"Simplestract", (v): The inverse of streamlinking. To add a level of
abstraction which, although requiring less computing power to model,
interposes additional causal links between two previously connected entities.
Communism is an example of a simplestracted society; the government exists as
an additional link between producer and consumer. A true communism requires
much less computing power to keep track of; the vast, tangled networks of
inter-consumer links are replaced by single links to and from the centralized
government. Capitalism is streamlinked, having direct links to and from
consumer - with attendant improvements in feedback quality, response time,
efficiency, and direction. Capitalism still requires far more computing
power, however.
I believe that the near future, now that we have the computing power, will be
an extremely streamlinked place. Money will be replaced by complex barter;
advertising and sales by Firefly; the Constitution by v2.0; corporations by
telecoordinated freelancers; and so on. It might all happen at once, too...
considering that all have an important social prerequisite in common. Once
people accept computer assistance for one, they'll be willing to accept the rest.
--
sentience@pobox.com Eliezer S. Yudkowsky
http://tezcat.com/~eliezer/singularity.html
http://tezcat.com/~eliezer/algernon.html
Disclaimer: Unless otherwise specified, I'm not telling you
everything I think I know.