Comments for Yootles http://dreeves.wordpress.com A weblog by Daniel Reeves Wed, 15 Nov 2006 04:46:53 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on New Protocol for Offering and Asking for Favors by dreeves http://dreeves.wordpress.com/2006/11/04/new-protocol-for-offering-and-asking-for-favors/#comment-5 dreeves Wed, 15 Nov 2006 04:46:53 +0000 http://dreeves.wordpress.com/2006/11/04/new-protocol-for-offering-and-asking-for-favors/#comment-5 That one was very similar in spirit. Instead of "I can take your cat to the vet since you have homework due" it was "I'll share the job of taking the cat to the vet." We then had a Decision Auction to decide who would actually do it. I lost, meaning I had to take the cat, but got paid yootles for it. The beauty of this protocol is that, sure, it's nice of me to want to help when Bethany's cat gets sick right before a deadline, but I shouldn't presume to know how busy she is. Let the "invisible hand" decide who truly minds least. And as a bonus, it compensates the person who gets stuck with the job, giving them capital to use next time they need a favor in return. This is exactly what people try to approximate by trying to alternate favors and feeling each other out. The reason to use yootles instead is simple: it does a better job. That translates quite literally into greater happiness. That one was very similar in spirit. Instead of “I can take your cat to the vet since you have homework due” it was “I’ll share the job of taking the cat to the vet.” We then had a Decision Auction to decide who would actually do it. I lost, meaning I had to take the cat, but got paid yootles for it.

The beauty of this protocol is that, sure, it’s nice of me to want to help when Bethany’s cat gets sick right before a deadline, but I shouldn’t presume to know how busy she is. Let the “invisible hand” decide who truly minds least. And as a bonus, it compensates the person who gets stuck with the job, giving them capital to use next time they need a favor in return.

This is exactly what people try to approximate by trying to alternate favors and feeling each other out. The reason to use yootles instead is simple: it does a better job. That translates quite literally into greater happiness.

]]> Comment on New Protocol for Offering and Asking for Favors by Bee http://dreeves.wordpress.com/2006/11/04/new-protocol-for-offering-and-asking-for-favors/#comment-4 Bee Fri, 10 Nov 2006 05:54:50 +0000 http://dreeves.wordpress.com/2006/11/04/new-protocol-for-offering-and-asking-for-favors/#comment-4 I think that the auction for taking the cat to the vet is a little bit clearer exposition of this favor system. I think that the auction for taking the cat to the vet is a little bit clearer exposition of this favor system.

]]> Comment on Yootles Trivia Question by dreeves http://dreeves.wordpress.com/2006/11/07/yootles-trivia-question/#comment-3 dreeves Tue, 07 Nov 2006 18:41:36 +0000 http://dreeves.wordpress.com/2006/11/07/yootles-trivia-question/#comment-3 Rob wins the 10 yootles, paid on the yooniversal ledger! The answer is no for an even simpler reason -- you can only spend money with people who have given you credit or through whom there's a chain of credit (I can pay with an IOU to Alice if she trusts Bob and Bob trusts me). Since no one but Carol trusts Carol's fake identities, the boosted credit does Carol no good. This is what is meant by a Ripple-ified ledger system, which the new yootles ledger will support. (The current ledgers support it too in the sense that for each ledger everyone trusts everyone, or there is one person who trusts and is trusted by everyone -- usually me but on some ledgers Bethany, or Dave Morris, or Monica Stephens, or whoever started the ledger.) See <a href="http://ripplepay.com/about" rel="nofollow">ripplepay.com/about</a> for more about this or see the FAQ in the appendix of <a href="http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/dreeves/yootles/yootles.pdf" rel="nofollow">the yootles paper</a>. Rob wins the 10 yootles, paid on the yooniversal ledger!

The answer is no for an even simpler reason — you can only spend money with people who have given you credit or through whom there’s a chain of credit (I can pay with an IOU to Alice if she trusts Bob and Bob trusts me).

Since no one but Carol trusts Carol’s fake identities, the boosted credit does Carol no good.

This is what is meant by a Ripple-ified ledger system, which the new yootles ledger will support. (The current ledgers support it too in the sense that for each ledger everyone trusts everyone, or there is one person who trusts and is trusted by everyone — usually me but on some ledgers Bethany, or Dave Morris, or Monica Stephens, or whoever started the ledger.)

See ripplepay.com/about for more about this or see the FAQ in the appendix of the yootles paper.

]]> Comment on Yootles Trivia Question by Rob http://dreeves.wordpress.com/2006/11/07/yootles-trivia-question/#comment-2 Rob Tue, 07 Nov 2006 16:11:54 +0000 http://dreeves.wordpress.com/2006/11/07/yootles-trivia-question/#comment-2 I am going to say no for several reasons: 1. I hope the answer is no 2. It seems like these fake identities would eventually have to make good on their yootles debt, either by performing favors (i.e. the real person performing favors under the guise of the fake identity), or the real person would have to give yootles back to the fake identities 3. if yootles are to be mostly used among friends, don't you think people would notice fake identities awfully quickly? I am going to say no for several reasons:
1. I hope the answer is no
2. It seems like these fake identities would eventually have to make good on their yootles debt, either by performing favors (i.e. the real person performing favors under the guise of the fake identity), or the real person would have to give yootles back to the fake identities
3. if yootles are to be mostly used among friends, don’t you think people would notice fake identities awfully quickly?

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