Futarchy: Vote Values, But Bet Beliefs by Robin Hanson This short "manifesto" describes a new form of government. In "futarchy," we would vote on values, but bet on beliefs. Elected representatives would formally define and manage an after-the-fact measurement of national welfare, while market speculators would say which policies they expect to raise national welfare. Democracy seems better than autocracy (i.e., kings and dictators), but it still has problems. These policies are not just dumb in retrospect; typically there were people who understood a lot about such policies and who had good reasons to disapprove of them beforehand. Would some other form of government more consistently listen to relevant experts? "Futarchy" is an as yet untried form of government intended to address such problems. When a betting market clearly estimates that a proposed policy would increase expected national welfare, that proposal becomes law. Futarchy seems promising if we accept the following three assumptions: Media mentions of futarchy:
Google+ YouTube Integration: Kind of Like Twilight, Except In This Version When +Cullen Drinks BellaTube’s Blood They Both Become Mortal, But +Cullen Is Still An Abusive Creep, Also It Is Still Bad | Vi Hart The choice between having to use Google+ and never commenting on YouTube again is laughably easy for me. I invested so much into my YouTube channel, and they’re taking that investment and threatening to throw it away if I don’t also start investing in Google+. No thank you Google, but you’ve already made me regret investing so much into you the first time. Google was so good at being Google! + Google is trying to re-animate a failed platform by leeching off of a successful one, despite that the failed platform failed because it is bad, and more users are not going to make it less bad + Google’s publicized selling point was “comments just got better” while in actuality they managed to take what we all thought was the lowest of the low and actually make it worse (this is a significant accomplishment that leaves me in awe) + YouTube has long known their comment section is awful, and out of many possible improvements, the easiest solution is NOT integrating an entire social network.
Mr. Google's Guidebook Mr. Google realized that most people don't really want maps, they want guidebooks. And he also realized how he could use those signposts to build a good guidebook. As I read further, a storm rose up in the west. It was late at night by the time I read this remarkable fact, and I'd had several more glasses of sherry. After a tussle I got the shutters closed and, shaken, returned to my leatherbound armchair and took another sip to calm my nerves. At some universities, administrators are taking a new approach to deciding where to put footpaths. Maybe that's all it is then, I thought. I was standing with my mother in York; one of many visits some years ago. I awoke with a start. I was just about to put down the pen, exhausted now, when I heard a creak and the door to the library opened. But Mr. My shoulders sagged. - No (said Google). He held out his hand, imperious now. "Thank you sir. I turned away from him and stumbled down the stairs.