[Frameworks] film in the New York Times

[Dave Tetzlaff]

Well, AT&T only claimed Kodak "has fallen from technological primacy", not
that film is dead, and surely they were referencing still photography and
volume of use with "effective obsolescence"... no more Instamatics for the
masses, who now are equipped with hi-res digital cameras in their smart
phones. What do you estimate the percentage of the populace who even own
much less use any kind of film camera is now vs. what it was a generation
ago?

Obsolescence is relative to purpose, and for some purposes – like prestige
oscar-bait theatrical films and certain artists' cinema genres – analog,
photochemical film has its uses, and is thus not obsolete in that sense.
The question of whether the production of film stock will remain viable as
a business practice – economic obsolescence if you will – is another
matter. As quoted by the Times, what AT&T is arguing is indeed economic
obsolescence of POTS: many users still want landlines, but not enough for
the maintenance of the copper wire network to fit AT&T's profit scheme.

FWIW, there might be some propagandizing going on there, as I'd guess the
copper wire network is worth more as DSL internet service than voice calls.
IOW, I doubt AT&T wants to abandon the ISP biz generally, and the bit about
POTS being obsolete is just an excuse to cut all services, including
internet, in a limited number of locales that aren't profitable.


On Sat, Mar 16, 2024 at 7:05 PM Pip Chodorov <pip at re-voir.com> wrote:

> I read an article in the New York Times today about the ongoing popularity
> of landlines. At one point it quotes AT&T in a claim to relieve its
> obligation to maintain a copper-wire network (Plain Old Telephone Service):
> "“Like Blockbuster rentals and Kodak film, POTS has fallen from
> technological primacy to effective obsolescence in the course of a
> generation.” Don’t they know that 4 out of the 5 films nominated this year
> for the Oscar for best cinematography were shot on Kodak film? Ironically,
> in the same edition the Times published a 16mm experimental film by Bill
> Brown. Long live obsolete media!
> - Pip Chodorov
>
>
> Links to the two articles:
>
> ABOUT LAND LINES
> [image: 00xp-landline-05-facebookJumbo-v2.jpg]
>
> Landline Users Remain Proudly ‘Old-Fashioned’ in the Digital Age (Gift
> Article)
> <https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/16/business/landline-phones-att.html?unlocked_article_code=1.dU0.3wJ8.zY3ott1860GW&smid=url-share>
> nytimes.com
> <https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/16/business/landline-phones-att.html?unlocked_article_code=1.dU0.3wJ8.zY3ott1860GW&smid=url-share>
>
> <https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/16/business/landline-phones-att.html?unlocked_article_code=1.dU0.3wJ8.zY3ott1860GW&smid=url-share>
>
>
> BILL BROWN FILM
> [image: opdoc-archive-roswell-facebookJumbo.png]
>
> Opinion | What a U.F.O. Crash Teaches Us About Our Time on Earth (Gift
> Article)
> <https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/12/opinion/ufo-roswell-1947-new-mexico.html?unlocked_article_code=1.dU0.jZaa._0ofEeLTYOOo&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare>
> nytimes.com
> <https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/12/opinion/ufo-roswell-1947-new-mexico.html?unlocked_article_code=1.dU0.jZaa._0ofEeLTYOOo&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare>
>
> <https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/12/opinion/ufo-roswell-1947-new-mexico.html?unlocked_article_code=1.dU0.jZaa._0ofEeLTYOOo&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare>
> --
> Frameworks mailing list
> Frameworks at film-gallery.org
> https://mail.film-gallery.org/mailman/listinfo/frameworks_film-gallery.org
>
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