Live data from Hacker News

Imagine telling 2010 devs that in 2025, collapsing a div would require $8/ month

old.reddit.com

21–30 of 160 posts

Re: Imagine telling 2010 devs that in 2025, collapsing a div would require $8/ month

#22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Music pretty squarely fits that bill. We used to beam it out over the air, now we transmit it through the internet, but everyone has always expected it to be free. And musicians are still expected to make a ton of money off of their music, if a lot of people like it.

I've taken to buying CDs again. I still stream, but for artists I like I at least own the CD and might pick up some merch too because the reality is that only the big artists make a ton of money, or even any money at all.

Merch is the way to go - if you really want to put money in the artists pocket.

Went to see Pete Doherty not long ago, and bought some hand typed (and signed) lyrics sheets/art from him - felt like buying something quite personal.

Re: Imagine telling 2010 devs that in 2025, collapsing a div would require $8/ month

#24
post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've taken to buying CDs again. I still stream, but for artists I like I at least own the CD and might pick up some merch too because the reality is that only the big artists make a ton of money, or even any money at all.

I’m in a hobby band, and Spotify is important but we’ve made absolutely nothing from it with a few thousand listens. 50 people buy our album digitally and we have enough to record another track.

Great to hear some people are buying - I discover a lot of music through spotify (more through instagram to be honest) just wish more of the bands I like would play near me!

Re: Imagine telling 2010 devs that in 2025, collapsing a div would require $8/ month

#26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Music pretty squarely fits that bill. We used to beam it out over the air, now we transmit it through the internet, but everyone has always expected it to be free. And musicians are still expected to make a ton of money off of their music, if a lot of people like it.

I've taken to buying CDs again. I still stream, but for artists I like I at least own the CD and might pick up some merch too because the reality is that only the big artists make a ton of money, or even any money at all.

CDs just feel so utterly pointless to me these days, since I can have the 100% identical content on a hard drive. Not trying to diss what you do, it's just a weird state of mind I entered once MP3 players and bluetooth speakers replaced CD players everywhere and I can't seem to shake it.

Agree about the principle though, I try to buy merch at every gig I go to. Makes me feel slightly less bad about using Spotify.

Re: Imagine telling 2010 devs that in 2025, collapsing a div would require $8/ month

#27
post #10

Software is weird because it is expected that should be free (as in beer) for most consumers while while being for profit and giving high salaries to its workers. I struggle to think of any other privately owned sector of the economy that works that way.

What about news? Like everyone wants news but no one wants to pay for it.

Re: Imagine telling 2010 devs that in 2025, collapsing a div would require $8/ month

#28
post #10

Software is weird because it is expected that should be free (as in beer) for most consumers while while being for profit and giving high salaries to its workers. I struggle to think of any other privately owned sector of the economy that works that way.

Comically high salaries are an aberration due to zero interest rates. SWEs should earn well, but not 3-4x as much as the median (and conversely, median salary should pay the rent, the housing market also being distorted by ZIRP).

High prices are due to supply and demand. While ZIRP can cause high demand (and high supply of currency to fulfill that demand), the underlying demand still comes from the fact that software has near zero marginal cost, near zero liability, the ability to easily collect rent, AND high barriers to entry. The ideal business.

This means a business that sells software solutions can earn high profit margins, which is a necessary component to be able to then pay high prices to labor sellers. A buyer has to be both able and willing to pay a high price for the seller to be able to sell at a high price.

If the labor buyer is only earning 5% profit margin, then the labor seller is going to have a harder time extracting more money. But if a buyer is earning 20%+ margins, and their business is growing to boot, the buyer will be able and willing to part with more, hence higher prices for labor sellers.

Re: Imagine telling 2010 devs that in 2025, collapsing a div would require $8/ month

#29
post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've taken to buying CDs again. I still stream, but for artists I like I at least own the CD and might pick up some merch too because the reality is that only the big artists make a ton of money, or even any money at all.

I’m in a hobby band, and Spotify is important but we’ve made absolutely nothing from it with a few thousand listens. 50 people buy our album digitally and we have enough to record another track.

Assuming you have a Bandcamp store, have their zero fees Friday events been helpful to your band?

Re: Imagine telling 2010 devs that in 2025, collapsing a div would require $8/ month

#30
post #10

Software is weird because it is expected that should be free (as in beer) for most consumers while while being for profit and giving high salaries to its workers. I struggle to think of any other privately owned sector of the economy that works that way.

Anything ad-supported. If this story was about a div-collapsing feature in software with a banner ad, the reception would be different.
Post reply on HN