Friday, November 25, 2011

RED QUEENS AND INCREASING RETURNS

RED QUEENS AND INCREASING RETURNS

When I decided to obtain my DVD for the science fiction assignment, I used Netflix. The current competition between DVDs and VOD (video-on-demand) is an example of increasing returns in this era rather than Red Queens. Red Queens, according to Dr. Thornburg, is a huge competition between technologies in which the other similar technologies are completely left behind (Laureate Education Inc., 2009). Presently, DVDs and VOD are not experiencing a Red Queen, but more of an increasing return where the demand for VOD is more than it is for DVDs. Thereby, the market paints a picture of increasing returns for the success or infusion of VOD as an adopted technology (Laureate Education Inc., 2009).

Now, I think that DVDs are fastly, if not already, approaching the second quadrant of McLuhan’s tetrad (obsolete) and VOD is in the first quadrant (McLuhan, 1988). DVDs are not in high demand in the hard copy format, but VOD is very hot due to the fact that it enhances portability and is easily accessible to users

Reference
Laureate Education, Inc. (2009). Emerging and future technology. Baltimore, MD: Author.

McLuhan, M., & McLuhan, E. (1988). Laws of media: The new science. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

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