you don't have a computer for email and paying bills, your mail delivery is costing the rest of us billions.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valin Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 The Constitution authorized the development of the post office, but doesn't address eliminating it. I guess Congress could start making drastic cuts in the services it provides. Could any administration mandate everyone have a computer? How would a package be sent via the internet? There will always be a form of the USPS. A good friend of mine works for the Post Office, what he says is many of the packages sent through Fed-Ex & UPS are actually delivered by the Post office. PS: According to him a lot of the problems with the Post Office is it is top heavy with management. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casino67 Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 The Constitution authorized the development of the post office, but doesn't address eliminating it. I guess Congress could start making drastic cuts in the services it provides. Could any administration mandate everyone have a computer? How would a package be sent via the internet? There will always be a form of the USPS. A good friend of mine works for the Post Office, what he says is many of the packages sent through Fed-Ex & UPS are actually delivered by the Post office. PS: According to him a lot of the problems with the Post Office is it is top heavy with management. The last package I got from FedEx was delivered to my mailbox. I get the feeling that the post office is where politicians send their friends to get a job. It is just a big hiring place for friends and family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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