It is pretty common knowledge these days that when the sales of your widget go down, it is likely due to lower demand.  With lower demand, typically prices drop in order to capture more of the market who would buy your widgets if they only cost less .   To, you know, drive up demand to make sure you keep making money.

If you sell music or theaters tickets, you are evidently exempt from this rule,  the equivalent of defying gravity.

Well, it appears at least some of the record companies have realized the folly of this and are actually lowering prices to spur demand.  According to one study talked about in that article the link leads to, lowering prices to $10 ($9.99, to fool us) upped demand by 100%  I guess if you defy gravity long enough, coasting back down the hill is easy and in the short term should be very profitable.  While its only Universal at this time, you can see that they represent many popular artists and it is likely the other big music labels will follow suit.

With any luck at all this will quiet the claims that piracy is destroying the music industry.  If this is successful, we’ll all know it was just idiotic pricing practices as many of us have theorized all along.

–Nat

I think it is pretty interesting, sitting in my graduate classes in which we have readings about how technology fears in the past came to nothing, people right now are chatting about the evils of new technologies.

For instance, it was once thought that reading too much stressed the brain and “learning too much” could lead to insanity and infirmity of the mind.  A few generations later, there was fear about how radio was cheating those used to reading, that the value of information passed on by the radio was inherently less valuable than what you learned from reading.  A generation later, TV was corrupting “family radio” time… now no one seems to be bemoaning the impact of the Internet, texting, etc. on our TV consumption, but the current fear is how constant stimulation from ipods, Facebook, etc. is corrupting the current generation.

Let’s face it – history says we’ll likely be OK.  This sharing of information and shrinkage of the world is part of the human evolution…  we should be responsible enough to recognize the symptoms of addiction in those around us and step up to the challenge of being a good friend for family member, but that again is nothing new.    Studies have shown that while things might be changing, it likely isn’t for the worse.  If it can be argued that not all change is good, then it follows that not all change is bad.  There are several studies out there showing that while TV does in fact have some negative impacts, computer is largely positive.  Exercise your brain and find them yourself!

Welcome to the digital age.

Hey, put down your phone, I’m talking to you!  🙂

–Nat

Well, 26 years in…

Today should be a great if gloomy day.  The day started a little after midnight when I turned in an assignment for class… that’s a weight off my shoulders.  Of course it was late, you don’t even need to ask 🙂  Meeting my dad for supper tonight, I suppose I should fill him in on those plans soon!  It is pretty cool that he is up here anyway, glad the stars could align for this week.  After that Kristin, Rick and I are heading back to Blaine to chill out and enjoy the evening.  Just have to make it through the day!  20 minutes until lunch time and an episode of Reaper…

It is also pretty cool watching my Facebook page get hit with a wave of well wishing.  There is a least one good reason to have a Facebook profile!

–Nat