Originally posted by kreole:
I think that is *possibly* nearsighted, the latter part I mean. I agree with your conclusion under your assumption, but I think your assumption is flawed. To explain, if anyone can use my innovations and inventions, then I can't guarantee I will make a profit (in general, the better businessman will, I expect, but that's an aside). If I can't guarantee I will be the one making profit on my inventions, I will simply seek another means of making money. If I stop inventing, clearly the consumer isn't going to benefit from those inventions. (Of course, that only holds if I'm in it to make money.)
'Of course, that only holds if I'm in it to make money.'
This assumption is every bit as flawed as mine. Otherwise I agree completely.
I'm a young guy. I don't easily grasp the technicalities of business; I admit that.
But until I learn some difficult lesson to the contrary, I'm of the persuasion that one only needs so much money to survive, and the rest is mostly for showing off. Sharing your inventons with others, willingly or not, is showing off in a different (and perhaps more humble) way.
I'm also of the persuasion that
no one who makes knives is in it for the money. The money is a perk at best. Call me naive :foot:
You're right to say that an invention is not sensible to develop if you can't control the profits, if only from a strictly economic point of view. But remember that such things can't generally be controlled either way. From cutlers to actors to CEOs, success is bound to be imitated. It's one of the things that creative people are just going to have to live with.
The business world is filled with ways of screwing people over, which means that every action therein, however thoughtful, is ultimately an uncertain gamble. Therefore, however savvy or successful I become in that field, I've since been inclined to find satisfaction in other walks of life, hence my sentiment about what's unreasonable. Money is a lot, in fact an awful lot, but it's not the alpha and the omega.
