Module 6

            It is amazing that through the process of combining all the flatteners together we were able to make things even more accessible. The triple convergence allowed for easier convenience for both the company and the costumers. The first convergence allowed for costumers and companies to work hand in hand because of the availability of computers, bandwidth and know-how. Southwest and Konica were two of the first companies to take advantage of this. The second convergence was the platform, since we had now made an equal playing field, or a flat platform, it made it allowed for companies to not only do business the old way, but also find new ways to do business with their customers.  This breakthrough is what gave Wal-Mart the ability to communicate with their shippers across seas to make sure that they were able to keep up with the demand of their customers. The third convergence was getting the whole world involved. Once the Berlin Wall came down it allowed for even more people to become part of the flat world. All the new technologies were now available all over the world, making it a more level playing field for companies and people everywhere.

            The case of India vs. Indiana is very interesting and I don’t think there is a clear black and white answer to who is being exploited and who is doing the exploiting. I think that both sides were taking advantage of each other. It is definitely comical to me though that the state’s employment center was accepting work from outside the United States. By taking advantage of the lower costs of India they were benefiting themselves and hurting themselves all at the same time. I believe that India was definitely taking advantage of the skills that they had been taught and would do whatever they could to bring the work to them, because what good is their education if they aren’t able to use it. Unfortuantely I think this same sort of thing is happening all over still between states and outsourcing. It is hard to provide the adequate products at reasonable prices here in the United States because of the costs, but then again we are giving away work that could be helping out those in our country.

            Intellectual property are the things that people think of to help better the country. They are ideas and inventions that are used to make advances in society. It is hard to say though who can own what and who has to share ideas. If all intellectual property was kept to oneself we wouldn’t be able to make all the advances that we have thus far. I think that it is important that we allow some things to be kept to oneself because I think that sometimes it forces us to think of newer, better ways to solve problems then just already accept a solution that has already been found. I think that is important that people are compensated for their intellectual property if they have to share and disclose it otherwise there would be no incentive for them to keep progressing and making things easier. People wouldn’t care to work hard to find a better way if they weren’t being rewarded for it.