On: Allocating resources where they solve the most imp...

[teddyh]

“If what you are doing is not important, and if you don't think it is going to lead to something important, why are you working on it?”

— Richard Hamming

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3msMuwqp-o&list=PLctkxgWNSR...

[dahfizz → teddyh]

Because it pays your bills...?

[trasz → dahfizz]

I.e. because of a bug in economy which makes useless or harmful jobs profitable.

[dahfizz → trasz]

It depends on how you define "important", I guess. Flipping burgers is not relatively important, useless, or harmful. It's not a "bug". It's just something that has to get done, so we pay people to do it.

[trasz → dahfizz]

Flipping burgers is useful work. Working in spam center is harmful. Web search is useful. Spying on users is not. And so on; I don’t think it’s hard to grasp.

Economy exists because it’s beneficial to society. When it results in gratifying behaviors that harm the society, I’d say it’s a bug.

[dahfizz → trasz]

> Flipping burgers is useful work.

We were talking about important work, thus my point about how you want to define important.

Screwdrivers are useful, but none of the screwdrivers I own are important. I could lose one and not notice.

I don't think it's hard to grasp.