Buy from NZ? I tried but come on...

[rwh]

The exclusive use of their hard work coming up with the idea in the first place is what is being stolen. Without it, why would I bother doing something hard like that when I could just do something easy? For fun? Hahahahahahah

a) because you need it for something else

b) because someone else needs it and is paying you

c) yes, possibly for fun

I work for a company that writes software. A significant chunk of it is free software that anyone can download and use - we write and improve it largely on contract to clients who need new features.

Richard

[Quasievil]

I have a question

Would New Zealand be a better place if we still had significant local manufacturing
as opposed to most stuff coming in from overseas for example our Auto industry, clothing Manufacturing industries, shoes manufacturing and there are a host of other manufacturing plants shut down as they cant compete with low priced imports.

And I am talking bigger picture not bloody leathers

[oneofsix]

a) because you need it for something else

b) because someone else needs it and is paying you

c) yes, possibly for fun

I work for a company that writes software. A significant chunk of it is free software that anyone can download and use - we write and improve it largely on contract to clients who need new features.

Richard

so the free software is like the advertising hook?

[rwh]

I dont share all of it though as I know some of my competitors read these threads. And Im not giving them knowledge that Ive painstakingly worked out on the more sensitive stuff. So thats my balance that Ive struck.

It's a pity, but understandable in the current circumstances.

Would you and your competitors not all be better off if you agreed to share all your knowledge? Admittedly, racing is competition, so different rules may naturally apply around that.

Richard

[rwh]

so the free software is like the advertising hook?

No. Almost none, if any, of the software we write is owned by us and kept proprietary. It's mostly written for clients, some of whom are happy to make it free, and many others who prefer to keep it to themselves for whatever reason, as is their right under current law. In many cases, it's very specific software that nobody else would want anyway, so the issue doesn't arise.

Richard

[rwh]

I have a question

Would New Zealand be a better place if we still had significant local manufacturing
as opposed to most stuff coming in from overseas for example our Auto industry, clothing Manufacturing industries, shoes manufacturing and there are a host of other manufacturing plants shut down as they cant compete with low priced imports.

And I am talking bigger picture not bloody leathers

Possibly. In industries where it makes sense.

Don't worry, I think it'll come back - the oil will run out, at which time the cost of importing (and exporting) will rise (and we won't have sufficient foreign exchange to buy it with anyway).

We already export superyachts; hopefully that expertise can be translated into sailing cargo ships

Richard

[Edbear]

I have a question

Would New Zealand be a better place if we still had significant local manufacturing
as opposed to most stuff coming in from overseas for example our Auto industry, clothing Manufacturing industries, shoes manufacturing and there are a host of other manufacturing plants shut down as they cant compete with low priced imports.

And I am talking bigger picture not bloody leathers

Possibly. In industries where it makes sense.

Don't worry, I think it'll come back - the oil will run out, at which time the cost of importing (and exporting) will rise (and we won't have sufficient foreign exchange to buy it with anyway).

We already export superyachts; hopefully that expertise can be translated into sailing cargo ships

Richard

It is possible to do more maufacturing here, but it has to be able to fill a need that we are uniquely able to provide for. The Superyacht industry, and our expertise in boating generally coupled with competitive pricing has been a good example. However for general consumer goods, we need to be able to export and Fisher and Paykel are probably the best example of how tough that is!

The difference is between mass-production of consumer goods and in specialist industries. Being in business with hot water cylinders for example, I know all the local brands and manufacturers and they market a combination of local manufacture and imported cylinders and the local manufacture may also include parts made overseas, usually Australia, due to cost.

I was talking to a clothing manufacturer who went out of business. They were able to get their cost down to $1.50 for shorts such as you'll find anywhere, but the landed cost from China was 50c! There is no way an NZ company can compete with that! You'll pay $15+ at retail?

[Smiff-ta]

Sounds like some of you need to live in China

[Smifffy]

a) because you need it for something else

b) because someone else needs it and is paying you

c) yes, possibly for fun

I work for a company that writes software. A significant chunk of it is free software that anyone can download and use - we write and improve it largely on contract to clients who need new features.

Richard

How would the clients feel if after paying you to write and improve the software, you then made it available free for public download?

[ukusa]

I have a question

Would New Zealand be a better place if we still had significant local manufacturing
as opposed to most stuff coming in from overseas for example our Auto industry, clothing Manufacturing industries, shoes manufacturing and there are a host of other manufacturing plants shut down as they cant compete with low priced imports.

And I am talking bigger picture not bloody leathers

It would be better for jobs, but costs will never let it happen again on the scale of the 70's & 80's. I started working at LWR Industries in Ch-Ch in the early 80's (clothing manufacturers). I think they had 3 or 4 thousand employees back then. Today, they have none.

Some stuff it would be nice to think it could still be made here, some clothing still is, but very little in the big scheme of things.
Motorcycle parts & accessories would be a different kettle of fish, I couldn't see it ever being viable due to major setup costs of plant & machinery to mass produce stuff like sidecovers, levers, seats, cowels, headlights etc etc for the local market. There would be very little export opportunity due to the higher costs of manufacture, we just couldn't compete.

Saying that, all my clothing (bike gear/helmets as well) is purchased locally, because I like to try before I buy. My bike parts are all purchased overseas to save mega $, with the exception of parts beyond my expertise which I would need the bike shop to fit (I would never buy a part overseas then take it into my local to get it fitted). This include tyres etc

[MarkH]

I have a question

Would New Zealand be a better place if we still had significant local manufacturing
as opposed to most stuff coming in from overseas for example our Auto industry, clothing Manufacturing industries, shoes manufacturing and there are a host of other manufacturing plants shut down as they cant compete with low priced imports.

And I am talking bigger picture not bloody leathers

In most cases no, we would be better off working in jobs that are worth doing and importing the goods from overseas. If we can't make something competitively without lowering the pay to under $2 per hour then it just isn't going to (and shouldn't) happen. Every country in the developed world has some degree of specialisation and imports many goods, even large economies like the US of A.

There are exceptions of course and where we can be competitive then sure, why not. We do make higher priced clothing here, but there is no point in trying to make cheap clothing when it can be bought in from China at a 3rd the price. If I could afford it I'd wear Celtic Leather gear - maybe one day?

[MarkH]

How would the clients feel if after paying you to write and improve the software, you then made it available free for public download?

Surely if much of the programming is open source that they got for free they can hardly object to the new code they commissioned being made available to others. If they got 90% of the code for free then bitching about others getting their 10% of new code for free is rather greedy. If this is open source code and they understood the conditions when they agreed to pay for the work to be done then they can like it or lump it!

[Robert Taylor]

I have a question

Would New Zealand be a better place if we still had significant local manufacturing
as opposed to most stuff coming in from overseas for example our Auto industry, clothing Manufacturing industries, shoes manufacturing and there are a host of other manufacturing plants shut down as they cant compete with low priced imports.

And I am talking bigger picture not bloody leathers

Without getting into a ''war'' the biggest beneficiaries of that would be gainful employment for employees.

[Robert Taylor]

It's a pity, but understandable in the current circumstances.

Would you and your competitors not all be better off if you agreed to share all your knowledge? Admittedly, racing is competition, so different rules may naturally apply around that.

Richard

I gave a couple of my competitors a lot of knowledge as it happens, they have no sentiment or ethics about that.

There are a lot of users in this world and people that dont reciprocate. That sounds bitter but it happens to a lot of people and the users justify it as ''moving on''

I dont blame manufacturers and those who work bloody hard for protecting a lot of what they know, as there are parasites everywhere you look.

[Robert Taylor]

In most cases no, we would be better off working in jobs that are worth doing and importing the goods from overseas. If we can't make something competitively without lowering the pay to under $2 per hour then it just isn't going to (and shouldn't) happen. Every country in the developed world has some degree of specialisation and imports many goods, even large economies like the US of A.

There are exceptions of course and where we can be competitive then sure, why not. We do make higher priced clothing here, but there is no point in trying to make cheap clothing when it can be bought in from China at a 3rd the price. If I could afford it I'd wear Celtic Leather gear - maybe one day?

Part of the answer is that the workers in the 3rd world economies shouldnt be exploited and should be paid a decent wage. Then the goods would be a true value rather than an artificially low one