MarkMc

81 ms·

601.
by MarkMc 9y ago
Does capitalism require growth? Moreover, is growth bad? Don't forget that GDP growth is not the same as growth in resource consumption. Eg. Amazon's kindle allowed far more books to be published while using far fewer natural reso
602.
by MarkMc 9y ago
One of the things I value about Tarsnap is that I can set a permission which does not allow data to be deleted. That is, if a hacker somehow gains access to my server, she cannot delete all the existing backups. More generally, I suspect y
603.
by MarkMc 9y ago
The proportion of the global population living on less than $1.90 per person per day has fallen—from 18 percent in 2008 to 11 percent in 2013, according to the World Bank. In the United States, however, the poverty rate has been more stubb
604.
by MarkMc 9y ago
> Steven Pinker uses statistics to argue that health, prosperity, safety, peace, and happiness are on the rise, both in the West and worldwide. How do you feel about the statistics Pinker uses? Do you agree with his assessment about huma
605.
by MarkMc 9y ago
Can't I just search the last phrase on the last result page to get to the next page in the book?
606.
by MarkMc 9y ago
> Conversion rates of low-touch SaaS trials with credit card not required: > 2%+: extremely good I think that is the percentage of website visitors who eventually become paying subscribers. Eg. 10% of visitors sign up for a trial and
607.
by MarkMc 9y ago
> It is the power of the algorithm. My kids are entirely missing that in their common core education... From the article, "the Common Core State Standards in the U.S. still requires student fluency with these algorithms" > B
608.
Amazon surpasses Microsoft in market value for the first time(cnbc.com)
2 points by MarkMc 9y ago|0 comments
609.
by MarkMc 9y ago
I see it the other way. What if Kodak hadn't wasted money trying to enter businesses like digital cameras and printers - ie. low-margin products where Kodak had no competitive advantage. Sure, Kodak would have still gone out of busin
610.
by MarkMc 9y ago
> This is an appeal to emotion. It's not very honest to cherry pick a nice sounding example. How about taxes spent for wars and so on? In some countries petrol tax must be spent on building and maintaining roads. Similarly, can&#x2
611.
by MarkMc 9y ago
How does it work? Can I use an Android app to send money? Do I just enter the recipient's mobile phone number or is there something else that identifies the recipient?
612.
by MarkMc 9y ago
Why? What's wrong with YouTube? Wouldn't Facebook video have the same problems?
613.
by MarkMc 9y ago
> IMHO Facebook really should be doubling-down on local sharing and improving that experience, Google Photos is far and away the best photo product for me. Do you mean that Google Photos is a better way for you to share your photos than
614.
by MarkMc 9y ago
OK let me drop 'socially useful' from the question: Is it better to (a) allow anyone to watch Snow White on YouTube for free; or (b) fund cancer research with a tax on Disney's sales of Snow White? With vandalism the costs cl
615.
by MarkMc 9y ago
The time limit on copyright seems to be just an inefficient form of taxation. If Disney keeps copyright of Snow White the government can tax Disney's extra profit to pay for cancer research. Isn't that more socially useful than gi
616.
by MarkMc 9y ago
Religion is the fundamental fault line in this series of massacres, and the military has broad support from Buddhists throughout the country. In that context I don't see why 'Buddhist village, Buddhist community" is inappropr
617.
by MarkMc 9y ago
Are you suggesting that there is a bias in Western media against Christians and in favour of Muslims? That would be the first time I've heard such an accusation.
618.
by MarkMc 9y ago
Why not? If my neighbor gets planning permission to do something, doesn't that increase the chance that I might also get such permission in future? If so, doesn't that increase the value of my house?
619.
by MarkMc 9y ago
> The author thinks low-income people's incomes are rising and that is false. The author doesn't specifically mention low-income people - she just says that 'incomes rise': But then incomes rise, and rents don’t. Peo
620.
by MarkMc 9y ago
In don't understand this. If you can get permission to knock down a two-storey house and build a six-storey apartment block, doesn't that increase the value of your house?
621.
by MarkMc 9y ago
Would that necessarily be the outcome of greater housing density? Are the views of apartments in Paris or Singapore so bad?
622.
by MarkMc 9y ago
Reminds me if this joke from QI, the UK TV show: "Australians have a big problem with cane toads. They have a foul odour and spread like wildfire. And they have a big problem with cane toads."
623.
by MarkMc 9y ago
From talking to their friends, or older siblings, or parents about their experience. By watching non-pornographic films where sex scenes are more realistic. By reading online accounts from other teenagers or adults. By talking about it in s
624.
by MarkMc 9y ago
OK maybe over hundreds of years US GDP will go from exponential growth to linear growth, to logarithmic growth, to eventually "no growth". If total debt mirrors this trajectory, can't the US government continue repaying its d
625.
by MarkMc 9y ago
Can someone explain why? Does Apple music have significantly more songs? Is it significantly cheaper? Or is it simply because it's the default music app on iPhone?
626.
by MarkMc 9y ago
Actually my statement doesn't depend on exponential growth. If in future GDP were to switch from exponential to logarithmic growth, debt would still be serviceable as long as it also switched to logarithmic growth.
627.
by MarkMc 9y ago
There are actually two reasons why 3blue1brown video lectures are superior to old fashioned professor-and-blackboard lectures: 1. A video with animation and clear text and colours can be far more effective than chalk on blackboard. For exa
628.
by MarkMc 9y ago
The US government has a long history of repaying it's debts. I'd say that can continue indefinitely, so long as the debt-to-GDP ratio remains manageable.
629.
by MarkMc 9y ago
To me this is very strong evidence that Tether is a scam. So why is anyone willing to pay $1 for a Tether?
630.
by MarkMc 9y ago
Well the average price per Facebook ad rose 43% in Q4 2017 (and only 3% in Q4 2016): https://www.marketwatch.com/story/facebook-earnings-stock-to... That increase more than offsets the decline in the amount of time use

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