3 ms·

Algorithms aren't responsible for the cruelties of bureaucracy

• wutbrodo 11y ago
  I didn't even realize that there were people complaining about the automation of bureacracy. Anyone who's dealt with excessively bureaucratic systems understands that, practically by definition, agency is removed from the employees you deal with so that their incentives are to follow instructions to the letter. The only difference between actually using machines instead of forcing employees to act like machines is that computers are faster and in general less error-prone.
  • chc 11y ago
    Not necessarily. A lot of the problem with bureaucracy is just finding someone who can help you. If I call in and talk to a person, they can often say, "Oh, you want these guys. I'll refer you over there." On the other hand, if I'm dealing with a computer, I usually have to spelunk through this labyrinth where no direction clearly leads to what I want.
    • Strilanc 11y ago
      Hm. Too bad there's not a stack exchange for dealing with individual government bureaucracies.