| Last Cereal: Message Board: posting |
| re: what is it |
| [8987] by "FrereKhan" (bowerbird.qut.edu.au) on Thu 31 Jan 2002 06:59:09 [ reply ] |
|
Helpful definitions ;)
Your definition of 'holding down': preventing economic "development", as defined by prevailing economic thought. My definition of 'holding down': preventing social and technological development by placing short-term gain over long-term gain. This is a greedy algorithm, in CompSci-speak. Greedy algorithms are NOT guaranteed to find an optimal solution. I think it's probably safe to say that under such a complex system a greedy algorithm is almost guaranteed to NOT find an optimal solution! (Tobot, comment?) Yeah, I know we were using different definitions. OK, so back to argument: Standardisation improves efficency, lowers cost: lowers customer service quality (cf: MacDonalds - shitty food but cheap and WAY standard). Is this always true? Niche services: higher price, fewer customers, but must make money or people wouldn't do it. This is the one thing driving first-world economics (broad sweeping statement warning - Comment, proxything?): Our willingness to accept extremely poor quality service (monotonically decreasing!). More to say, but comments first! FK |