Designed obsolescence, a corporate conspiracy?

Question

I just read one story about a light bulb that has lasted over 107 years. It has rarely been turned off and has survived several earthquakes to boot. Surely today's modern technology could create bulbs to last that long and be more efficient. Oh wait they do, but not the 100 year plus part. It sure makes one wonder about corporations scheming to have their products fall apart at just the right moment as to not lose consumer confidence but at the same time be able to maximize their profits through repeat business for replacement purposes.

It any wonder the world has not been destroyed sooner. Unbridled capitalism thinks nothing about the cost to the environment. Our economic models and priorities need to change with utility efficiency, economic justice, and environmental mindfulness at the forefront. If we as a society could accomplish this there would be more than enough for everyone to be happy and taken care of.

Answer 1

Wasn't the light bulb a 4 watt? You could barely see the light coming off of it.

Answer 2

people that make things to sell dont want them to be indestructible or they will work themselves out of business

cigarettes have chemicals to burn faster so you will light up another one

But the worst of all is that Pharmaceutical  companies do not get rich with healthy people ,figure out what that entails.

Leave the corporate world alone ,they own yahoo ,I lost 2 accounts by attacking the people  behind the scenes

they rule the world http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/bloodl...

,

Answer 3

In the documentary Who Killed The Electric car it was said the originally at the time of inventio of cars there were electric cars but people chose gas powered ones instead. Same happened years later up to now.

Speaking of which Car Non Proliferation Treaties like Nuke Treaties during CW would be nice. Dismantle ones as well like Disrmament ones.

Answer 4

Planned obsolescence is part of the entire scheme of things, and that is nothing new. Nor is it confined to light bulbs. Buy a computer and a new operating system and how long is that viable? Or for Pete sake, check out what happens with software -- PhotoShop, Illustrator, InDesign --Adobe not only 'up-grades' periodically but they put things in different places so that you have a whole new program to learn before you can carry on with your work.   The automobile industry not only plans for obsolescence but they offer next year's design this year -- and guess what? No one seems to care about this game at all. It is simply the way we are. So fellow Luddite what to say? Just check on the responses you have received and you'll see precisely why it works so well.

Answer 5

I don't buy into the "conspiracy" perspective. Sure, companies could have been producing light bulbs that last for 50+ years, but would consumers pay $50 for one when they could get a 4-pack (each lasting 1 year) for only $2.50?  Some would, but most wouldn't.  You can't lay all the blame for inefficient use of our researches on corporations, the consumers bear their own share of blame.

Where do consumers chose to shop? Do they go into a store where they can buy things that will last 10 years and cost quite a bit, or do they go into Wal-Mart knowing the cheap item they buy will break in 6 - 12 months? If Wal-Mart didn't offer that product, someone else would.

What's needed isn't to blame corporations or uninformed consumers, but to educate consumers about the consequences of wasted resources. We need a paradigm shift in the way we think about the things we buy. When a few hundred million people shared this huge planet, it wasn't a big deal, but with 6 (going on 10) billion it's time for us all to think in terms of sustainable living.  We don't have to give up modernity, just be a little less careless.

Answer 6

I can't speak for all corporations, no one can.  However we had to obsolete parts every two years and redesign because of government mandates.  In answer to one of the respondents about software and computers , that has more to do with research and development and customer demands. This has changed the way manufacturers produce product.  The term lean manufacturing came about because things are changing so quickly and customers want the latest and greatest at a certain cost and delivered on time.  As a manager I had to ensure we kept a close eye on inventory because items can become obsolete so quickly and we did not want to have a large inventory of them.  

In a sense Ken is right about the customer, look at disposable diapers.  No one wants to use cloth diapers anymore, why?  We have become a disposable society buy today throw it away tomorrow.

Answer 7

That bulb was vastly overbuilt at the time. It's also not very bright, and uses more current than necessary.