The drift of a knowledge-based societ to a gadget-value-based

Tony Duell wrote: I was going to type a huge message about this, but I'll try and keep it short... I suspect things are at the best we'll get, unless there's a radical change in the way products are designed and the consumer shops for them. The problem right now is with the consumer, who is dazzled by feature lists and shops according to face-value. Until people demand better (more serviceable, longer-lived, reliable, well-built and well-designed) products *and are willing to pay the higher initial costs for them* then we're going to be stuck with a society that thinks mediocrity is the norm. That change *might* be somewhat forced in an increasingly-populated, resource-starved planet, but it still needs people to demand better rather than demanding cheaper. (And all of this is OT, and we know Jay is alive and well, so maybe I'll just head for the bunker now :-) cheers Jules