4 ms·

So much of the world is still based on who you know. This is a bug in our society I would really, really like to see fixed in my lifetime.

mewpmewp2 2y ago
I think with AI it is going to become the opposite. You only trust who you know in real life and ignore everything else.
- r2_pilot 2y ago
  Huh? Weird. I only trust the AI and ignore everyone in real life life. (/s for the humor impaired)
mschuster91 2y ago
The fix is called "legal system", or rather, also making it accessible for individuals and small businesses against the large mega corporations without risking getting bankrupt in case of losing. And companies that continuously lose in judgements get fined progressively until they establish enough support infrastructure to not be a burden on society.
- b112 2y ago
  Small claims court often works, depending upon jurisdiction. Where I am there is no forced disclosure, no costs costs assigned, and it is $150 to file. And while a lawyer can represent a large firm, an employee has to be present, and the lawyer cannot use excessive legalise, the court is carried on in plain language... with the judge expaining things to you if you don't userstand. That's pretty accessible. The biggest risk is not knowing about no required discovery, and costs. Lawyers for big corp will ask for things, and hope you work your tail off. I just say no. They will also elude to how expensive this will be, to which I typically snort. Said large companies typically spend 50k to 100k on lawyers, and I spend $150 and a dozen or two hours of my personal time. All very amusing. Anyhow, a good equalizer.
poincaredisk 2y ago
Is this a bug? I think this is a built in feature since version 1.0.
- evantbyrne 2y ago
  Depends on the context. Forming a real human connection with someone who has proven they can be trusted is a feature. However, people oftentimes feel they are connected to others based on identity, and then treat those people favorably regardless of merit. The latter is such a major detriment to society that it needs to be actively countered by regulation (and is to some extent).
concordDance 2y ago
Sadly, the most likely "fix" would be to remove the "who you know" path and just make things shit for everyone. :(
- pdimitar 2y ago
  But would that not introduce pressure for the official paths to become better oiled and working better than before?
Dilettante_ 2y ago
Reframe: It's not that the smooth path you can get via nepotism is the base way things work which people who don't "know a guy" are excluded from. Rather, everything is falling apart and shitty, and if you're lucky, you occasionally get to circumvent that shittyness.
- psd1 2y ago
  Meritocracy is great and all, but there's a gap between having merit and others seeing the merit. I don't believe that human society can, practically, get particularly close to the ideal. I question the choice of fatty meat as a substrate for minds. For my money, I'd suggest that merit will get you further today than in the days of letters of recommendation, but that failures of meritocracy are more visible.
- DrillShopper 2y ago
  > It's not that the smooth path you can get via nepotism is the base way things work Well, obviously it isn't if you're not in the 1%. If you're in the 1% then that's the way the world has always worked and you don't know anything differently.
conartist6 2y ago
I would really like to see it fixed too, especially as regards these faceless behemoths which nevertheless worm themselves into dictating important parts of real peoples' real lives with absolute authority and no recourse

mewpmewp2 2y ago

I think with AI it is going to become the opposite. You only trust who you know in real life and ignore everything else.

r2_pilot 2y ago
Huh? Weird. I only trust the AI and ignore everyone in real life life. (/s for the humor impaired)

mschuster91 2y ago

The fix is called "legal system", or rather, also making it accessible for individuals and small businesses against the large mega corporations without risking getting bankrupt in case of losing. And companies that continuously lose in judgements get fined progressively until they establish enough support infrastructure to not be a burden on society.

b112 2y ago
Small claims court often works, depending upon jurisdiction. Where I am there is no forced disclosure, no costs costs assigned, and it is $150 to file. And while a lawyer can represent a large firm, an employee has to be present, and the lawyer cannot use excessive legalise, the court is carried on in plain language... with the judge expaining things to you if you don't userstand. That's pretty accessible. The biggest risk is not knowing about no required discovery, and costs. Lawyers for big corp will ask for things, and hope you work your tail off. I just say no. They will also elude to how expensive this will be, to which I typically snort. Said large companies typically spend 50k to 100k on lawyers, and I spend $150 and a dozen or two hours of my personal time. All very amusing. Anyhow, a good equalizer.

poincaredisk 2y ago

Is this a bug? I think this is a built in feature since version 1.0.

evantbyrne 2y ago
Depends on the context. Forming a real human connection with someone who has proven they can be trusted is a feature. However, people oftentimes feel they are connected to others based on identity, and then treat those people favorably regardless of merit. The latter is such a major detriment to society that it needs to be actively countered by regulation (and is to some extent).

concordDance 2y ago

Sadly, the most likely "fix" would be to remove the "who you know" path and just make things shit for everyone. :(

pdimitar 2y ago
But would that not introduce pressure for the official paths to become better oiled and working better than before?

Dilettante_ 2y ago

Reframe: It's not that the smooth path you can get via nepotism is the base way things work which people who don't "know a guy" are excluded from. Rather, everything is falling apart and shitty, and if you're lucky, you occasionally get to circumvent that shittyness.

psd1 2y ago
Meritocracy is great and all, but there's a gap between having merit and others seeing the merit. I don't believe that human society can, practically, get particularly close to the ideal. I question the choice of fatty meat as a substrate for minds. For my money, I'd suggest that merit will get you further today than in the days of letters of recommendation, but that failures of meritocracy are more visible.
DrillShopper 2y ago
> It's not that the smooth path you can get via nepotism is the base way things work Well, obviously it isn't if you're not in the 1%. If you're in the 1% then that's the way the world has always worked and you don't know anything differently.

conartist6 2y ago

I would really like to see it fixed too, especially as regards these faceless behemoths which nevertheless worm themselves into dictating important parts of real peoples' real lives with absolute authority and no recourse