Friday, September 21, 2007

Same Issue different attitudes

Recently I posted about how the reactionaries always make a lot of noise when ever there is any capitalist style development. Macao like Goa happened to be a Portuguese colony, In an effort to promote tourism and all round development China has not hesitated to lavish casino licenses....
By promoting the development of Macao as a Vegas-style destination -- complete with stage shows, resort hotels, shopping, conventions and other pastimes, along with gaming in brightly lit venues -- the government is transforming Macao from a place with a seedy, gangster-infested past into an international-standard destination. Las Vegas itself underwent a similar transformation: 40 years ago, it was known for corruption and gangsterism, but today it is seen as an attraction suitable for all kinds of travelers, including families.
Simon Long once wrote in The Economist, "If this is a race, India has already been lapped" Like in all other sectors if China races far ahead of us here also do not wonder why...

Thursday, September 20, 2007

NYTImes decides to go free, Yipee!!!

The Hindu's opinion section introduced me to Paul Krugman's Op-Eds on NyTimes...Ever since I've been frustrated by the inability to read many of his articles because NYTimes required paid subscription for Online access. All that has now changed in the Google and search engine era with NYTimes deciding that free triumphs fee with regards to growth potential.

The Times said the project had met expectations, drawing 227,000 paying subscribers — out of 787,000 over all — and generating about $10 million a year in revenue.

“But our projections for growth on that paid subscriber base were low, compared to the growth of online advertising,” said Vivian L. Schiller, senior vice president and general manager of the site, NYTimes.com.

Interestingly Music and TV labels have also started moving in the same direction