3 ms·
To prevent a tragedy of the commons type situation. I may think that local businesses are better than online monopolies. However, my purchasing decisions, whe
by ALittleLight 5y ago
To prevent a tragedy of the commons type situation. I may think that local businesses are better than online monopolies. However, my purchasing decisions, whether I change to local or buy online, will have a negligible effect on the market. Might as well save myself some money if I won't be saving local businesses.
If everyone thinks like this then the tragedy of the commons occurs. Everyone prefers local businesses to exist over the online monopoly, but nobody changes their purchasing behavior from what is cheap and convenient. By voting restrictions on online monopolies people avert the tragedy of the commons by coordinating (and compelling) what they want.
- chrisseaton 5y agoThe commons are resources that are owned and shared by all. What’s the commons in this case? Other people’s bookshops? Other people’s books? They aren’t commons.
- naturalauction 5y agoI think it’s more of a collective action problem [0]. People believe that it is better for society in the long run if everyone buys books at bookshops but for each individual it doesn’t make sense for them to buy books at a bookshop. [0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_action_problem https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_action_problem