mikeash

56 ms·

451.
by mikeash 7y ago
It’s pretty hard to launch a thirty meter mirror into orbit.
452.
by mikeash 7y ago
It’s effectively for free, except for the massive society wide risk of fraud that they’ve foisted upon all of us. The stuff looks cheap because, like any polluting industry, the price does not reflect the true cost. Surely there’s some thir
453.
by mikeash 7y ago
As a business person, you’d put a customer through the wringer for one missed payment due to communication problems? I hope you have a monopoly in whatever market you serve, because otherwise that’s a great way to lose all of your customers
454.
by mikeash 7y ago
So in addition to the info being valid or the organization evaluating it being too stupid to evaluate it correctly, we also have the possibility that these organizations are involved or complicit in the fraud. Why am I supposed to take it a
455.
by mikeash 7y ago
But making it the customer’s responsibility is cool? In any case, I read this as the notice that payment was required is what got lost, not the payment itself.
456.
by mikeash 7y ago
Bear Stearns? Lehman Brothers? AIG? The hundreds of banks that went under?
457.
by mikeash 7y ago
So how did all these sophisticated financial organizations get taken by subprime mortgage bundles in 2008?
458.
by mikeash 7y ago
It is, or should be, your responsibility to notify them when payment it due.
459.
by mikeash 7y ago
Equifax and their brother businesses give us low rates in exchange for exposing us to fraud risks whose monetary value is probably literally incalculable. The thing is, we don’t get to choose whether we’re exposed to those risks. It happens
460.
by mikeash 7y ago
We've established that sufficiently advanced fraud can overcome the ability of organizations to vet the info that’s given to them. If the credit bureaus are actually organizations dedicated to fraud, then the fact that many other organ
461.
by mikeash 7y ago
It’s more like the baseball stadium had defrauded their customers and they are legally obligated to give refunds, but somehow the court allows them to only give refunds to the first 10,000 fans who request it.
462.
by mikeash 7y ago
What’s more likely: that they didn’t realize that more than 0.1% of the 150 million people affected might sign up for this, or that they don’t give a shit? This all sounds terrible but there are going to be zero consequences.
463.
by mikeash 7y ago
I would argue that credit bureaus leaking all your information to criminals and then charging you money to protect you from those criminals is also criminal fraud writ large.
464.
by mikeash 7y ago
Better for whom? I’m sure the existing credit bureaus are great for the people who give them money. They sure suck for the rest of us, though. Fortunately for them, we get zero say.
465.
by mikeash 7y ago
Foisting responsibility onto customers with more important things to worry about, rather than into organizations whose only purpose is to keep track of these things?
466.
by mikeash 7y ago
A lot of marketing is a prisoners’ dilemma. There is little if any gain from the steady state where everyone does it, but you have to do it because if you don’t then your competitors will and they’ll eat you alive. In which case you could k
467.
by mikeash 7y ago
Why wouldn’t a European pharma company take advantage of the abuse and corruption in the American system? It boils down to this: drugs are a pretty anti-competitive market, and the US doesn’t have much in the way of opposing rules that woul
468.
by mikeash 7y ago
This is the Blub Paradox. http://wiki.c2.com/?BlubParadox
469.
by mikeash 7y ago
You’ll have a much easier time getting a ride in a Russian jet. MiG-29 rides go for something in the neighborhood of $15-20,000.
470.
by mikeash 7y ago
Short range could be OK. But their justification for it is just silly. Say that it’s to save money or something!
471.
by mikeash 7y ago
In addition to the other reasons given, it’s possible that the gearbox wouldn’t hold up with the new motor. Tesla originally built the Roadster with a two-speed transmission but the high torque of the electric motor kept shredding them, and
472.
by mikeash 7y ago
Often called a “compliance car.” Any electric car produced in low numbers and only sold in certain states is probably being sold at a loss to meet some efficiency, emissions, or electrification target in the law.
473.
by mikeash 7y ago
But we are planning exactly that. We still have hundreds of nuclear-tipped missiles ready to fly at a moment’s notice.
474.
by mikeash 7y ago
Would you prefer that they not find or report these bugs, and let them remain unfixed?
475.
by mikeash 7y ago
Seems fine. iOS tells you exactly what the profile does and it’s not hard to understand it.
476.
by mikeash 7y ago
That is interesting! I guess that’s not such a great example.
477.
by mikeash 7y ago
Why does Boeing sell planes instead of operating them directly? Why does John Deere sell tractors instead of operating farms? Companies focus on what they’re good at.
478.
by mikeash 7y ago
Maybe, and I realize this is crazy, legislators could read the full text of what they vote on.
479.
by mikeash 7y ago
There are two different answers depending on who you ask. The more ignorant will answer: it’s obviously true because they confessed. Nobody would confess to a crime they didn’t commit. The more evil answer is: who cares? The public is reass
480.
by mikeash 7y ago
We are still here due to a combination of luck and people working to prevent disaster. If we are right, why worry about it? Because there are things you can do to help, but only if you acknowledge the problem.

More ›