This is interesting yet absurd in many ways. We all know Google is amazing, their out of the world ideas of Google Earth, Google Maps, Google Search etc all built upon countless contributions of ideas and opinions from geeks that quickly got on their Beta release versions, clicked on the 'I Agree on whatever donkey you wrote there' and immediately, techno geeks would get to experience first hand pre-release beta testing versions of their latest software. With vast contributions from millions of users before finally releasing the 1.0 version that would ultimately costs us just a few cents of electricity bills from powering the router, modem and computer that we've spent a minute or two downloading them. And of course, the outcome is both an exciting new product that's groundbreaking and fundamentally, as Jeff Jarvis claimed 'The user generated end product that users wanted.' Now, we would really like to have a quick knuckle knock on Jeff's head, that the Automotive Industry creates one physical thing "Automobiles". A metal box that travels at speeds of up to 80mph any given time, and when it crashes, lives are lost, or another person's - in a version 1.0 manufactured car as oppose to the 'Beta version' he claims Detroit automakers should be doing, a la Google.
The single mindedness in Jeff Jarvis' 'suggestion' to the automotive industry is downright, profoundly, mind blowingly idiotic in our sense. By releasing plans of development to the public, releasing 'Beta Versions' of pre-released cars to the public for assessment and idea contribution (feedback) for the final product to be wildly accepted (as claimed) is the magic pill for Detroit automakers. (as claimed)
The automotive industry is fundamentally very much different to Software (Gosh I felt stupid even to 'remind' the general public of this, not to say an expert like Jeff Jarvis) in that Software companies only involve development costs, and after its done, the only production costs needed are burning their latest creations on CDs or DVDs and distributing them, which is why its so easy to create pirated software. As for Beta versions, anyone can clicked on the donkey user agreement and start downloading them, test and try them.
Now lets apply the same logic to the automotive industry, development costs alone of the design, retooling of factory, parts and suppliers, logistics would've already been a nightmare. Now imagine this, creating beta versions of cars for the public to assess them, yeah right. First off, holding a press conference informing the world that GM is planning a Camry beater, with dimensions larger than the Camry, prices cheaper than the Camry and interior better built than the Camry (Without anything to show anyone), and them asked the American public for opinions, drawings and all the bitching about whether they should include a cooking stove in the center panel, or a 32 inch plasma tv on the roof with a washing machine in the boot, and then going through all before setting their minds on a Chevrolet Malibu that includes a fax machine (God knows? what if this is what the Americans wanted with a public poll?) Then assessing all designs and opinions to make up their mind to whether build the car with full Carbon Fiber monocoque or steel.
Now the next step, manufacturing thousands of Chevrolet Malibus with a fax machine and fridge and distributing them to dealers across the world so that the public could walk into showrooms and drive them, and further opined on anything to add up. I guessed I don't need to story further to all of you before you guys realized any manufacturer that does that would mean they no longer need to spend millions hiring the best industrial design, ergonomics specialists, project managers, designers and engineers, or marketers that knows what the public wants, and of course accountants that kept the company's liquidity in check while all these goes on. Hell, they might only then need a panel of suppliers, Bob Lutz, and a pile of cash as high as Everest and they can begin burning them in a few month's time before putting into production the public generated automobile. Right? As everyone needs a car, and ultimately would surely have our idea of what's the best for us right? There's no point having experts designing them in secrecy right?
Feasible? Yes, if there's only one car manufacturer in the world and that its against International Law and the Security Council would go medieval and launch a pre-emptive air strike on any second manufacturer. For the rest of us, we would've got bored with the Chevrolet Malibu that keeps changing its design and the exact kilograms of cloths the washing machine in the boot could wash at one go and never even bother to take a visit to the showrooms that will start selling them in year 2015.
Jeff, shut up
