'C7sus',
We are absolutely in the same camp as regards the identity & recognition of the problem. We must agree to differ I suppose on the feasibility & practicality of consumer boycott as an effective force against morally questionable business ethics. It has always proven incapable of mustering enough force to even tickle the giant let alone topple the giant. These things can only possibly be kept in check through political & legal avenues.
I reinforce this point (& this is no small point. it is the crux of the mater) -
Buisness & the consumer are by the very nature of their association co-conspirators. The strongest force pulling on business is to maximize profit (The force of ethics enters only through outside artificial means aka. laws & regulations). The strongest force on the consumer is...well, to consume of course.... to have the most & best he/she can have (again ethical forces enter only through external means) It's often postulated that indoctrination of ethical standards into the minds of people on both sides can be an effective external artificial way to apply ethics as a force to place in check run away unethical business practice & override the social pitfalls that eventually accompany them.
The current goings on with publicly traded companies on the stock market, with rampant bookkeeping fraud that is bringing down so many & bringing so many others into question
AND bringing nearly the entire stock market down with it is just another kind of unethical business practice. Do you think there could ever really be any long term expectation of stopping such practices by pointing & shaking your finger at them & saying
No..No bad corporation or CEO...you should be ashamed of yourself!? Can you expect consumers to avoid 'World Com' services now that they know of their fraudulent book keeping? Consumers will stop using their services when & if they go bankrupt & for no other reason than it's not available or doesn't offer what they need at a price that appeals.
No, you can't blame consumers for succumbing to the overwhelming natural force & survival instinct to get the most for the least. If they don't they're at a disadvantage to those that do, not to mention it's totally impractical to expect the consumer to research the ethical standing of all the companies relevant to the purchase options available to him/her before making a purchase choice, therefore the
only way to defeat unethical business & consumer practices is to not let them happen in the 1st place through some forms of 'market/legal/political/social' regulation & intervention.
I must say though that I am amazed at how many people don't even recognize or won't admit to themselves that a totally unregulated free world market approach can lead to some pretty severe social pitfalls. There are also some pretty severe social pitfalls to fear from an heavy unethically regulated economy that can actually end up institutionalizing favoritism towards certain groups or giant corporations & stifle the hard working innovative little guy & individual.
Ha..ha... isn't it funny how threads tend to veer off track of the original post into so many other directions. Reminds me of an old lady that was once a neighbor of mine. She starts telling you what happened on the way to the store but her story ends up being a trip itself, constantly veering off from one topic to the next, never concluding any of them & of course you never find out what happened to her on the way to the store & you don't dare remind her that's what she initially started to tell you for you'd just have to suffer through another endless trip.... sorry...I'm getting off track.
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..... Yeh I think better quallity mics & preamps with little extra cost is a great idea.
I think the Studio projects B series has already addressed the lower expenditure on packaging issue as my B1's came in a simple cardboard box which was fine by me. Pretty darn good quality mic to. Would I have payed a little more for even a littlle better quality? Probably eventually. I could see that as a worthy expansion to their line along with some SD to MD condensors for instrument & overhead. How about it Alan/Brent... is that in the stars?
-SD Simpson-
