NODE 91baca5aRe: 5th protect password?
jamesd@echeque.comWed, 24 Apr 1996 04:37:30 +0800
At 06:19 AM 4/23/96 -0700, Sandy Sandfort wrote:
> didn't Unicorn offer Mr. Bell a
> wager on this issue? Isn't the ball in Mr. Bell's court to put
> his money where his mouth is?
Yeah: fifty thousand dollars.
Not that it makes the slightest difference.
On the extropians list a number of very large bets were made and
accepted, but nobody ever paid up. (Or very few -- I know of no
cases.)
When somebody proposes a bet that is substantially larger than
the likely cost to his reputation if he weasels out, one can
expect that, if he erred, he will not pay.
Now if Unicorn had proposed a bet for one hundred dollars, then
I would sit up and take notice. A hundred dollars is real money.
Fifty thousand dollars is hot air, like one kid says, "I bet you
I am right", and the other kid says "I bet you a zillion
dollars you are wrong".
If somebody proposes a bet that is larger than the likely
reputation cost of weaseling, we should ignore the bet
and subtract from the guys reputation as if he had already
weaseled, since the events of the extropian list show that
that is the most likely outcome.
All of us have been wrong from time to time on matters where we
were sure we were right. Anybody who was serious about paying
would not make such ridiculous bets.
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We have the right to defend ourselves | http://www.jim.com/jamesd/
and our property, because of the kind |
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derives from this right, not from the |
arbitrary power of the state. | jamesd@echeque.com
NODE a0c2b17cRe: 5th protect password?
Black Unicorn <unicorn@schloss.li>Wed, 24 Apr 1996 07:15:23 +0800
On Tue, 23 Apr 1996 jamesd@echeque.com wrote:
> At 06:19 AM 4/23/96 -0700, Sandy Sandfort wrote:
> > didn't Unicorn offer Mr. Bell a
> > wager on this issue? Isn't the ball in Mr. Bell's court to put
> > his money where his mouth is?
>
> Yeah: fifty thousand dollars.
[...]
> Now if Unicorn had proposed a bet for one hundred dollars, then
> I would sit up and take notice. A hundred dollars is real money.
US$ 100.00 it is. Mr. Bell?
---
My preferred and soon to be permanent e-mail address:unicorn@schloss.li
"In fact, had Bancroft not existed, potestas scientiae in usu est
Franklin might have had to invent him." in nihilum nil posse reverti
00B9289C28DC0E55 E16D5378B81E1C96 - Finger for Current Key Information
Opp. Counsel: For all your expert testimony needs: jimbell@pacifier.com