Changing society

Kosmo

While downloading the latest patch for World of Warcraft, I stroll around the news sites and gather around the happenings wround the world and here in Finland jsut to form a while image on what has happened lately, I'm not a media person, I block good 90% of the madia babble and usually narrow the hose that feeds me with news to a fine pointed needle that can barely sqeeze through the much appreciated gaming and technology related news. But during my stroll I nod approvingly to news that tell about someones achievements on some sort of socially accepted thing, and at the same time I realize that most of these people are some sort of millionaires, company execs or just plain jerks in high positions of goverment. Gone are the times when we looked up to the athletes to bring us hope of the better tomorrow, they are almost regular joes these days, just few hoorays for some hero who can drive a car faster than anyone else, or celebration to a team that accomplishes impossible goals in a winter related sport mainly called Ice Hockey. Our society is growing out of testosteroine filled athletes that risk more than just their earthly posessions in some stock market fluke, but we don't give you the kudos on achievement, we give kudos to the results of that achievement, it isn't enough anymore to be the fastest runner in the world, when you win, it has to be something so big that the world has changed, or atleast some way for others to do money from your accomplishment. Is this a good thing? Or is it a bad thing? Do you celebrate the victory of your favourite basketball team? Or do you chuckle when some mega communications company invets a new free software for you to use? Computers and communications technology has changed the world forever and there is nothing any of us can do about it.

lech

I chuckle harder when that mega-corp takes a shot to the pills and comes crashing down around itself. To me, that's a victory. That or waking up to squeeling tires followed by a sudden metal crashing sound. It's a victory to me when I know Darwinism is still at work. Other than that, I'm not a big sports fan. :D

Minisweeper

I cant quite tell from your speech whether or not you're supporting athletes, but in my opinion a majority of them are ridiculously overpaid and in a number of cases recieve more for their 'achievements' than the businessmen who work hard for their money. I've never been much of an athlete or a sports fanatic myself (typical geek huh) but i can certainly appreciate someone who is good at what they do. What i disagree with is the likes of premier league footballers who are paid upwards of £100k PER WEEK to kick a ball around. Fair play to them they've achieved the highest standards in their particular field of expertise and risen to a world class level, but NOBODY in the world needs that sort of income. I guess its that part that really grates me and sport just seems to take most of the media swoop these days so we dont hear much about other people who get such insane salaries for doing what? I do have absolutely no doubt that technology has and is changing the world though. It wont stop untill it all implodes on itself. I believe in cycles.

Kosmo

Well, my speech was not ment to take a side, but inform you of my view. I'm widely regarded as the nonsense person, I usually say things that don't have any weight in any conversation, but time to time I like to present my own views of some situations, not perhaps the most important ones, nor something that is particularily close to my heart, but a matter that needs more attenttion nonetheless. I'm a big basketball fan and I have played it in a team when I was younger, and at times, I still have a go at it with my friends. But I have bigger respect towards people who work in the technology industry, and especially those who are driving forces of computer technology, like Steve Jobs and his Apple family for instance, or Bill Gates and his Microsoft family, both have driven world forward at speed we have never gone forward before and they are still increasing the speed. As for the salaries of sports figures, it is widely regarded that Formula 1 drivers have the worlds largest salaries in sports or entertainment. But it is actually tied to the amount of money they make to the parent organization, Formula 1 is one of the most widely televised program in the world, and with Champions League football and NFL they make hundreds of millions of dollars per year and thusly their salaries are very high, I mean, if Apple could be mostly ran by team the size of an average football team without the insane R&D costs, I think they would be pair several million dollard per year too. And not to mention the advertising money they get. Since when was the guy who designs Volvo cars advertising twinkies or pepsi? That said, I'm not going to take either parties side, the only difference between the two sides is that I respect the computer and media business people more because I myself am one, and I know how hard it is. But I love the entertainment value of a good game of Basketball or Football more than the latest blockbuster movie (only if it doesn't star Johnny Depp that is) and I understand that pro athletes are prime specimens of human race and work their asses off just to keep their physiology in sharp cut.

lech

Well, I'm sure anyone would agree and find it laughable that someone who plays sports is making roughly 20x that of a person who is teaching the next generation of kids. In all honesty, a teachers sallary (if you can even call it that) is meager at best, some of these teachers make equal to that of probably the highest paid McDonalds employee who flips burgers. And I find that to be truely sad.

Kosmo

Well, that depends on where you look, here in Finland our teachers get good salary. But then again, we don't have NBA, MLB, NHL nor NFL so some of our university professors actually make more money than average pro athlete.

giginger

We have footballers making £10,000 a week at least and yet we're struggling to get good teachers and nurses. Hmmmmm

Kosmo

But like I said, capitalistic society has salaries mostly tied to the amount of income they generate to the company, teachers and nurses not generating any amount of money they can't be paid enough. In Finland we have huge taxes, you are texed out of your salary, taxed when you buy something, and even taxed when you die and you testament it so somebody, even when you have paid taxes from the money you testament, and there are taxes to cover your posessions like houses, cars, boats and pets etc. But thank god for that, we have one of the best education systems in the world, not to mention excellent social security and free health care.

Minisweeper

As far as england goes a teachers salary (and pension) isnt all that bad compared with a lot of jobs. Certainly a number of my teachers at school think it is riduclous what they get paid compared to nurses etc who get paid less to do such an important job. Obviously though teachers were just an example and i do find it insane that sportsmen get paid 20x more than anyone. I suppose medical professionals in america will be better paid because all healthcare is paid for (?) wheras the uk is much more like finland.

Kosmo

Not so long ago there was a strike because docktors and nurses salaries were so low and they had to work longer hours than anyone working with that salary, so they cut the hours instead of rising their salaries. And little while after that, they cut the number of jobs available :D