On 16 Jan 2007 10:32:53 -0800, Too_Many_Tools wrote:
I am surprised that others have not responded to Ig's idea...it is an
excellent one.

It is also pretty cheap entertainment, since you take that stuff from
trash and later throw away just the same (and sometimes keep some
parts like screws, though usually screws are worthless on consumer
items)

Like an archaeologist, one can study the decline and fall of
manufacturing by studying discarded goods.

yep.

It is very apparent when one does this as to how many goods have turned
from good implementations to crap.

The end result forces the consumer to spend more money on goods that
would not need to be purchased.

The economic accolades about virtues of competition do not impress me
too much. I have economic education myself that is actually half
decent (MBA degree from University of Chicago), and hopefully
understand a thing or two about competition. Despite that background,
I generally share TMT's senstiment about "MBA"s, broadly understood as
people interested in making a quick buck and a quick career.

Competition is about satisfying what consumers value and care
about. Since consumers' preferences are not always in line with their
long term interests -- a situation intentionally created by poor
education and sophisticated advertising -- their satisfaction centers
around styling and cheap initial cost.

This is less so with commercial and especially industrial items,
though, again, not always.

If you do not believe me, take a few things apart and see how they are
made.

An objection is made that quality comes at a cost. That is, obviously,
true, but only to some extent. Some design decisions save very little
to the manufacturer (pennies) and result in a large loss to consumers
(unusable goods). Example, we had a cheap electric kettle. Because the
manufacturer saved perhaps a penny on thickness of plastic, the lid
broke at the hinge. Just a mm or two of extra plastic would make it
more usable. If it cost a dollar more, if would be a long term usable
kettle.

This is a result of two things, big chains putting extreme pressure on
manufacturers to make cheap substandard stuff (google "Wal-Mart
buyers"), and manufacturers' willingness to go along.

I try to not buy anything from Wal-mart and other ...marts anymore
besides soap and toilet paper etc, because of all this.

i