4 ms·

In the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter that you can read everyone's messages when your economy is growing at 1%, the economy of your supposed "friend"

In the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter that you can read everyone's messages when your economy is growing at 1%, the economy of your supposed "friend" that you're selling the messages to is growing at 2%, and the economy of the people whose messages you're reading is growing at 6-7%. Maybe they should have used the money to develop 5G instead, lol. > Switzerland’s Prime Minister, Simonetta Sommaruga For a supposed website about intelligence, strange of them to use the phrase "Prime Minister" to describe the President of Switzerland (who actually is just a figurehead with the same power as the other members of the 7-member Federal Council).

Mvandenbergh 7y ago
I'm not sure how GDP growth is relevant here, especially when those higher growth rates are in countries with much lower base GDPs. GDP growth is not an eternal structural characteristic of an economy and there is no reason to believe that it will not slow down as GDP/capita converges.
- infinity0 7y ago
  "We're already ahead, we don't need to run any faster, we'll use our energy to do pointless things like spy on everyone instead". Don't let me stop you thinking that but I'll keep running faster, thanks.
  - 2Crisp 7y ago
    The idea that less developed economies have much faster potential growth is well studied in economics: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convergence_(economics) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convergence_(economics) I'm not sure what point you're trying to make here.
    - infinity0 7y ago
      The article itself contains a lot of nuances and exceptions, and makes no pretense at trying to predict the future, but you're treating it as if it inevitably predicts an outcome as time tends towards infinity. You might want to better understand the difference between a non-predictive theory meant as a guide for future research, vs reality, an actual future, and a truly predictive theory. That said, don't let me stop you from believing what you want to believe. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what my point is, but if your salary depends on you not understanding it, that's OK too.
      - dang 7y ago
        Would you please stop posting in the flamewar style to HN? and especially not cross into personal attack? These things are against the site guidelines, and we've had to ask you this before. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
boomboomsubban 7y ago
>For a supposed website about intelligence, strange of them to use the phrase "Prime Minister" to describe the President of Switzerland I'm not seeing that quote used, but mistaking "prime minister" and "president" is an understandable mistake.
- infinity0 7y ago
  It was there like 20 minutes ago, quoting her saying (paraphrasing, from my memory) "We'll deal with this when we have all the facts". Maybe one of the editors is watching this thread. Making that mistake for a layperson is understandable sure, but a website about intel, you have to lol. Probably why they fixed it up so quickly.
  - boomboomsubban 7y ago
    >Making that mistake for a layperson is understandable sure, but a website about intel, you have to lol. The website is run by laypersons who actively deal in covering the president or prime minister of hundreds of countries. Covering intel doesn't really prevent this mistake.
    - infinity0 7y ago
      I dunno man. Sports commentators deal with hundreds of teams all the time, I don't see them mistaking the owner vs manager of a club, and they would be laughed at if they did, even (especially?) the lay / hobbyist ones. Also, at the very top of their website it says "a specialized intelligence website written by experts", and in the sidebar they list their qualifications - so they apparently want to claim they are not laypersons. Lol, but you are trying to claim it? Granted it's pretty subjective, so whatever. I don't think my standards for this topic are much different from other people's standards for other topics with similar shapes.
      - boomboomsubban 7y ago
        >Sports commentators deal with hundreds of teams all the time, I don't see them mistaking the owner vs manager of a club Sports commentators make mistakes on a regular basis, things like calling a defender a forward or mistaking a players name. They often correct themselves immediately or things move past it so quick nobody cares. > - so they apparently want to claim they are not layperson I took your use of the word "layperson" there to mean "not a professional in a field specialized in state politics." The authors of the site are professionals, just that doesn't prevent that mistake. Worded by me, but my point was that they are still normal error prone humans.
rjsw 7y ago
She is a "minister" as well though, most ceremonial Presidents are not.

Mvandenbergh 7y ago

I'm not sure how GDP growth is relevant here, especially when those higher growth rates are in countries with much lower base GDPs. GDP growth is not an eternal structural characteristic of an economy and there is no reason to believe that it will not slow down as GDP/capita converges.

infinity0 7y ago
"We're already ahead, we don't need to run any faster, we'll use our energy to do pointless things like spy on everyone instead". Don't let me stop you thinking that but I'll keep running faster, thanks.
- 2Crisp 7y ago
  The idea that less developed economies have much faster potential growth is well studied in economics: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convergence_(economics) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convergence_(economics) I'm not sure what point you're trying to make here.
  - infinity0 7y ago
    The article itself contains a lot of nuances and exceptions, and makes no pretense at trying to predict the future, but you're treating it as if it inevitably predicts an outcome as time tends towards infinity. You might want to better understand the difference between a non-predictive theory meant as a guide for future research, vs reality, an actual future, and a truly predictive theory. That said, don't let me stop you from believing what you want to believe. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what my point is, but if your salary depends on you not understanding it, that's OK too.
    - dang 7y ago
      Would you please stop posting in the flamewar style to HN? and especially not cross into personal attack? These things are against the site guidelines, and we've had to ask you this before. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

boomboomsubban 7y ago

>For a supposed website about intelligence, strange of them to use the phrase "Prime Minister" to describe the President of Switzerland I'm not seeing that quote used, but mistaking "prime minister" and "president" is an understandable mistake.

infinity0 7y ago
It was there like 20 minutes ago, quoting her saying (paraphrasing, from my memory) "We'll deal with this when we have all the facts". Maybe one of the editors is watching this thread. Making that mistake for a layperson is understandable sure, but a website about intel, you have to lol. Probably why they fixed it up so quickly.
- boomboomsubban 7y ago
  >Making that mistake for a layperson is understandable sure, but a website about intel, you have to lol. The website is run by laypersons who actively deal in covering the president or prime minister of hundreds of countries. Covering intel doesn't really prevent this mistake.
  - infinity0 7y ago
    I dunno man. Sports commentators deal with hundreds of teams all the time, I don't see them mistaking the owner vs manager of a club, and they would be laughed at if they did, even (especially?) the lay / hobbyist ones. Also, at the very top of their website it says "a specialized intelligence website written by experts", and in the sidebar they list their qualifications - so they apparently want to claim they are not laypersons. Lol, but you are trying to claim it? Granted it's pretty subjective, so whatever. I don't think my standards for this topic are much different from other people's standards for other topics with similar shapes.
    - boomboomsubban 7y ago
      >Sports commentators deal with hundreds of teams all the time, I don't see them mistaking the owner vs manager of a club Sports commentators make mistakes on a regular basis, things like calling a defender a forward or mistaking a players name. They often correct themselves immediately or things move past it so quick nobody cares. > - so they apparently want to claim they are not layperson I took your use of the word "layperson" there to mean "not a professional in a field specialized in state politics." The authors of the site are professionals, just that doesn't prevent that mistake. Worded by me, but my point was that they are still normal error prone humans.

rjsw 7y ago

She is a "minister" as well though, most ceremonial Presidents are not.