ARM4SNS:Reputation Examples: Difference between revisions
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Q: I only have a limited time budget to read books. So, in order to learn as much as possible about a subject XYZ, which books should I read? (I can't read them all due to lack of time). |
Q: I only have a limited time budget to read books. So, in order to learn as much as possible about a subject XYZ, which books should I read? (I can't read them all due to lack of time). |
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A: Obviously, I do not know the books yet. |
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A: Obviously, I do not know the books yet. So I can't decide based on '''knowledge'''. But I may have reputation information about the authors (how I liked their books in the past, or, how people who I respect a lot liked their books in the past). Using this reputation information helps me in making a decision. There is no proof that my decision will be right, but it will maximize the knowledge that I can obtain within the bounds of my time budget, given that I have no further knowledge. |
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So I can't decide based on '''knowledge'''. |
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But I may have '''reputation information''' about the authors |
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(how I liked their books in the past, or, how people who I respect a lot liked their books in the past). |
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Using this reputation information helps me in making a decision. |
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There is no guaranty that my decision will be right, but it improoves my chances of making a good (or, at least reasonable) decision. In other words: Reputation information helps me in maximizing the outcome (what I will have learned) of my limited investment of resources (time). |
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In summary, ''reputation'' is not ''knowledge'', it is less than that. |
In summary, ''reputation'' is not ''knowledge'', it is less than that. |
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Revision as of 15:32, 25 January 2006
Example
Consider the following situation:
Q: I only have a limited time budget to read books. So, in order to learn as much as possible about a subject XYZ, which books should I read? (I can't read them all due to lack of time).
A: Obviously, I do not know the books yet. So I can't decide based on knowledge. But I may have reputation information about the authors (how I liked their books in the past, or, how people who I respect a lot liked their books in the past). Using this reputation information helps me in making a decision. There is no guaranty that my decision will be right, but it improoves my chances of making a good (or, at least reasonable) decision. In other words: Reputation information helps me in maximizing the outcome (what I will have learned) of my limited investment of resources (time).
In summary, reputation is not knowledge, it is less than that. But it is more than knowing nothing. Hence, a possible pseudonym for reputation might be half-knowledge!?