Admins: If you feel it best to block this one no offense will be taken. The whole thread focus is more about cultural and philosophical differences than Micros. The Chinese are capable of high quality in all of their endeavors. Many lead harsh lives from our points of view. Some of their efforts are geared towards learning the processes rather than producing a particular product. When an enterprise learns how to conduct a business from the beginning of a product to getting paid for it in an International market it becomes a real asset. If every transaction loses money in the beginning it is simply an investment towards the real objective of creating an ongoing business. In the beginning, every product is a loss leader. While the working conditions of the employees may appear to be appalling to us it may be the best available choice to the worker. It may be the difference between life and death. Imposing our standards on their environment may result in starving some to death. Interfering with a foreign culture should be done very carefully. There are often undesired consequences. Less than 100 years ago my ancestors faced similar conditions in the coal mines of West Virginia. The situation is not new. The area I have chosen for retirement was built on textiles and tobacco. Neither are good career choices today. It is unfortunate but not unexpected when an individual builds a livelihood in a prosperous field that simply becomes unavailable to him. It has been happening all through history. Political changes have provided favorable treatment to one culture at the expense of others. The masses have always resisted the changes but the changes have always happened. The job you have today may be the best job you will ever have. There is no assurance that you will even be able to find employment in your preferred field. Some of us will adapt to a lower standard of living and those who refuse to adapt will lose the most. Individually and collectively we either adapt and compete or we perish. It is a tough world. Obviously, I enjoy the subject but I doubt it is in the best interests of PicList in general. I have been blessed with a long and prosperous life through no fault of my own. I do spend as much time as I can stand helping others less fortunate gain or regain circumstances where they are self sufficient. If you read this far you probably have the personal resources to be self sufficient and maybe even prosper. Count your blessings, many people are less fortunate. My apologies to those offended and direct email for any flames please. On 1/29/2013 5:18 AM, Nily wrote: > I agree, but I think every country has its own rules and better, I should > say its own costs. > Fuel, delivery time and salary are the most daring variables, the latt= er I > should mention in first place. > Some countries have banned certain methods and punished sellers and buyer= s. > For example, USA(USPS) has not sea method so, try to but a heavy device.= ... > you will pay up to 10 times or more than the price of the item itself. > Argentina has all methods but it is simply expensive by definition. > Pre booked baggage rate is a great idea some others should put into > practice. > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "RussellMc" > To: "Microcontroller discussion list - Public." > Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2013 1:43 AM > Subject: Re: [OT] USB charger > > >>> Just the question of postage has me beat, it must be so much cheaper >>> for the supplier for shipping to me as opposed for me to ship to them. >>> How does international postage work. I am sure the same carriers are >>> used in both direction but one direction is so much cheaper (or at >>> least thats how it appears). >> Not quite on the original subject, but related, and worthwhile. >> >> I don't know, but it is clear that people who send electronic goods >> from Asia to Western countries (USA, UK, NZ, ...) have a special >> arrangement. I have priced freight and postage and courier costs >> NZ-China and China-NZ. There is no fast delivery rate available to me >> for China-NZ that comes close to what they are being sent for. Even if >> they combine multiple orders into a single unit the cost/kg is far >> higher than they manage. Either there is a very special rate which is >> inaccessible to mere mortals or they are doing something very clever. >> It's possible that there is a "when there is spare room in the >> aircraft" rate that may take a few days to send. >> >> The cheapest air-freight rate that I found was a new pre-booked >> baggage rate just introduced by Air NZ a few eeeks before I used it. >> If you phone in hours to days before the flight you can book excess >> baggage at a arate far far below normal excess baggage rate. I bought >> back 46 kg of goods and stuff as "pre-booked baggage" . First 23 kg >> was AFAIR about $NZ100 $US80 or about $US3.50/kg =3D about 6 to 7 times >> lower than courier rates. The second bag was about $NZ150 / $US120 or >> ~=3D $US5.20 kg. >> Average for the two was about $US200/46 kg =3D $4.35/kg or 5 to 6 times >> lower than courier (or airmail). >> >> Sea freight is cheap. I think something like $80/m^2 China-NZ. That's >> approximately free for small items. If you want less than a container >> full it may cost you slightly more. >> >> EMS (China postal and courier service) are about the same cost as >> Fedex / DHL / UPS for air freight small items and in fact were dearer >> than eg UPS above a certain weight. (The two depots in SEG area in >> Shenzhen were nearby(as you'd expect)) and I checked latest prices at >> both. BUT EMS had a rate which I had to pry out of them as they seemed >> t think that nobody would want to use it at far less than air freight >> (10% or less?) with about 6 weeks sea freight delivery. That pricing >> is consistent with what one sees on parcels from Asia - BUT they are >> sent by air. Finding the answer would be worthwhile. >> >> >> Russell >> -- >> http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive >> View/change your membership options at >> http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist >> -- John Ferrell W8CCW That which can be destroyed by the truth should be. P.C. HODGELL -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist .