<html>
<head>
<meta content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"
http-equiv="Content-Type">
</head>
<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000">
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">I think J.S. Mill got it right: society
has a right to intervene when some activity is causing harm to
others. Not lightly, and not without checks that it does work. <br>
<br>
Texting while driving seems to be a prime example of adding
biggish harm externalities. Adding anti-text systems to cars on
the other hand might make it harder to call for help or break the
rules when it is really necessary. It is likely easier to use the
logging functions of phones and phone systems to double the
penalty if something goes bad, or automatically add a fine for
messages sent by the driver, or something soft like that. <br>
<br>
Saving lives is not enough of a motivation: banning sick people
from going to work or banning extreme sports would save a
measurable number of lives per year, but make society less
flexible and limit "experiments in living". We may still want to
add soft pressures in terms of torts, insurance and safety
regulations to keep people from causing too much harm. <br>
<br>
This is why I am somewhat worried about "algocracy", when we move
societal decisions onto algorithms. Most algorithms are not very
flexible, and hence limit how humans may act - especially since we
internalize what we are allowed/able to do.<br>
<br>
<br>
On 2016-09-25 20:58, William Flynn Wallace wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:CAO+xQEbVLkB4882eAfKUBz=_Ub9Nh6c1rkN2HvuHfBWmec2VTw@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;
charset=windows-1252">
<div dir="ltr">
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans
ms,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000">Just what are our
limits on interference with our private lives? Today in the
NYT, an article says that the technology exists to cut off
texting while driving.</div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans
ms,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000"><br>
</div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans
ms,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000">Should they? No
question it would save lives of drivers, pedestrians, dogs and
cats, and so on. </div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans
ms,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000"><br>
</div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans
ms,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000">Just another
tromping on libertarians' rights to be let alone? Actually, I
agree with this one. Drivers have a safe alternative: they
can talk. Or perhaps they can find a carrier who doesn't
block texting. I would not favor a law. Parents could then
have some control over the smartphone they paid for.</div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans
ms,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000"><br>
</div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans
ms,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000">On the other
hand, to put it in the proper perspective, it would prevent
many people from making the Darwin list of stupid deaths, and
thus prevent cleaning up the genetic pool.</div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans
ms,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000"><br>
</div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans
ms,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:#000000">bill w</div>
</div>
<br>
<fieldset class="mimeAttachmentHeader"></fieldset>
<br>
<pre wrap="">_______________________________________________
extropy-chat mailing list
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:extropy-chat@lists.extropy.org">extropy-chat@lists.extropy.org</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://lists.extropy.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/extropy-chat">http://lists.extropy.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/extropy-chat</a>
</pre>
</blockquote>
<br>
<p><br>
</p>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Dr Anders Sandberg
Future of Humanity Institute
Oxford Martin School
Oxford University
</pre>
</body>
</html>