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tracker / 2004 / 11

Posted by tgl on 2004-11-02 14:15:28 +0000

why popularity matters

There is some disdain for the herd mentality. Maybe in terms of cultural tastes, there is a point there. I think majority opinion is important b/c it represents the wisdom of the crowd. Collectively, we stand a better chance of finding the truth than singly. This isn't just socialist bullshit. It's a fundamental reason why stock markets work, gambling businesses turn a profit, anything that relies on information, etc. http://www.randomhouse.com/features/wisdomofcrowds
Posted by rladew on 2004-11-02 18:52:57 +0000
Is this a reaction to the Tom Wolfe article? Are you seriously advocating that if everyone decides to jump off a bridge I should too? _______________________________ If you can't respect that, your whole perspective is whack Maybe you'll love me when I fade to black
Posted by rladew on 2004-11-02 18:56:08 +0000
Another thought: what if it was 1980, 1984, or 1988? I guess the crowds were pretty dumb then, huh? _______________________________ “When you’re creating your own shit, man, even the sky ain’t the limit.” Miles Davis
Posted by tgl on 2004-11-02 19:03:37 +0000
Maybe they weren't! The Reagan & Bush 41 adminstrations did some good things. So good, in fact, that I'm voting for the candidate that most exemplifies the foreign policies of Bush 41. (My apologies to Friedman).
Posted by tgl on 2004-11-02 19:07:20 +0000
Partly, but also this idea (fear?) I've been getting from the Right that some people aren't smart enough to vote appropriately. Taken in the aggregate, the right choice will be made. Didn't it used to be Democrats were the ones trying to put government in control of our lives b/c people couldn't be trusted otherwise? Funny how things change. Actually, the wisdom of the crowd would probably be to not jump off a bridge.
Posted by tendiamonds on 2004-11-02 20:50:26 +0000
no no no, you're missing the point, if everyone jumps off the bridge, there's probably a very good reason to do so. Like the bridge is being overrun by land-sharks or something.
Posted by rladew on 2004-11-02 21:26:30 +0000
I absolutely concur with you about having faith in the individual's ability to vote 'appropriately' for what is appropriate for that particular individual. (Warning: no political content or implications here)In my particular experience, I have never seen crowds to be brilliant when they are together- ever people watch at a concert or a movie theater or a mall? No hard evidence here, but dealing with individuals I would argue will yield better and smarter results than dealing with a crowd.. _______________________________ “When you’re creating your own shit, man, even the sky ain’t the limit.” Miles Davis
Posted by tgl on 2004-11-02 21:36:05 +0000
Caveat: Drunken crowds show no wisdom.
Posted by dawnbixtler on 2004-11-03 01:17:01 +0000
'80-Voting out Carter hurt our country tremendously, sent it into a recession, and prolonged the Cold War for another 8 years. The Reagan debt didn't get paid off till Clinton's second term, and one can speculate that US R&D was brought to a virtual stand still from '80 to '86 (except for computers). Yeah, that was dumb...
Posted by tgl on 2004-11-03 07:29:37 +0000
Bush 41 was correct to increase taxes... Most of the Reagan tax cuts go rolled back. Except for some silly missile defense spending, increases to the defense (er, offense) budget priced the Soviet Union out of the Cold War.
Posted by dawnbixtler on 2004-11-03 18:07:22 +0000
I would argue it was the fall of communism that brought down the USSR in the cold war.
Posted by tgl on 2004-11-03 19:23:16 +0000
Is the crowd still on the bridge, or did half jump?
Posted by tendiamonds on 2004-11-03 19:51:26 +0000
I'm drunk and alone, can I still jump off a bridge?
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