cousin_it comments on Open Thread: July 2009 - Less Wrong

3 [deleted] 02 July 2009 04:00AM

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Comment author: Vladimir_Nesov 02 July 2009 06:09:39PM 1 point [-]

By the way, another downside of the occupation is that it's completely useless for the humanity in general and your income will come from people that shouldn't be playing the game in the first place.

If you channel the income in the right direction, it won't be useless.

Comment author: cousin_it 02 July 2009 06:56:19PM *  2 points [-]

I read jajvirta as saying that the occupation itself doesn't produce positive externalities for mankind, unlike productive work in physics research or something.

Comment author: MichaelBishop 02 July 2009 11:50:37PM 2 points [-]

Its not only a lack of positive externalities, but the presence of negative externalities. Your gains are someone else's losses.

Comment author: Br000se 03 July 2009 05:18:49AM 2 points [-]

You provide entertainment to people. Both players chose to play so even if one player has a negative expectation in $ he might enjoy playing the game.

Comment author: John_Maxwell_IV 04 July 2009 03:32:44PM 1 point [-]

Productive work in physics could produce negative externalities if humanity cannot be trusted with new physics results. Hell, even math education could produce negative externalities!