4 ms·

Why?

by macco 12y ago

Why?

DasIch 12y ago
Large infrastructure projects in Germany usually fail, projects involving the internet or technology especially so. If there is such a thing as a most wrong stereotype, german efficiency is it.
- makeitsuckless 12y ago
  Which is why Germany has one of the best infrastructures, both physical and electronic, in the Western world? If there is such a thing as a most right stereotype, it's how the Silicon Valley worshiping non-Americans on HN deny the successes and strengths of their own country. Germany is a, if not the leading country in industrial standardization, and especially in the current climate most of the world will prefer to follow Germany's lead over the politically and ideologically compromised American industry.
  - chmod775 12y ago
    The reason for his strong bias is that no news show in their right mind will tell you: "Here's a list of stuff that is working perfectly fine..." News are cherry-picking the few examples that DON'T work.
  - npalli 12y ago
    Large public works projects are a problem in Germany. http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/disastrous-public-works-projects-in-germany-a-876856.html http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/disastrous-publ...
  - frik 12y ago
    The infrastructure is from another timeframe (pre-2000, often pre-1990) - like elsewhere. The roads, and telephone copper&fiber cables last a long time, with maintenance.
  - emsy 12y ago
    FWIW there is a prime time television show about unnecessary and failed public projects in Germany. Germany has worse Internet infrastructure than many, if not most, of its European neighbours. Merkel once famously said "Das Internet ist für uns alle Neuland" (The internet is new ground for all of us) and finally outed the government as antiquated. The achievements Germany made in industralization are fading away. Even basic infrastructures like streets are steadily rotting which was definitely not the case 10-20 years ago.
- frik 12y ago
  Recent infamous examples: * Berlin Brandenburg Airport, originally planned to open in 2010, estimates suggest that the airport will open in 2018 or 2019: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Brandenburg_Airport http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Brandenburg_Airport * De-Mail (competitor to email): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De-Mail http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De-Mail * E-Postbrief (competitor to email and De-Mail): http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-Postbrief http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-Postbrief * SAP Web Dynpro (Java, only ABAP now): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_Dynpro http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_Dynpro
hengheng 12y ago
To tangentially answer your question (with only little relation to the rest of the thread), we're getting old much the way Japan does, and we're doing very little to help it. The average German is 45, ageing to 50 in the next 15 years. This has direct consequences on the political discourse, choosing a status quo mentality over the innovative stance we used to have.

Why?

by macco 12y ago

Why?

Large infrastructure projects in Germany usually fail, projects involving the internet or technology especially so. If there is such a thing as a most wrong stereotype, german efficiency is it.

makeitsuckless 12y ago
Which is why Germany has one of the best infrastructures, both physical and electronic, in the Western world? If there is such a thing as a most right stereotype, it's how the Silicon Valley worshiping non-Americans on HN deny the successes and strengths of their own country. Germany is a, if not the leading country in industrial standardization, and especially in the current climate most of the world will prefer to follow Germany's lead over the politically and ideologically compromised American industry.
- chmod775 12y ago
  The reason for his strong bias is that no news show in their right mind will tell you: "Here's a list of stuff that is working perfectly fine..." News are cherry-picking the few examples that DON'T work.
- npalli 12y ago
  Large public works projects are a problem in Germany. http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/disastrous-public-works-projects-in-germany-a-876856.html http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/disastrous-publ...
- frik 12y ago
  The infrastructure is from another timeframe (pre-2000, often pre-1990) - like elsewhere. The roads, and telephone copper&fiber cables last a long time, with maintenance.
- emsy 12y ago
  FWIW there is a prime time television show about unnecessary and failed public projects in Germany. Germany has worse Internet infrastructure than many, if not most, of its European neighbours. Merkel once famously said "Das Internet ist für uns alle Neuland" (The internet is new ground for all of us) and finally outed the government as antiquated. The achievements Germany made in industralization are fading away. Even basic infrastructures like streets are steadily rotting which was definitely not the case 10-20 years ago.
frik 12y ago
Recent infamous examples: * Berlin Brandenburg Airport, originally planned to open in 2010, estimates suggest that the airport will open in 2018 or 2019: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Brandenburg_Airport http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Brandenburg_Airport * De-Mail (competitor to email): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De-Mail http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De-Mail * E-Postbrief (competitor to email and De-Mail): http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-Postbrief http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-Postbrief * SAP Web Dynpro (Java, only ABAP now): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_Dynpro http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_Dynpro

hengheng 12y ago

To tangentially answer your question (with only little relation to the rest of the thread), we're getting old much the way Japan does, and we're doing very little to help it. The average German is 45, ageing to 50 in the next 15 years. This has direct consequences on the political discourse, choosing a status quo mentality over the innovative stance we used to have.