> If I come up with cheap synthetic willpower (see "Algernon's Law", "Will
> of Iron"), I'll be sure to distribute it. I've discovered the Meaning
> of Life; that may help. As a social engineer, I'm a relative amateur,
> but there are still some methods of positive feedback I could employ.
Heh. You _are_ an amatuer if you're looking for positive feedback
solutions. You are directed to read just about any engineering
textbook on modern control theory, if you have not done so already,
that you might understand why systems with positive feedback only tend
toward instability.
Extending and applying these ideas to the arena of social engineering
(as a trivial example, to child-rearing, or to the modern fuzzy-wuzzy
feel-good theory of American education) is left as an exercise for
the reader.
-- John S. Novak, III jsn@cris.com The Humblest Man on the Net