Comments on: The Tyranny of Distance: Why it sucks to be an Australian geek http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/08/the-tyranny-of-distance-why-it-sucks-to-be-an-australian-geek/ Kirrily Robert's blog Sat, 17 Jul 2010 20:29:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Jackie K. http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/08/the-tyranny-of-distance-why-it-sucks-to-be-an-australian-geek/comment-page-1/#comment-1380 Jackie K. Wed, 24 Dec 2008 05:54:42 +0000 http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/08/the-tyranny-of-distance-why-it-sucks-to-be-an-australian-geek/#comment-1380 Can't agree more, and glad to know that it's not just me who hates AUS when it comes to anything geeky. My solution, if you will, is: 1. Never buy a book in a local bookstore, just browse the content to decide which one is good, then make the purchase on amazon.com, which saves on average 15-30%, even after shipping and currency conversion charges. (gotta wait 2-4weeks though, but to me it's worthwhile) 2. I rarely watch AUS TV programs (they are just too boring), most of the time I just rent DVDs from a local video store that has all the latest US, HK & Janpanese TV dramas. 3. For gadgets I simply ask friends to buy it from my home country and send them here. 4. If all of the above tricks fail, I'll just travel overseas during a vacation to shop for whatever I need. Unfortunately for savvy shoppers like us, most of the locals here don't seem to care about prices, they just accept whatever the dealers give them and pay thru the nose. On a side note, I noticed that a bottle of 750ml cola sells for $2.75 to $3.00 here, whereas a 2L bottle sells for about the same or even less, yet thousands of people routinely grab a 750ml cola during their lunch breaks. This makes no sense to me at all, but it does reveal the fact that people sometimes aren't rational. Can’t agree more, and glad to know that it’s not just me who hates AUS when it comes to anything geeky.

My solution, if you will, is:

1. Never buy a book in a local bookstore, just browse the content to decide which one is good, then make the purchase on amazon.com, which saves on average 15-30%, even after shipping and currency conversion charges. (gotta wait 2-4weeks though, but to me it’s worthwhile)

2. I rarely watch AUS TV programs (they are just too boring), most of the time I just rent DVDs from a local video store that has all the latest US, HK & Janpanese TV dramas.

3. For gadgets I simply ask friends to buy it from my home country and send them here.

4. If all of the above tricks fail, I’ll just travel overseas during a vacation to shop for whatever I need.

Unfortunately for savvy shoppers like us, most of the locals here don’t seem to care about prices, they just accept whatever the dealers give them and pay thru the nose.

On a side note, I noticed that a bottle of 750ml cola sells for $2.75 to $3.00 here, whereas a 2L bottle sells for about the same or even less, yet thousands of people routinely grab a 750ml cola during their lunch breaks. This makes no sense to me at all, but it does reveal the fact that people sometimes aren’t rational.

]]> By: Bob Lawblah http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/08/the-tyranny-of-distance-why-it-sucks-to-be-an-australian-geek/comment-page-1/#comment-1187 Bob Lawblah Wed, 18 Jun 2008 06:29:44 +0000 http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/08/the-tyranny-of-distance-why-it-sucks-to-be-an-australian-geek/#comment-1187 Too True! Having just relocated to Melbourne from San Francisco (Hardly a cheap city in itself) I am amazed everyday at the outrageous prices Australian consumers are willing to spend on just about everything. Sure it costs more to get things over here, but other items have no justification for their price other than the market will bear it ($30 for a paperback book? Are there no printing presses in Australia?) When it comes to internet connections, the options ar frustrating and mind boggling. How can an intangible product such as data cost so much when more of it can be created out of thin air? Whats more, the telecoms and government seem determined to let the world advance digitally while the whole of Australia languishing behind dial-up type speeds even over their "broadband" networks. I'm not sure why more people aren't doing something about this. Surely a big telco could come on in and undercut everyone. Between the few selections of horrible programming on Television here and the inability to download shows over the intertubes, I'm about ready to turn to hard drug use just to pass the time. Too True! Having just relocated to Melbourne from San Francisco (Hardly a cheap city in itself) I am amazed everyday at the outrageous prices Australian consumers are willing to spend on just about everything. Sure it costs more to get things over here, but other items have no justification for their price other than the market will bear it ($30 for a paperback book? Are there no printing presses in Australia?)

When it comes to internet connections, the options ar frustrating and mind boggling. How can an intangible product such as data cost so much when more of it can be created out of thin air?

Whats more, the telecoms and government seem determined to let the world advance digitally while the whole of Australia languishing behind dial-up type speeds even over their “broadband” networks.

I’m not sure why more people aren’t doing something about this. Surely a big telco could come on in and undercut everyone.

Between the few selections of horrible programming on Television here and the inability to download shows over the intertubes, I’m about ready to turn to hard drug use just to pass the time.

]]> By: the main gripe http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/08/the-tyranny-of-distance-why-it-sucks-to-be-an-australian-geek/comment-page-1/#comment-1154 the main gripe Wed, 07 May 2008 03:08:51 +0000 http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/08/the-tyranny-of-distance-why-it-sucks-to-be-an-australian-geek/#comment-1154 i have to move to australia. the main gripe about the internet is that there is a set download limit. i have never heard of such BS in my entire life. In the US/Canada/Korea there is no download limit. I can dowload 1000 GB a month and not get charged for it. and for us true geeks who download tv shows and movies and xbox 360 games online, australia is a backward dinosaur. This is what happens when you have socialist industry eliminating true competition. Telstra should be done away with. You should have private companies competing to get your business. this way you could have 50 dollar a month cable tv and broadband packages. broadband isn't a matter of how far you are from the rest of the world. i have no problem accessing anything from the US from korea.... grow up australia. i have to move to australia. the main gripe about the internet is that there is a set download limit. i have never heard of such BS in my entire life. In the US/Canada/Korea there is no download limit. I can dowload 1000 GB a month and not get charged for it. and for us true geeks who download tv shows and movies and xbox 360 games online, australia is a backward dinosaur.

This is what happens when you have socialist industry eliminating true competition. Telstra should be done away with. You should have private companies competing to get your business. this way you could have 50 dollar a month cable tv and broadband packages.

broadband isn’t a matter of how far you are from the rest of the world. i have no problem accessing anything from the US from korea….

grow up australia.

]]> By: Infotropism – Technical books for Vanuatu http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/08/the-tyranny-of-distance-why-it-sucks-to-be-an-australian-geek/comment-page-1/#comment-850 Infotropism – Technical books for Vanuatu Thu, 18 Oct 2007 22:21:45 +0000 http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/08/the-tyranny-of-distance-why-it-sucks-to-be-an-australian-geek/#comment-850 [...] mentioned before the prohibitive cost of technical books in Australia. In Vanuatu, they’re even more expensive, especially relative to the local economy, plus if [...] [...] mentioned before the prohibitive cost of technical books in Australia. In Vanuatu, they’re even more expensive, especially relative to the local economy, plus if [...]

]]> By: Infotropism – Tyranny of Distance: Link roundup http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/08/the-tyranny-of-distance-why-it-sucks-to-be-an-australian-geek/comment-page-1/#comment-184 Infotropism – Tyranny of Distance: Link roundup Mon, 16 Jul 2007 09:10:15 +0000 http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/08/the-tyranny-of-distance-why-it-sucks-to-be-an-australian-geek/#comment-184 [...] The Tyranny of Distance: Why it sucks to be an Australian geek [...] [...] The Tyranny of Distance: Why it sucks to be an Australian geek [...]

]]> By: Glen Turner http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/08/the-tyranny-of-distance-why-it-sucks-to-be-an-australian-geek/comment-page-1/#comment-172 Glen Turner Thu, 12 Jul 2007 14:21:41 +0000 http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/08/the-tyranny-of-distance-why-it-sucks-to-be-an-australian-geek/#comment-172 14,000Km of redundant undersea cable is always going to make Australia's Internet more expensive and slower than US Internet. Sure Telstra are rapacious (the line rental is outrageous and Telstra are one of the most profitable telcos in the world), but Southern Cross Networks is getting 40c of every $1 you spend on Internet access, so spread your love around :-) The requirement for an ABN for .com.au allows the consumer protection and taxation agencies to police on-line behaviour of .com.au companies. Is the reduced price of removing the ABN requirement to Australian small business worth the increased phishing of Australian consumers? Why is the requirement that .com.au registrants be companies unreasonable, surely that is the whole point of the domain? As far as laptop prices go, the prices from Asia-focussed suppliers like Acer look fine. Suppliers focussed on North America see buyers of their equipment outside of North America as desiring to buy premium kit, and thus they charge premium prices. This isn't right, but buying from someone else would give them that hint (explaining why Acer's market share in Australia is so much higher than their market share in North America). 14,000Km of redundant undersea cable is always going to make Australia’s Internet more expensive and slower than US Internet. Sure Telstra are rapacious (the line rental is outrageous and Telstra are one of the most profitable telcos in the world), but Southern Cross Networks is getting 40c of every $1 you spend on Internet access, so spread your love around :-)

The requirement for an ABN for .com.au allows the consumer protection and taxation agencies to police on-line behaviour of .com.au companies. Is the reduced price of removing the ABN requirement to Australian small business worth the increased phishing of Australian consumers? Why is the requirement that .com.au registrants be companies unreasonable, surely that is the whole point of the domain?

As far as laptop prices go, the prices from Asia-focussed suppliers like Acer look fine. Suppliers focussed on North America see buyers of their equipment outside of North America as desiring to buy premium kit, and thus they charge premium prices. This isn’t right, but buying from someone else would give them that hint (explaining why Acer’s market share in Australia is so much higher than their market share in North America).

]]> By: James http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/08/the-tyranny-of-distance-why-it-sucks-to-be-an-australian-geek/comment-page-1/#comment-171 James Thu, 12 Jul 2007 13:24:15 +0000 http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/08/the-tyranny-of-distance-why-it-sucks-to-be-an-australian-geek/#comment-171 For the domain name, you don't have to register a business name. You can be a <a href="http://www.auda.org.au/policies/auda-2005-01/" rel="nofollow">sole trader</a> with an ABN (which are free). The "close and substantial connection" rule is ridicuously easy to satisfy in practice. For the domain name, you don’t have to register a business name. You can be a sole trader with an ABN (which are free). The “close and substantial connection” rule is ridicuously easy to satisfy in practice.

]]> By: Infotropism – The Tyranny of Distance: Part 2 http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/08/the-tyranny-of-distance-why-it-sucks-to-be-an-australian-geek/comment-page-1/#comment-163 Infotropism – The Tyranny of Distance: Part 2 Wed, 11 Jul 2007 11:45:47 +0000 http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/08/the-tyranny-of-distance-why-it-sucks-to-be-an-australian-geek/#comment-163 [...] The Tyranny of Distance: Why it sucks to be an Australian geek [...] [...] The Tyranny of Distance: Why it sucks to be an Australian geek [...]

]]> By: Skud http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/08/the-tyranny-of-distance-why-it-sucks-to-be-an-australian-geek/comment-page-1/#comment-162 Skud Wed, 11 Jul 2007 00:40:06 +0000 http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/08/the-tyranny-of-distance-why-it-sucks-to-be-an-australian-geek/#comment-162 Sueblimely: I was looking at Craigslist ads recently for share houses in San Francisco. I was seeing things like "Bills are usually $40 a month including power, water, cable TV (all channels), and wired and wireless Internet." Bastards, the lot of them! Sueblimely: I was looking at Craigslist ads recently for share houses in San Francisco. I was seeing things like “Bills are usually $40 a month including power, water, cable TV (all channels), and wired and wireless Internet.” Bastards, the lot of them!

]]> By: Sueblimely http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/08/the-tyranny-of-distance-why-it-sucks-to-be-an-australian-geek/comment-page-1/#comment-161 Sueblimely Wed, 11 Jul 2007 00:15:14 +0000 http://infotrope.net/blog/2007/07/08/the-tyranny-of-distance-why-it-sucks-to-be-an-australian-geek/#comment-161 US$65 including a TV Package! Amazing. I pay $75 (US$65) per month at least for my Telstra cable TV plus US$60 for my cable internet (not with Telstra) - with 3 Australian Geeks and 7 networked computers in the house we struggle with the measly download limits. Which provider is offering ADSL2+ with 150gb of download? Sounds wonderful - I am told ADSL2 is coming to an exchange near me soon - I am 15k from Melbourne City. US$65 including a TV Package! Amazing. I pay $75 (US$65) per month at least for my Telstra cable TV plus US$60 for my cable internet (not with Telstra) – with 3 Australian Geeks and 7 networked computers in the house we struggle with the measly download limits.

Which provider is offering ADSL2+ with 150gb of download? Sounds wonderful – I am told ADSL2 is coming to an exchange near me soon – I am 15k from Melbourne City.

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