well to be honest el mike-o "Dark Side" and RoHs DO have similiar characteristics.both are out of sight and beneath notice until they rotate into view but you need a strong enough telescope to see the details.
consider me the resident Rock Grotto Telescope who's job it is along with
Captain Scarlett to bring things into focus.
I get a boatload of industry literature in my in-box every single day of the week and lately I feel like just hitting "delete" without even looking because I KNOW where it is all headed and have seen the trend for some time.
That "trend" is large profits for the large multi-national multi-umbrella corp big players who in league with certain law making bodies are trying to change the face of the world and shut out anyone not part of the club.
These "players" are positioning themselves for the near future
ad campaign blitz where "everyman" will be convinced this is not only a
good thing but that they are actually saving the whales (fill in beast of choice) while on the "dark side",just below notice the garbage will start piling up to no end because these devices are meant to not only have a
physical lifespan but a technological lifespan as well where every six months the next generation with "gotta have it" features will be offered along with the new ad campaign.
What this will accomplish is by grand illusion,force of law and not a few mirrors will be to shut out M.O.R. high fidelity from contention.
Mass market wireless multi-media "do anyhting you want it to/be all you can be" garbage targeted where the bread and butter market lives and that is the common person susceptable to anything they see on TV or are told in print is a GOOD thing.
The same crew that truly beleives the MP3 at 128 Bits is the equal of the CD and beleives the CD is better than vinyl or analog tape (on their horse shit rigs they are probably right),the crew that because of this will see the end of profitable record/CD stores in our lifetime to be replaced by music downloads,are the majority and the engine that makes things go.
WE are easily dismissed being not only a minority voice but a disjointed,disconnected and mostly
punkish voice where many industry insiders who are effected by this in a negative way are afraid to speak up and when they do get no backup from others even if they secretly agree and that my freind is a PUNK where I come from.
the bottom line
IS the bottom line and if goods are made to last there needs to be a serious increase in the population in order to sell more goods.
But this is a new time and rather than wait for masses of consumers to be born (not happening in any developed country and the wait too damn long from the undeveloped countries) just build in a self destruct mechanism while telling everyone you are saving the planet.
The hippies are happy,the consumer is happy having cheap toys that do everyhing and the manufacturer is
EXTREMELY happy about the yearly profits he can see coming in after July 1 with no end in sight.
Hell boy,we could have a f**king worldwide pandemic and they would STILL make a boatload of loot once the product self destructed and new features added to next years version that as we all new are a
MUST HAVE if you want to be cool !
Would not normally be a problem if the rest of us were just left alone but sadly by "default" we are in the loop because any parts manufactured will be in full compliance.
To do otherwise would mean keeping two manufacturing lines going simulataneously for the same exact part and that not only is not profitable (and what RoHs is REALLY about I am convinced,increased profits for the few) but since we do not purchase in the same quantites and have not bitched loudly enough we are beneath notice hence easily told to either "f**k off" or "deal with it asshole,you have no choice"
what will happen to mod services ? Small operation O.E.M.s ? Hell the " audio DIY as a hobby" crew ? what will be
our future ?
f**king bleak is what
for those sensitive to such things please excuse my use of certain words but to be honest I am seriously pissed of about both the turn of events and the HUGE deception going on to cover up what really is going on and to use lesser wording would not come even close to my true feelings
Rickmonster Supremus Rex and at 50 still having plenty of lead in my pencil so if they bury me in the EU when i die being an electric personality someone's ass is going to jail for non compliance