Re: Fwd: Quote Of The Day

From: Eric D. Pierce <PierceED_at_csus.edu>
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2001 21:15:28 -0700
Message-ID: <F001.002E691E.20010410195318@fatcity.com>

here is an example of a similar phenomena (perverse outcomes that happen due to simpleminded overdependence on technology):

about 20 years ago there was a story (possibly originally from a industry risks journal?) about the farmers and the fertilizer train.

initially the fertilizer factories sent their trains out to rural sidings for off loading based on what they hoped were about the same planting forcasts as the farmers used (which presumably were originally developed at least partly based on farmers observations of complex weather patterns and so forth).

as the years went by, the farmers got used to timing their plantings mainly on the appearance of the fertilizer company's train cars on local sidings, and the risk of making badly timed plantings increased.

regards,
ep

> :> Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build

> :> bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce
> :> bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning.--Rich Cook

...

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Author: Eric D. Pierce
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Received on Tue Apr 10 2001 - 23:15:28 CDT