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Wind towers are part of Middle East heritage and I always wonder why they've gone into building all those a/c energy wasting offices, malls and homes, instead o

by zalew 16y ago

Wind towers are part of Middle East heritage and I always wonder why they've gone into building all those a/c energy wasting offices, malls and homes, instead of simply adopting this technology from the start. Second of all I'm waiting until someone counts how much inefficient energy resources will be used to build these 'green' cities in UAE or China.

Mz 16y ago
America is a young country. I think that contributes to how short-sighted Americans can be about some things. And America is essentially the "alpha male" of the world, so a lot of what gets done here gets exported, for better or worse. America tends to see new technologies as "better" across the board. In some cases, there is merit to that idea. (I am thinking of how popular cell phones are in some parts of the world, like China, where they have no plans to try to play catch-up with putting in landlines.) But, in other cases, it clearly misses the mark.
- stretchwithme 16y ago
  pretty much every technology is new before people decide to try it. and a lot of technologies, old or otherwise, suck and get replaced and disappear and we are left with only those old technologies that are great. so distinctions based on whether a technology is old or new are meaningless
- mahmud 16y ago
  What? How did America and its "shortcomings" enter into the conversation? Neither the parent nor the article made any such allusion.
  - Mz 16y ago
    I was replying to this remark: Wind towers are part of Middle East heritage and I always wonder why they've gone into building all those a/c energy wasting offices, malls and homes, instead of simply adopting this technology from the start. I didn't say anything about "shortcomings". When I used the word "short-sighted", I meant that Americans tend to have a short-term time frame in mind. For example, American companies tend to focus on the next quarter. In contrast, Japanese companies tend to have a 10 year plan. I've had foreign friends or American friends who lived for some years in an older country/culture. They think different than the typical American. They have a longer view than is the norm here. Also, I don't see how remarking that there are good things and bad things about a particular approach is some kind of attack..or some such.
    - mahmud 16y ago
      Oh, I see your point. However, "technology fetishism" is not a U.S. specific phenomenon, so making the conversation about American comes off as parochial, and is off putting. FWIW, foresight is not a Japanese only quality, and to be frank, Japanese culture has its own technology obsessions that would seem weird to anyone who chooses to see Japan strictly through the "robot wife" lens ;-)
      - Mz 16y ago
        At this point, I am simply baffled at how you are interpreting my remarks. Japan having a long view is just an example and was followed by this comment: I've had foreign friends or American friends who lived for some years in an older country/culture. They think different than the typical American. (For clarity's sake, I don't think Japan plays a big role in such personal experiences. Europe and the Middle East play much bigger roles.) Again, I was replying to a remark/question by another member. I think the fact that American culture is highly influential globally is relevant (for example: the city is compared in the article to Disney's Magic Kingdom). I don't see how that observation is "parochial" or "off-putting". Peace.
    - yummyfajitas 16y ago
      For example, American companies tend to focus on the next quarter. In contrast, Japanese companies tend to have a 10 year plan. This is a commonly repeated trope, but I don't think it's true. The time frame a company targets is primarily a function of it's business model, not it's country of origin. Many US companies have a long term (30+ year) focus; Pharma (long drug development cycles), some Big Tech (Oracle, IBM focus on relationships with big business), many financial companies (Berkshire and Lehman Brothers make long term bets in securities markets) and all oil companies (finding oil takes time). Most companies with a short term focus primarily focus on rapidly changing markets. Apple is is focused on building a shiny version of whatever is hot right now (or about to be hot) and Goldman is focused on short term speculation/services. It's not hard to think of foreign companies with a short term focus - L'Oreal (next big thing in cosmetics) and Bandai (next big thing in toys) are two such examples.

by zalew 16y ago

Mz 16y ago

America is a young country. I think that contributes to how short-sighted Americans can be about some things. And America is essentially the "alpha male" of the world, so a lot of what gets done here gets exported, for better or worse. America tends to see new technologies as "better" across the board. In some cases, there is merit to that idea. (I am thinking of how popular cell phones are in some parts of the world, like China, where they have no plans to try to play catch-up with putting in landlines.) But, in other cases, it clearly misses the mark.

stretchwithme 16y ago
pretty much every technology is new before people decide to try it. and a lot of technologies, old or otherwise, suck and get replaced and disappear and we are left with only those old technologies that are great. so distinctions based on whether a technology is old or new are meaningless
mahmud 16y ago
What? How did America and its "shortcomings" enter into the conversation? Neither the parent nor the article made any such allusion.
- Mz 16y ago
  I was replying to this remark: Wind towers are part of Middle East heritage and I always wonder why they've gone into building all those a/c energy wasting offices, malls and homes, instead of simply adopting this technology from the start. I didn't say anything about "shortcomings". When I used the word "short-sighted", I meant that Americans tend to have a short-term time frame in mind. For example, American companies tend to focus on the next quarter. In contrast, Japanese companies tend to have a 10 year plan. I've had foreign friends or American friends who lived for some years in an older country/culture. They think different than the typical American. They have a longer view than is the norm here. Also, I don't see how remarking that there are good things and bad things about a particular approach is some kind of attack..or some such.
  - mahmud 16y ago
    Oh, I see your point. However, "technology fetishism" is not a U.S. specific phenomenon, so making the conversation about American comes off as parochial, and is off putting. FWIW, foresight is not a Japanese only quality, and to be frank, Japanese culture has its own technology obsessions that would seem weird to anyone who chooses to see Japan strictly through the "robot wife" lens ;-)
    - Mz 16y ago
      At this point, I am simply baffled at how you are interpreting my remarks. Japan having a long view is just an example and was followed by this comment: I've had foreign friends or American friends who lived for some years in an older country/culture. They think different than the typical American. (For clarity's sake, I don't think Japan plays a big role in such personal experiences. Europe and the Middle East play much bigger roles.) Again, I was replying to a remark/question by another member. I think the fact that American culture is highly influential globally is relevant (for example: the city is compared in the article to Disney's Magic Kingdom). I don't see how that observation is "parochial" or "off-putting". Peace.
  - yummyfajitas 16y ago
    For example, American companies tend to focus on the next quarter. In contrast, Japanese companies tend to have a 10 year plan. This is a commonly repeated trope, but I don't think it's true. The time frame a company targets is primarily a function of it's business model, not it's country of origin. Many US companies have a long term (30+ year) focus; Pharma (long drug development cycles), some Big Tech (Oracle, IBM focus on relationships with big business), many financial companies (Berkshire and Lehman Brothers make long term bets in securities markets) and all oil companies (finding oil takes time). Most companies with a short term focus primarily focus on rapidly changing markets. Apple is is focused on building a shiny version of whatever is hot right now (or about to be hot) and Goldman is focused on short term speculation/services. It's not hard to think of foreign companies with a short term focus - L'Oreal (next big thing in cosmetics) and Bandai (next big thing in toys) are two such examples.