Comments on: The Benefits of Dumb Regulation http://alephblog.com/2009/06/29/the-benefits-of-dumb-regulation/ Helping Institutions and Ordinary People Invest Better by Focusing on Risk Control Fri, 19 Mar 2010 06:01:34 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: But What do I Know? http://alephblog.com/2009/06/29/the-benefits-of-dumb-regulation/comment-page-1/#comment-22025 But What do I Know? Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:05:54 +0000 http://alephblog.com/?p=1846#comment-22025 Great points, David--I think sometimes the importance of a margin of error, the utility of building an modestly inefficient system is overlooked. Putting some slop into the design is necessary if, as you say, the people regulating it aren't always the brightest bulbs on the shelf. You have to design a system that even an idiot can run because sooner or later one is going to come along. In evolutionary terms, the cockroach is an amazingly successful species, but it only knows how to do one thing (or so I've read)--flee when it senses air currents. This dumb system has been around for quite awhile. . . Great points, David–I think sometimes the importance of a margin of error, the utility of building an modestly inefficient system is overlooked. Putting some slop into the design is necessary if, as you say, the people regulating it aren’t always the brightest bulbs on the shelf. You have to design a system that even an idiot can run because sooner or later one is going to come along.

In evolutionary terms, the cockroach is an amazingly successful species, but it only knows how to do one thing (or so I’ve read)–flee when it senses air currents. This dumb system has been around for quite awhile. . .

]]> By: Steven Milos http://alephblog.com/2009/06/29/the-benefits-of-dumb-regulation/comment-page-1/#comment-22024 Steven Milos Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:33:38 +0000 http://alephblog.com/?p=1846#comment-22024 Welcome back David...there's no place like home! Steve Welcome back David…there’s no place like home!

Steve

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