With higher charges, StarHub should let viewers opt out: Case

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/070613/5/singapore281876.html

Consumers' Association of Singapore (Case) is attempting to force StarHub to give consumers the choice to cancel their contracts that were based on old rates for free instead of having to pay to break it. StarHub will be increasing its base rates by $4 and its sports group by $10 from October on, but has also imposed a fee for any subscribers who want to opt out.

While television content has indeed increased, espcially for the sports group due to the new television deal signed by the EPL, StarHub have no reason to impose the buy-out fee other than from pure greed in order to increase income. The fee is likely imposed to discourage viewers from opting out of the more expensive program so as to maintain and increase StarHub's income.

I feel that despite what StarHub might say, it is unfair and wrong to not allow people who signed under the old scheme to drop their contracts for free. If StarHub were to keep on increasing its pricing because it could 'revise pricing plans', as well as increase the buy-out fee, theoratically it could it increaes its price to absurb amounts without the customers being able to do anything about it.

This problem can easily happen across the media industry in Singapore. With the Singapore Press Holdings domintating the newspapers, Mediacorp the local film and radio and StarHub the paid TV programs, its easy for any one of them to increase their prices without fear of their customers looking for other cheaper companies, due to the lack of other companies.

While this entry could be biased written from a consumer's point of view, it is hard see any reason for the buy-put fee other than to impose its monopoly for more money.

(Sorry Ms Quah, I was away for competiton for most of the first half of the hols and didn't see the mail.)

Chinese surname shortage sparks rethink

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/070612/1/49653.html

The chinese government are considering a new surname system in an effort to reduce the number of people with the same surname after research has showned that 85% of the 1.3 billion (around 1.1 billion) share just 100 surnames, causing confusion in identity. The government is considering to allow couples to combine their surnames for their children, as well as to allow ethnic minorities to register their own symbols for their names.

I think that if this idea comes through, it could have quite a big impact in Singapore as well as most chinese-speaking communities. The change could cause surname-based societies to fall apart, as less and less people will be of that particular surname. Old traditions could just be forgotten due to the lack of people passing it down. This incident is also one in many that shows the world being more and more ready to give up older traditions for practical reasons.

In China, as cases of parents aborting daughters become more and more common, this could also potentially solve at least a little of the problem as now with sharing of surname permitted, the idea of carrying on the surname would not be strong.

While the solution could have its problems, it will nonetheless be an effective solution to reduce confusion by increasing the number of surnames. Problems could arise in the next generations, but solutions can be found for it.

In conclusion, I feel that it is an effective solution to the problem.