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> There's a very simple solution for anyone worried about fragmentation: don't buy it. I'm not exactly sure what the flaw in this reasoning is called - tragedy
by nebabyte 9y ago
> There's a very simple solution for anyone worried about fragmentation: don't buy it.
I'm not exactly sure what the flaw in this reasoning is called - tragedy of the commons comes to mind but that's not it; it's more like a prisoner's dilemma over a population - but if you're somehow not aware of this by now, this "solution" does nothing in the real world.
It's the same "solution" that is supposed to ensure bad politicians, bad companies, and so on do not take or keep power. "Just boycott X. Just don't vote for Y." There are more than enough people in the given population that trying to influence the landscape by trying to "rally the people!" to make the best decision for the whole rather than the simple or convenient one for themselves fails, literally every time.
Honestly, if you don't already know that, I don't know what rock you've been living under, but it must be comfortable under there.
- baron816 9y agoI get what you're saying. It is a prisoner's dilemma. Tragedy of the commons is also a form of prisoner's dilemma. It won't take an organized effort to reach an equilibrium where consumers benefit. People's incentives aren't to defect and pay the money for the additional services. They're much more likely to just not watch Disney's products, or torrent them. Disney could've very easily have just not licensed their content to Netflix and made everyone buy their DVDs, but they didn't because no one buys DVDs anymore--they watch Netflix. They're banking on the notion that their content is so good that people will pay extra for it. If their content really is that good, then maybe people should pay extra for it. In that case they'll still be paying less than what it's actually worth to them. If not, then they won't. People can watch other stuff, or Disney will abandon the project.