Comment on Node ant

Darren Shield — Sat, 31 May 2008 05:01:05 -0400

I don't doubt that mining diamonds is harmful to the environment, but what are the ecological costs of growing a diamond? The energy expenditure to generate the neccessary amounts of heat and pressure must be significant... and I wonder what kind of waste chemicals and byproducts are left afterward.

Not to say that it isn't a brilliant idea, just that even if it is a more green alternative to mining, the ecological costs shouldn't be ignored.

Comment on Node ant

Darren Shield — Sat, 31 May 2008 04:58:41 -0400

I don't think the analogy fits. "Green" is a very broad appellation being attached to many things. Green fashion isn't about switching to a scare commodity, its about sustainability. Instead of growing cotton, grow hemp or bamboo (that farm is just switching what its producing), or like greenKarat, aiming at recycling existing material instead of going out and mining more gold. I fail to see where the backlash will come from. Sure there may be some unforeseen counter-productive results as there were with biofuels, but its certainly not the removal of already scare material.

Comment on Node ant

Darren Shield — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:41:40 -0400

Sure for some of the big players it might just be hype for now, but I think the shift to a strong environmental conciousness on a global level that is spurring this capitilization will drive this to become a fundamental shift for the fashion industry. If the designers and consumers are on board, the decision makers will have to take notice... if they themselves aren't swayed by the green revolution themselves!

Fast Talk Response -

Darren Shield — Tue, 27 May 2008 19:01:21 -0400

Online and "secure" storage of health information could certainly expedite treatment or even save lives (maybe) just so long as only the people who NEED to see it are given access. Hospitals, especially in the emergency room could definitely benefit from knowing that this car crash victim is diabetic and that one is allergic to penicillin, all at the click of a mouse.

All you have to do is secure it. Admittedly no small task, but the potential benefits seem to be well worth the effort.

Fast Talk Response -

Darren Shield — Fri, 09 May 2008 14:58:42 -0400

Companies like Apple doing this are running along a razor thing line. It won't take many more ads like Mac's "I'm a Mac/I'm a PC" ads before Apple's own credibility and cache are damaged by their own ad campaign. I'm already sick of them and I doubt I'm alone.

Going so far as to target Vista while touting Leopard is definetly too far. Apple could still do the witty tongue in cheek "haha look at how much better we are than the 'leading brand'" and get away with it but once they specifically said Microsoft, it feels like the gloves are starting to come off.

Comment on Node ant

Darren Shield — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:27:13 -0400

Google may be gaining some benefit right now, but I think both Microsoft and Yahoo boards will have recieved the wake up call now - maybe they can't make it together but they know that in order to compete, they'l have to do some serious innovation (or buy it/swallow it whole) and this botched merger may be just the impetus for change.

Fast Talk Response -

Darren Shield — Tue, 06 May 2008 14:30:17 -0400

I think it showed strength. Ballmer did a ballsy thing shooting for a Yahoo buyout, but admitting that it was the wrong thing to do even after fighting so strenuously for it shows he isn't afraid to admit when he is wrong and to the right thing for the company.

Comment on Node ant

Darren Shield — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:47:12 -0400

nothing is original anymore. Every post is a repost of a post, and every innovation today builds on existing IP. And not by much!

Comment on Node ant

Darren Shield — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:33:27 -0400

Wow thats a lot of support for this so far. I disagree with this notion. Greater good for a COMPANY may involve a few lay-offs, greater good for an ECONOMY might require some labour market redistribution, but in the end its hardly in the "greater good" for "everyone" (say at the national level) if a "few" people are losing their jobs. Job loss is rarely an indicator of a successful business, but rather a warning that current methods and practices are no longer profitable.

Comment on Node ant

Darren Shield — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 19:13:46 -0400

Socialism ignored the realities of economic demands and needs of a growing populationa and society, making straight forward socialist societys untenable. Capitalism similarily ignores the ecological costs that a disposable consumerist society places on the environment. If we keep ignoring the ecological costs, capitalism will collapse too from social unrest at the worsening state of the environment.