5 ms·

They overlap. My bandsaw is a tool and a toy. Cars are often toys, but almost always tools.

• Rainymood 7y ago
  Perhaps they are two completely different dimensions, imagine the x-axis being the "toolness" of something and the y-axis being the "toyness" of something. A nuclear reactor is something that would have a very low "toyness" score, i.e. you wouldn't "play" with it. A plastic toy car would have a very high "toyness" score, as it is literally designed to play with (by kids). I kind of fear my analogy of two different dimensions breaks down here because I'm left wondering what things would have a low "toolness" score ...
  • avn2109 7y ago
    > I kind of fear my analogy of two different dimensions breaks down here because I'm left wondering what things would have a low "toolness" score ... Haute couture fashion?
  • danaris 7y ago
    The plastic toy car—it doesn't have any use beyond its toyness. It can't get you anywhere, or cut things into neat shapes. "Toolness" is, at least to a large extent, a synonym for "(practical) utility".
    • Rainymood 7y ago
      Indeed, I think "toolness" should be replaced by "impact" or "effectiveness". Code, for example, can be played with but can also deliver significant impact to a large group of people. A toy car, as another example, can be played with but delivers value to only one person at once (well, depending on how you use it).
  • johnr2 7y ago
    > I kind of fear my analogy of two different dimensions breaks down here because I'm left wondering what things would have a low "toolness" score ... Maybe expressing it as a complex number would help, eg. toolness + i(toyness) In polar form a low angle would indicate a high "toolness to toyness" ratio.
    • Rainymood 7y ago
      The (real, complex) plane is equivalent to (toyness, toolness) although it is an interesting idea indeed to express it in polar coordinates hah