- Friday, 27 November 2009
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If sex sells products, does bad sex sell bad products? - The Chicago Savant
Third of Europeans have never been online
A THIRD of all Europeans have never used the internet, according to a study by the European Commission.
The study, dished up by EC minister for Information Society and Media Viviane Reding, also found that one in four Europeans had never used a computer and 40 per cent had no Internet access at home
The worst offenders were the older generation and the unemployed, who it is probably fair to say have more important things to concern themselves with, like Countdown and Deal or no Deal, and don't get to play with other people's computers all day like those in office jobs do.
However the 'kids' are far more likely to be found glued to their computers and indeed almost three-quarters of those polled said that they regularly used the net and, more importantly to the EC, its online services.
Reding added that these 'digital natives', people under 24, consume the net like angry whales and actually might be happy to pay for some of the services that they use one day. The result of this, she explained, is that the digital economy isn't generating as much cash at it could. Yet.
After taking a deep breath Reding said, "Europe's digital economy has tremendous potential to generate huge revenues across all sectors. But to turn this advantage into sustainable growth and new jobs, governments must show leadership by adopting coordinated policies that dismantle existing barriers to new services. We should seize the opportunity of a new generation of Europeans who will soon be calling the shots in the European market place. These young people are intensive internet users and are also highly demanding consumers. To release the economic potential of these 'digital natives', we must make access to digital content an easy and fair game."
And she might have added, "all we have to do now is wean them off the diet of free video, music, porn and social notworking they've been consuming like aforementioned angry whales."
Because with the intent being to boost the digital economy, we doubt that in this case "easy and fair" will translate as free. µ
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Was this an online survey?
Well if theyd elect the national socialists then theyd got intrenet inserted into every home. Fucking libtards.
But they have health insurance. And shops next door, working public transportation, good schools, parks and forests, retirement plans etc. And the EU has the highest GDP in the world [CIA World Factbook, International Monetary Fund, The World Bank].
Elsewhere, they have Fox News.
yo brain dead - wtf are u talking about
im born bread usa, but sometimes have my issues
but dam bro - your off the deep end
oh never mind, must be fox news blinded me to the stupidity you subscribe
please, continue to be a dick, it will be recorded for all eternity - but will anyone care
Why would anyone in their right minds want to boost the digital economy?
Shopping on line leads to local shops and businesses disappearing, along with related jobs. A huge percentage of the European population work in local shops and businesses, or in businesses that supply and service them.
Is it some sort of surprise that old people do not use the internet? Why do a poll for something so obvious?
Yes, why...
I mean hell, it's only more convenient, cheaper, and with larger variety going through online shops. People might actually try to seek out more better alternatives than be stuck with whatever the local economy throws at their feet. But we wouldn't want to disturb the current order now would we? Bad enough that they might own TVs and can see for themselves what other people might be enjoying.
They shouldn't taste fruits of the horrific burden "we" have to endure with our modern digital economy. So let's keep these people low-tech and backwards so they can plod along like they have for the past half century. We know what's better for "them."
Granted another .com bubble is what noone wants. If people start believing that the interweb is a magic money machine they will just have us swimming in bullshit in no time.
But the facts suggest we are going through an historic economic transition re: retail distribution and the wibble is at the core of it.
Traditional town center sites are going to have to change their modus vivendi and make tea shoppes for the little old ladies to sit at while browsing for wool supplies etc on their web capable coffee table.
One of the biggest problems is delivery. I suggest drop off depots might become a town center draw and the man or woman who invents a pactical secure doorstep drop off box will have the world beating a path to their door.
Else all deliveries will have to be done 6pm-6am and weekends because otherwise everyone will be waiting for deliveries and noone will have time to go to work, unless of course they are working from home!
The best town centres are already about tea shops, coffee shops, social life generally - regulated by common or civil law. The worst are just collections of big box stores and shopping malls - regulated by corporate policy.
So if the intertubes do away with a lot of the big boxes and shopping malls, I'd call that a good thing.