In a revealing post over on New Scientist’s Environment blog, correspondent Fred Pearce recounts some of the cultural and economic back story to his being able to buy a new, handmade PC from Dell:
To keep the lines running, Asustek trains a staggering 7000 new operators every month. Right now a new influx of young girls is heading for Suzhou and the other computer cities, part of China’s rapid urbanisation – a process demographers are calling the biggest human mass migration ever seen.
I don’t quite know whether it is the dynamism or the heartlessness of the Chinese economy that I find most stunning. But in my small way, with my purchase, I am part of it.
Disturbing, and mildly thrilling. (And what he doesn’t tell you is that consoles are made in the abyss by the ravaged souls of tiny old ladies.)
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It’s sort of strange how abstracted from everything we’re becoming as a society. Fortunately I build my PC myself, (although admittedly, it took me more than 10 minutes, and I bled all over the motherboard in the process) but we’re now so removed from what we consume that many people just aren’t able to recognise what it is that they eat, let alone that they use in the office or garage.
I bleed all over the motherboard in the process
Stop buying cheap, crappy £30 cases. And get some proper tools.
(Whether you’re exaggerating or not)
I actually got a nose bleed bizarrely enough, I never usually get them. (Obviously really excited about my new PC)
*Shivers*
A mother board all covered in blood?
Thats going in my nightmare right now.
Also it will probably be in the next saw film
I went shopping for a bunch of household junk at Wal Mart last week and noticed when I was being lazy about putting stuff up that every single thing I’d purchased except one had been made in China. A box of tissue = USA (Iowa).
Some joke about crying over the trade deficit is appropriate perhaps.