Interesting Links for 16-10-2013

[andrewducker]

• Native Speed on the Web - what's going on with making browsers _fast_?
  (tags: computers javascript web )
• Netflix have the best customer service _ever_
  (tags: funny netflix customerservice )
• Why our future depends on libraries, reading and daydreaming
  (tags: libraries books reading fiction imagination NeilGaiman )
• 4 Things No One Tells You About

Comments

[philmophlegm]

Just a _third_ political party? The US probably needs several more political parties. I often wonder who the hell I'd vote for if I was American. I'm sure there are other British people reading this who think the same. But that doesn't mean we'd want to vote for the _same_ extra party.

As the article hints at, the American electoral system works to preserve a two party system. Also, the primary system means that candidates for both parties tend to be those who appeal to existing party supporters - and that either works to reinforce existing, entrenched positions within the two major parties, or else it moves those parties to somewhat more extreme views. (Most Republican voters are christians, so the primary system selects candidates who are more rather than less christian.)

[andrewducker]

Oh yes. I suspect that people want at _least_
1) Proper left-wing party (currently the left-fringe of the Democrats)
2) A center left party (large chunk of the Democrats)
3) A center right party (large chunk of the Republicans)
4) The Tea Party
5) A liberal party

Which is why, of course, the existing main parties won't support a change to a voting system that would allow it.

[danieldwilliam]

Also a green party.

And perhaps a Free Texas Party and a West Coast Separtist Party. (Joking slightly here.)

By 5) Liberal Party do you mean a liberal party as we would understand it in the UK or have you made a typo and actually mean libertarian?

[andrewducker]

Oh yes, I'd expect small fringe parties too.

In the US I'd expect a Christian Small Government Party (Tea), and a Non-Christian Small Government Party. Not sure how large the latter would be though.

[drdoug]

Bah. The game-theoretic analysis ignores one of the main drivers of conflict here. Sure, there's the question of what they call transaction costs, but there's also the disutility incurred through a user misrecognising the state of the seat. They briefly introduce one such instance (the 'middle of the night surprise') at the end, but there is also the 'mess on the seat surprise'. These costs, it is worth noting, tend to fall disproportionately on 'Marsha'.

Relatedly, I think more men should be aware that if they are not cleaning their own toilet, someone else - probably a woman - is doing it for them, and judging their aim. Almost certainly negatively.

[andrewducker]

Julie and I solved that problem with a Lav Nav:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Arkon-TL128-LavNav/dp/B000G04R76

It detects motion and then lights up either green (the seat is down) or red (the seat is up), plus it provides a dim light to see by.

[drdoug]

Excellent! That's pretty nifty.

[cartesiandaemon]

LOL! Yes, that would also work :)

A game theoretic approach to the toilet seat problem

[cartesiandaemon]

I applaud their use of mathematics, but it seems they're still foul of one of the great misconceptions about interpersonal problems. I don't know why but I get really angry about it

Re: A game theoretic approach to the toilet seat problem

[andrewducker]

Or solve it with technology:
http://andrewducker.livejournal.com/2986806.html?thread=27188278#t27188278

[naath]

Toilet seat problem>
We mainly use the "put the lid down" approach, having adopted the obvious water-use reduction strategy.

The article misses out however the strategy of convincing men that they can perform operation #1 in the seated position.

[andrewducker]

Men know they can. They also know it takes three times as long.

[bart_calendar]

Takes the same amount of time for me.

[andrewducker]

I can unzip my fly in about a second. Dropping my trousers and pants takes significantly longer.

[ggreig]

Actually the Netflix tech support guy's main contribution (apart from getting the job done) is "just" his distinctive initial greeting. In a way that makes it more awesome; I've forwarded to our customer folk.