4 ms·

Government mandated technology. What could go wrong?

• flukus 7y ago
  This is exactly the sort of thing governments are good at. Previous successes are things like railway gauges, power connectors, power voltages, measurement units, etc. This is the sort of thing that allows the free market to work efficiently.
  • Turing_Machine 7y ago
    Things like railway gauges are components of a large-scale national network. That is not true of a device connector, which only has to work between the device and the power brick.
    • lokedhs 7y ago
      With a standard connector one can have standardised power bricks too, which may eventually lead to no need for power bricks at all.
      • Turing_Machine 7y ago
        But we already have that. The power brick almost always has a USB connector on it nowadays (even with Apple), and it didn't require setting up a perpetual committee of bureaucrats to feed at the public trough.
        • andylynch 7y ago
          As others have noted, this was in large part due to the European Commission’s common external power supply initiative back in 2009, and similar standards in Asia.
          • Turing_Machine 7y ago
            Others may have "noted" that, but it doesn't make it true. In fact, the EU common external power supply does NOT require a USB connection on the power brick. It be hardwired ("captive", in their terminology).
  • planetzero 7y ago
    "This is the sort of thing that allows the free market to work efficiently." History shows otherwise. As an example, lets say they pass this law and require all phones to use a specific charger standard. In 3 months, an innovative company creates a new standard that is not only more efficient, but cheaper. Instead of just being able to sell it, they have to go through the government to get the standard changed..which will NOT be fast. This will only stifle technology. If we ever want to curb things like climate change, we need less laws like this in the world.