4 ms·

And as usual with these nice simple narratives, there's no evidence this actually happened (and compelling evidence that it didn't): https://www.reddit.com/r/A

And as usual with these nice simple narratives, there's no evidence this actually happened (and compelling evidence that it didn't): https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/pmjrdg/is_there_evidence_for_the_cobra_effect_story/ https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/pmjrdg/is_th...

lifeisstillgood 4y ago
That link is the neatest answer I have read in ages - this whole story could easily become a hour long tv show
m000 4y ago
Something very similar did happen though, during the "Great Hanoi Rat Massacre" [1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Hanoi_Rat_Massacre#Hiring_vigilantes_and_the_unintended_consequences https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Hanoi_Rat_Massacre#Hirin...
- rcv 4y ago
  Reminds me of that people who are 3D printing firearms and parts to sell off at gun buyback programs [1][2] [1] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/oct/11/new-york-gun-buyback-rules-3d-printed-parts https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/oct/11/new-york-gun... [2] https://www.vice.com/en/article/akee4e/someone-made-dollar3000-selling-3d-printed-guns-at-a-gun-buyback-event https://www.vice.com/en/article/akee4e/someone-made-dollar30...
fragmede 4y ago
Reading your link, the bounty was real actual thing that happened, it's that the farming of snakes isn't something that was proven to be happening. The link actually says that deaths increased due to an unintended consequence of the bounty system, just for different reasons than is usually mentioned.
- magicalist 4y ago
  The post says deaths in _houses_ increased due to snake habitat destruction that drove them there. It suggests that could be because of snake death awareness raised by the bounty system, but that feels a step too removed to call it an "unintended consequence". It's not due to a perverse incentive regardless, though, which is what the original anecdote is supposed to exemplify.
  - fragmede 4y ago
    One imagines that the goal was to decrease deaths of people regardless of whether they're inside or outside of houses.

lifeisstillgood 4y ago

That link is the neatest answer I have read in ages - this whole story could easily become a hour long tv show

m000 4y ago

Something very similar did happen though, during the "Great Hanoi Rat Massacre" [1]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Hanoi_Rat_Massacre#Hiring_vigilantes_and_the_unintended_consequences https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Hanoi_Rat_Massacre#Hirin...

rcv 4y ago
Reminds me of that people who are 3D printing firearms and parts to sell off at gun buyback programs [1][2] [1] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/oct/11/new-york-gun-buyback-rules-3d-printed-parts https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/oct/11/new-york-gun... [2] https://www.vice.com/en/article/akee4e/someone-made-dollar3000-selling-3d-printed-guns-at-a-gun-buyback-event https://www.vice.com/en/article/akee4e/someone-made-dollar30...

fragmede 4y ago

Reading your link, the bounty was real actual thing that happened, it's that the farming of snakes isn't something that was proven to be happening. The link actually says that deaths increased due to an unintended consequence of the bounty system, just for different reasons than is usually mentioned.

magicalist 4y ago
The post says deaths in _houses_ increased due to snake habitat destruction that drove them there. It suggests that could be because of snake death awareness raised by the bounty system, but that feels a step too removed to call it an "unintended consequence". It's not due to a perverse incentive regardless, though, which is what the original anecdote is supposed to exemplify.
- fragmede 4y ago
  One imagines that the goal was to decrease deaths of people regardless of whether they're inside or outside of houses.