Don't. Waste. Time.

Post by Fliko » Mon, Nov 21, 2011, 3:19 PM UTC

noahc wrote: post #67

Fliko wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It means that money isn't a good point system. The simplest way to reason this is that many people around the world make tons of money for selling something that isn't useful/valuable. Scams are probably at the bottom of the 'point system' but pull in tons of money. For money to be a good point system, everyone with a wallet would have to be sensible and make good market choices but unfortunately the case is, for the…

Again, this goes to a moral basis. Or at least a value judgment. The original question asked about which was cooler and supposed that money had a factor. My point was that money is a factor, but not because it can be converted into signed limited edition Jane Austeen books for your private island. It is because it serves as a point system when you play the game of life. Sure, we should think about how someone got the…

Post by HeyLaughingBoy » Tue, Nov 22, 2011, 4:58 PM UTC

gbog wrote: post #56

goblin89 wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> if it was the case, the price of current products sold on the market should reflect well their inherent value, which I think it doesn't. Money is good since it provides a reference point, a solid ground for measurement and comparison. Although often you need to take into account some non-obvious stuff when you compare two amounts of money (esp. prices), it still does work. For ‘inherent value’ each person would see…

> most people would feet-vote for a big mac rather than a book Seriously? If you had to be thrown on a desert island and bring only one thing, would you bring a short term belly chemical satisfaction asset like a big mac, or a long term spirit satisfaction asset like a Classic book in your mother tongue?

Post by balsam » Wed, Nov 23, 2011, 10:06 PM UTC

balsam wrote: post #35

edw519 wrote: post #22

When it comes to efficiency/effectiveness, I prefer to focus on "Do" instead of "Don't". Richard Hamming (from "You and Your Research"): 1. What are the most important problems in your field? 2. Are you working on one of them? 3. Why not? http://www.paulgraham.com/hamming.html Paul Graham's (from "Good and Bad Procrastination") generalization of Richard Hamming: What's the best thing you could be working on, and why…

One thing I've always wanted to ask PG is: does he think that helping smart people to get rich flipping companies (usually not by doing the "coolest thing") is cooler than making a great Lisp? One answer to why not, is: "No money".