Talk:Obsolescence

message: I removed the following because it doesn't fit the definition at the begining of the article.  Replace it if you like, but try to resolve the contradiction. ike9898 22:14, Mar 1, 2004 (UTC) 
:;Intentional physical obsolescence
:*A product is designed to last for a specific lifetime (example: home entertainment electronics)
:*If a product will be technically or stylisticly obsolete in five years, many marketers will design the product so it will only last for that time (this is done through a technical process called value engineering — great euphemism!)
:*Doing this will reduce the cost of making the product, and lower the price to consumers (unless there is a lack of competition in the industry, in which case the cost reduction will probably not be passed on to the consumer in the form of lower price)
removed a low level vandalism 67.142.178.25 (talk) 05:17, 1 March 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Removal 

message: Perhaps someone could compile some of the obsolete words from wikipedia and create a list of them on this page, or on a separate article?
: Nah. --74.111.24.115 00:53, 8 October 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Obsolete Words 

message: The following sentence does not strike me as neutral: "Fortunately, since companies prefer to maintain their consumer base, they have a strong incentive to support products for several years after their release." Apparently, whoever wrote it never tried to buy a compatible charger for their six-month-old cell phone at the store where they bought the phone. Bob Badour 23:54, 1 June 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Question of NPOV 

message: Perhaps the article should expanded to include things which are Obsolescent- ie, the actual item itself is no longer made, but the spare parts and accessories which enable it to remain functional are?
For example, there are a lot of firearms in calibres which have been out of production for years (The British stopped making .303 rifles in 1956, for example), yet modern commercial ammunition is readily available and there are people who make spare parts for them, enabling owners to continue using their rifles despite the fact they're technically obsolete. The same could be said of a number of items, ranging from Dot Matrix printers to old Radios and TVs that used Valves/Vacuum Tubes instead of transistors... --Commander Zulu 14:14, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Obsolescent 

message: How many of you are annoyed how companies make electronics obsolete? I myself didn't buy a DVD player until 2005, way after the technology was released. From what I heard, in a few more years there won't be DVD's at all, requiring me to purchase whatever latest technology that exists. They are already doing it with TV's by disabling Analog TV signals. Soon we'll all have to purchase a new technology, and I think it's pretty screwed up. What do yall think, do you agree this is wrong, or do you agree that making things obsolete is a way to make technology better? --MidnightScott (talk) 02:30, 3 April 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: I don't believe that DVDs or even CDs will be rendered obsolete for at least 10 years. They're still fighting the BlueRay versus HD-DVD battle, and that won't be settled for at least two or three more years. You can still buy cassette players, VCRs, and even vinyl LPs, for cryin' out loud. — Loadmaster (talk) 02:31, 5 April 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: I imagine long ago one of the first guy's ancestors was busy complaining that this whole bronze thing was totally a conspiracy to make people throw away their old flint tools. Herr Gruber (talk) 15:41, 9 August 2014 (UTC)
thread_title:  Annoyances 

message: Sure would be nice if a professor gave input from a Marxist perspective, using more precise disciplinary language and references.  Anybody there?  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 198.108.84.77 (talk) 03:57, 20 January 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  any marxist scholars out there? 

message: There ought to be mention of the concept of outmoded and obsolescent ideas in philosophies. Much of philosophy focuses on what is modern and what is not, what is obsolescent and what is not. ADM (talk) 11:19, 20 January 2009 (UTC)
thread_title: Philosophies and ideas

message: In the introduction, part of the definition is "...even though it may still be in good working order" (Emphasis is mine)...while "may" is a decent hedge, the weight of it is lost to the balance of the sentence making it seem as though it is at odds with the first entry of functional obsolescence.  
As I sit here trying to think of a more elegant and clear way to present the idea, it also occurs to me that the definition in and of itself is pretty weak.  I think some of the general problem I have with it rests on using the word "want", which also flies in the face of functional obsolescence and planned obsolescence in that in some cases consumers have no desire to move to newer products, but companies discontinue support to help improve revenue from the newer product (one of the many reasons they may choose to).  
Maybe something like: "Obsolescence is the process by which something falls into general disuse.  The process can start for a variety of reasons, but typically ends with that thing being considered obsolete.  Things such as ideas, products, services, and processes can become obsolete while sometimes still being fully functional."...but actually, you know, elegant.
I think I'd also chop off the final sentence of the original as it sets improper expectations with respect to the rest of the article (or maybe move it).  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.142.178.25 (talk) 05:51, 1 March 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Unclear introduction 

message: Can "style obsolescence" be reverted to "psychological obsolescence" ?
The latter is more often used in texts, and if not changed, the article is more confusing 
Do so by undoing this revision: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Obsolescence&oldid=620516267&diff=prev
KVDP (talk) 07:36, 25 August 2014 (UTC)
thread_title: Style obsolescence

message: You may want to add information / updates about the new legal situation in France -- planned obsolescence can have serious consequences, 300.000 EUR, 2 yrs, or even penalties of even 10 % of companies revenue are possible. Class action suits are possbile. -- Thomas Österheld (talk) 23:21, 4 November 2014 (UTC)
thread_title:  New legal regulation in France 

message: I am just writing an article in German and English about my 2004 purchased scanner not working with Windows 7 and higher. I linked the German version to the part "functional obsolescence" where this problem is special mentioned and the open source movement is named as counter movement. Great, my article is about, that my old scanner works with Linux.
But there is no such content here in the English version.
Pege.founder (talk) 06:00, 28 April 2017 (UTC)
thread_title:  No drivers in new Windows version 

message: We need a sharper distinction between "obsolete" and "obsolescent."
We might want consider splitting this article.
Fountain pens are obsolescent, but not obsolete.
Best wishes,
184.22.216.231 (talk) 07:31, 26 July 2020 (UTC)
thread_title:  Distinguishing Between "Obsolete" and "Obsolescent."