Which is better?

[gunug]

We've heard in the news about the Foxconn plants and their unhappy, overworked employees but now apparently they intend to replace 1 million employees with robots:

QUOTE

Taiwanese technology giant Foxconn will replace some of its workers with 1 million robots in three years to cut rising labor expenses and improve efficiency, said Terry Gou, founder and chairman of the company, late Friday.

The robots will be used to do simple and routine work such as spraying, welding and assembling which are now mainly conducted by workers, said Gou at a workers' dance party Friday night.

The company currently has 10,000 robots and the number will be increased to 300,000 next year and 1 million in three years, according to Gou.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/chin...c_131018764.htm

I have worked in an electronics factory doing "final assembly" on military radios.  It's was often unpleasant but it paid the bills and gave me some experience while going to school to become a technician.  I can see a robot doing some things I did - tinning power cables by dipping them in solder for example - but those million robots aren't going to pay any workers salary.  It's also unlikely they're going to be participating in the "workers' dance party" on Friday nights!

[Xairbusdriver]

I surprised that they have so few robots now! Certainly a 'production line' setting would have already done away with soldering components to circuit boards (solder 'rivers' anyone)? Of course, the only people earning any money with the robot purchases will be the people still working in the factories that make them (no doubt with many 'robots' there, also. But what is the alternative, the majority of consumers have little, if any, concern for how or where something is made, their major concern is 'more for the least money!' I admit that is a major concern for me, also. Of course, quality is also important, but it's the redundant, brain-numbing tasks that humans make the most mistakes and that 'robots' don't mind doing 24/7/365!!!

Many would say there are just too many people in the World. Way too many than are needed to 'produce' what is needed. Try explaining that to the starving children in Somalia...