

Aus retailers seek protection from online competition - Does this irk HN? - grovulent
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/online-shoppers-punished-by-tax-ebay-20101124-186xz.html

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shrughes
Why do you ask?

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grovulent
Well I assume that most folks on HN would be somewhat interested in seeing
online services flourish, and this is a move to disadvantage them simply
because retailers either refuse to, or are incapable of, updating their
business models. And not only do the innovators suffer, but so to do the
consumers who are forced to pay higher prices because they can't get access to
the value produced by the innovation. It irks me because the retailers think
they have some kind of right to exist.

Imagine you are living in a village where one guy gets paid for carrying water
from the lake. Then one day, some other guy builds a pipe and a pump - the
first guy is out of a job! So he goes to the village chief, who bans everyone
from using the pipe to get their water so that the first guy could keep his
job.

That's clearly insane to my mind - and was wondering if the HN community
concurs or if they see the other side.

