4 ms·

Tangentiality related, but im surprised that, with the rise of cryptocurrency, "death prediction" markets still haven't become a thing.

gremlinsinc 6y ago
They are, it's called life insurance.
- kibwen 6y ago
  Although you can't generally take out a life insurance policy on someone without their express permission. Talk about perverse incentive!
  - Viliam1234 6y ago
    If your partner starts nagging you into buying a life insurance, you should get really cautious.
    - wtvanhest 6y ago
      Maybe... but after we had a baby, I bought life insurance to protect the family from the unforeseen loss of income in the event anything happens to me. I was talking to the person doing my physical and he mentioned that most men he sees are being ‘nagged’ in to buying insurance by their wives after a baby. I found that to be interesting. It’s ultra irresponsible to not have some coverage, and if I were on the other side, I would nag too.
  - e40 6y ago
    Is this true? I have seen many articles about companies taking out life insurance policies on low-level employees and not informing anyone. One woman sued a Corp for the proceeds after her husband died.
  - bun_at_work 6y ago
    Someone tell Wal-Mart! https://news.wfsu.org/wfsu-local-news/2010-05-07/walmart-sued-for-collecting-life-insurance-on-employees https://news.wfsu.org/wfsu-local-news/2010-05-07/walmart-sue... Not sure how that panned out in the long run...
  - runamok 6y ago
    I read about this eons ago but it is possible for your employers to take a policy out on you though you do need to allow it... https://www.businessinsider.com/is-there-a-dead-peasant-life-insurance-policy-out-on-you-2011-11 https://www.businessinsider.com/is-there-a-dead-peasant-life...
Nasrudith 6y ago
It would draw way too much aggro for little gain without any "legitimate usage" traffic to draw any substantial objections to shutting it down regardless of any technicalities be they technical or legal. Fund ingress and exit points are fundamentally a weakness for any form of "stealth" money transfer, even cryptocurrency if they are to actually be spent on anything material. Spies have been busted by spending their bribes as clearly beyond their means even if they overextended lines of credit when they were specifically not to because of worries of compromise. Otherwise it is a big risk for nothing and well - if you are willing and able to get away with murder without getting paid why aren't you a successful serial killer already or taking risks by taking requests if you are? Neat little cyberpunk device but doesn't quite work in reality without some other foundational assumption changes for things like "actually somehow provides substansially better life insurance even if it may also be used to place a hit on you".
aaron695 6y ago
Because people don't kill for money. Accounting pays more. Easier to convince people who have a death wish / create terror on people rather than death. Poisonous animals generally don't kill, even when they are about to die. It's the terror.

gremlinsinc 6y ago

They are, it's called life insurance.

kibwen 6y ago
Although you can't generally take out a life insurance policy on someone without their express permission. Talk about perverse incentive!
- Viliam1234 6y ago
  If your partner starts nagging you into buying a life insurance, you should get really cautious.
  - wtvanhest 6y ago
    Maybe... but after we had a baby, I bought life insurance to protect the family from the unforeseen loss of income in the event anything happens to me. I was talking to the person doing my physical and he mentioned that most men he sees are being ‘nagged’ in to buying insurance by their wives after a baby. I found that to be interesting. It’s ultra irresponsible to not have some coverage, and if I were on the other side, I would nag too.
- e40 6y ago
  Is this true? I have seen many articles about companies taking out life insurance policies on low-level employees and not informing anyone. One woman sued a Corp for the proceeds after her husband died.
- bun_at_work 6y ago
  Someone tell Wal-Mart! https://news.wfsu.org/wfsu-local-news/2010-05-07/walmart-sued-for-collecting-life-insurance-on-employees https://news.wfsu.org/wfsu-local-news/2010-05-07/walmart-sue... Not sure how that panned out in the long run...
- runamok 6y ago
  I read about this eons ago but it is possible for your employers to take a policy out on you though you do need to allow it... https://www.businessinsider.com/is-there-a-dead-peasant-life-insurance-policy-out-on-you-2011-11 https://www.businessinsider.com/is-there-a-dead-peasant-life...

Nasrudith 6y ago

It would draw way too much aggro for little gain without any "legitimate usage" traffic to draw any substantial objections to shutting it down regardless of any technicalities be they technical or legal. Fund ingress and exit points are fundamentally a weakness for any form of "stealth" money transfer, even cryptocurrency if they are to actually be spent on anything material. Spies have been busted by spending their bribes as clearly beyond their means even if they overextended lines of credit when they were specifically not to because of worries of compromise. Otherwise it is a big risk for nothing and well - if you are willing and able to get away with murder without getting paid why aren't you a successful serial killer already or taking risks by taking requests if you are? Neat little cyberpunk device but doesn't quite work in reality without some other foundational assumption changes for things like "actually somehow provides substansially better life insurance even if it may also be used to place a hit on you".

aaron695 6y ago

Because people don't kill for money. Accounting pays more. Easier to convince people who have a death wish / create terror on people rather than death. Poisonous animals generally don't kill, even when they are about to die. It's the terror.