Re: Teach the hungry (Was: Hollywood Economics)

J. Maxwell Legg (income@ihug.co.nz)
Sat, 05 Sep 1998 16:32:21 +1200

Bryan Moss wrote:

> J. Maxwell Legg wrote:
>
> > > Are you saying the economy's a bit like a
> > > neural net so lets make it even more like a
> > > neural net?
> >
> > YES
> >
> > > I think you're suggesting `filtering' the
> > > interactions of capitalists to fit the model
> > > of a neural net more precisely, but I'm
> > > unsure.
> >
> > RIGHT ON!!!
>
> I understand that this wouldn't work with only two
> people, but would the following be (roughly) a
> correct way of explaining this idea?
>
> Two people arguing over who gets a piece of land
> in the current economy:
>
> A <----- communication ------> B
>
> Two people arguing over who gets a piece of land
> in the post-economy:
>
> |--------> Neural Net <--------|
> | |
> A B
>
> In the second example A and B's communication is
> filtered (or moderated) to become a useful part of
> the neural net. In the first example the two would
> have to come to some sort of agreement. In the
> second example the decision making process happens
> in the neural net, which is a product of A and B's
> interaction. With a larger network of people,
> communication between the two would join a neural
> net built from the interactions between millions
> of people and a far more complex decision making
> process would take place.
>
> I have to say that, from what I understand, I like
> the idea. But it's incredibly hard to imagine such
> a system being implemented.

In most respects such a system of consolidated measurements must leave open the possibility that Independent Components can instinctively rise to the surface. Other than that you would find that the upfront transaction costs would make it sensible to 'capitalize' more lifetime accounts than pay per view type of transactions. In the end a system of anti-capitalism would evolve whereby the settlement of complaints would account for 'aprofit' whereby one might score a contribution high and others score it low. If you were to loose out in such a situation there would be no actual settlement but the independence of your component would be subsumed and may end up as a disquieted memory in the net.

Sheesh, I wish I could resist those big words. As the two birds on the phone line were overheard to say. "Don't they tickle your feet?!"