MartinB comments on Procedural Knowledge Gaps - Less Wrong

126 Post author: Alicorn 08 February 2011 03:17AM

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Comment author: ChristianKl 09 February 2011 10:23:37PM 8 points [-]

As I live in Germany I have experience with such rule sets. People don't follow them and instead do whatever they consider to be the obvious thing to do.

Our public transport system has for example the rule that you should stand on the right side of an escalator if you choose to stand.
If you choose to walk the escalator you take the left side.

It's a smart rule and it would be in the public interest if everyone would abide by it. It would make life easier for those who choose who walk the escalator. Normal people however don't care and simple stand wherever they want to stand.

Introducing a formal rule set when people are used to following informal rules is hard.

Comment author: MartinB 10 February 2011 07:13:10AM 0 points [-]

I thought the right-ide standing was a social convention, not a rule.

What sometimes trips me up is weather I am supposed to weight my vegetables before going to the counter, or if they do it there.

Comment author: ChristianKl 13 February 2011 05:05:10PM 2 points [-]

When you put social convention into writing and hang them on the walls they become a rule.

Comment author: Sniffnoy 10 February 2011 07:33:56AM 1 point [-]

Unfortunately it only seems to be a social convention among those who consider it to be a social convention. :P