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Why say friends when you can say "positive network externalities?"

• davidw 19y ago
  Because it encompasses a broader meaning. eBay isn't about friends at all, really, but has strong network effects: buyers go there because there are lots of sellers, and sellers go there because there are lots of buyers. I'd highly recommend the 'Information Rules' book I linked to elsewhere (via my site:-) to anyone interested in this stuff. Most of it is pretty intuitive, but it's nice to have it all grouped together and explained.
  • dbreunig 19y ago
    That was a joke. :)
    • davidw 19y ago
      Ah... well, truth be told, I think that economics does tend to weighty jargon for concepts that are, if not completely obvious, not exactly earth shattering. Still, they are useful to give labels to those concepts.
      • dbreunig 19y ago
        I think we're on the same page, but... They're useful labels until you have to explain them to someone else. If you need to explain the words you're using to explain a concept or idea, it's probably a detriment to your argument. Using jargon to explain new concepts is taking the easy way out. Figuring out how to communicate complex ideas with plain, straight-forward language? That's the name of the game.