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If we were having a gold rush we'd be complaining about miners driving up prices. The tech sector is no different in that regard. I like the correlations they'v

If we were having a gold rush we'd be complaining about miners driving up prices. The tech sector is no different in that regard. I like the correlations they've drawn to the performance of individual companies, etc. but to promote the idea that these companies are any different from any other company in any other industry that would be going through the same growth is a bit off target in my opinion. What would be interesting to me though would be data along the lines of "What is different when technologists come to town vs. [insert some other group]" - What does it do to supporting industries/economies? - Do schools start performing better? - Do the local municipalities fare better because of the group that is coming in? - Do maker labs start springing up? - Does the level of poverty decrease? That's the kind of stuff I'd be interested in learning about. I guess I'm asking what ACTUALLY happens when technologists come to town that's different than when doctors come to town or garbage men, etc.

ChuckMcM 11y ago
There was an article about that in the economist (http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21644164-gentrification-good-poor-bring-hipsters http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21644164-gentrif...) which basically said the economic indicators for an area are better for everyone when this happens.
mc32 11y ago
Exactly the same phenomenon happens when hydro fracturing comes to town. Except the ramp up is much faster and incurs much more disruption and, unfortunately, so far, is far more short lived. By the time municipalities catch up with the demand the industry goes into a bust. Technology on the other hand brings, so far, long term prosperity to previously declining areas. The problem I see is that municipalities want the prosperity without the consequences. They want the tasty burger without the cholesterol. Western economies, or rather, societies, have this strange unease with rapid urban expansion. An unease I have not encountered so much in Eastern economies and societies. In the east, progress is seen as generally good, whereas the west has greater suspicion of it.

ChuckMcM 11y ago

There was an article about that in the economist (http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21644164-gentrification-good-poor-bring-hipsters http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21644164-gentrif...) which basically said the economic indicators for an area are better for everyone when this happens.

mc32 11y ago

Exactly the same phenomenon happens when hydro fracturing comes to town. Except the ramp up is much faster and incurs much more disruption and, unfortunately, so far, is far more short lived. By the time municipalities catch up with the demand the industry goes into a bust. Technology on the other hand brings, so far, long term prosperity to previously declining areas. The problem I see is that municipalities want the prosperity without the consequences. They want the tasty burger without the cholesterol. Western economies, or rather, societies, have this strange unease with rapid urban expansion. An unease I have not encountered so much in Eastern economies and societies. In the east, progress is seen as generally good, whereas the west has greater suspicion of it.