On 26/12/06, Steve Dropkin <steve@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> In the "old" days, the product was as much about engineering and
> quality as it was features. Nowadays it seems that marketing and
> economy trump both of those, and items are made obsolete just
> because their continued use threatens corporate income streams.
>
> That's my (admittedly pessimistic) view of it.
>
> Regards,
> Steve
At last, someone places the issue in its appropriate and specific context!
These days, when digital cameras come to conversation, everyone talks
about one thousands things apart the most fundamental:
The new (digital) products relate to economic factors
(production/consumption) and the needs of the industry within a
capitalist system.. Of course It's the capitalist pursuit of profit,
as well as rationalizations and whatever 'fine' beliefs from the
consuming masses (well, we have left the Fordist era, haven't we?),
that have rapidly established digital products over what is labelled
as 'previous' or 'surpassed' technologies..
All that, to such extent, that it's rather clear what the rationale of
the producing companies is right now: Everyone must owe a digital
camera very soon... And of course must change it in few years or
months again!.. (otherwise how the profit will come through, apart the
new/old recipe of using cheap and child and other well exploited
labour in south east asia?)
Now can you also listen the emerging cultural hegemony that loudly reiterates:
oh buy digital, it is so cool... oh digital makes my photos shine...
oh digital is so convenient i can take it to the bath... oh digital
makes my coffee tastier... oh i must buy the D567 because it makes a
pic in 1/1000 of a second quicker than my D566..
All that is so nicely fitting with the simultaneous marginalisation
(and often unreasonable stigmatisation) of the film (which you can
find it almost nowhere now because of the industry's intentional
shift).... How conveniently, this new digital discourse helps us to
rationalise that we 'need' digital cameras.. it's such a progress...
C.S.
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