4 ms·

For the stuff that works, i.e. electricity as an invention. But if you need to continue innovating, fragmented ecosystem > one entity. Prime example being: wh

For the stuff that works, i.e. electricity as an invention. But if you need to continue innovating, fragmented ecosystem > one entity. Prime example being: what have 7B people invented, vs , what has UN (as their one face) invented.

Barrin92 9y ago
I don't know what to make of that analogy, but why not stick to the historical example I gave, Bell Labs has invented a good deal of things, as has the military (which I guess can be thought of as a utility of sorts) and the telecommunications sector. For fundamental and 'deep' research the public sector is doing a pretty good job. I'm skeptical about selling every chat app and toy as "innovation".
- gardnr 9y ago
  In fifty years people will look back on this thread and note that we were still debating ideas from such radical ends of the spectrum. I don't know how it will turn out but I have not heard much about your communist internet. I don't mean that in a bad way it is just a useful analogy for me to think about internet as railroads, as the post office, the dmv. Something we need so much that we pay taxes to make sure it is there regardless of whether or not it is viable in a business sense. Then I realize that Bell Labs was not a public utility. It was an exceptional research project driven by exceptional people. Putting a power grid in the same category as Bell Labs is a fallacy. The nature of public institution stifles innovation. The ossified structure provides a safety which precludes the need for survival. Yes, we need the DMV but for fucks sake why do I have to wait in line for 6 hours once a year? How is the post office not profitable? Why are our trains so much slower than in other countries? What is it that you are imagining as good when you see us provisioning our computing resources from a government agency?

4 ms·

For the stuff that works, i.e. electricity as an invention. But if you need to continue innovating, fragmented ecosystem > one entity. Prime example being: wh

by quickben 9y ago

Barrin92 9y ago
I don't know what to make of that analogy, but why not stick to the historical example I gave, Bell Labs has invented a good deal of things, as has the military (which I guess can be thought of as a utility of sorts) and the telecommunications sector. For fundamental and 'deep' research the public sector is doing a pretty good job. I'm skeptical about selling every chat app and toy as "innovation".
- gardnr 9y ago
  In fifty years people will look back on this thread and note that we were still debating ideas from such radical ends of the spectrum. I don't know how it will turn out but I have not heard much about your communist internet. I don't mean that in a bad way it is just a useful analogy for me to think about internet as railroads, as the post office, the dmv. Something we need so much that we pay taxes to make sure it is there regardless of whether or not it is viable in a business sense. Then I realize that Bell Labs was not a public utility. It was an exceptional research project driven by exceptional people. Putting a power grid in the same category as Bell Labs is a fallacy. The nature of public institution stifles innovation. The ossified structure provides a safety which precludes the need for survival. Yes, we need the DMV but for fucks sake why do I have to wait in line for 6 hours once a year? How is the post office not profitable? Why are our trains so much slower than in other countries? What is it that you are imagining as good when you see us provisioning our computing resources from a government agency?