Business Publication Assignment #2

BBC- “Google to limit free news access”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8389896.stm

The media war between internet and newspaper has intrigued me for awhile, mainly because I would rather read the newspaper than an article on the internet any day. This article described how the websites of newspapers that usually charge for access to their online articles are accessible to users free of charge via Google, which has agreed to use a program that pulls up subscription sites after five clicks. I thought this was very interesting because I completely agree with Rupert Murdoch of Newscorp, who believes sites such as Google profits from its online journalism links. I think newspapers shouldn't have to struggle any more than they already do thanks to the internet and that it's appropriate for users to have to purchase access to their content.

BusinessWeek- "Study: Computers Don't Save Hospitals Money"
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2009/tc20091130_048605.htm?chan=rss_topStories_ssi_5

I found this article very interesting because I've thought a lot about the opportunity costs of hospitals and businesses converting to solely computerized record keeping. While my thoughts about such changes were more apocalyptic, such as, "What happens when a major computer crash occurs and medical records are lost forever?," this article did present me with facts that show the returns on such changes are not as beneficial as people have touted them to be. The research done by the Harvard Medical School team showed that only a few out of 4,000 researched hospitals showed profits from computerization, because mainly the software is written for administrators instead of the clinicians. While I did lose my paper medical records in Katrina, which can't be replaced, I still am hesitant as to whether or not we should solely depend on computers to store such important information. The findings of the study further confused me on what to do about health care reform also, because they almost completely contradicted the claims of profitability of computerization that its supports have presented.


The Australian- “Luxury cars, boats, and houses back on the agenda as super rich loosen their purse strings”
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/news/luxury-cars-boats-and-houses-back-on-the-agenda-as-super-rich-loosen-the-purse-strings/story-e6frg90o-1225806417924

I thought that this article perfectly described everything I despise about the wealthy. Its description of the various purchases that millionaires and beyond have made in this recession almost disgusts me. While it did say that the super rich have lost the most, as Marc Cohen stated, "if you've got a few hundred million, and have lost a sizable chunk, then you have still got a few hundred million." I thought it interesting yet odd that the article would almost praise the recovering luxury markets while the regular population is still suffering through the recession. Maybe it's just my disdain for frivolous buys but this article irked me!