individual decision points

[mimsey borogrove]

Hubbard invented the routing form to eliminate individual decision points. He felt these points created Dev-t and slowed production. He sat down and decided all the options a PC or student could take. Boy - are lucky he didn't evolve Scientology in the computer age. Why? you ask.

E-bay has such a system. If you sell an item, they collect shipping. If your buyer decides to pick it up locally after wining the auction - E-bay has no option to change the method of shipping, other than canceling the sale, refunding the money to the buyer and having the seller relist it with a local pickup option.

Why can't they simply change the delivery method in accounting?

Their computer won't let them. Just like Hubbard's routing form concept of eliminating decision points. Was he prescient? Or has the world gone mad since the advent of the computer?

Mimsey

 

[Hatshepsut]

I shop ebay. You get stuck in their system. Can't even change the color of a cotton blouse after ordering from their stock. Have to refund and wait a day for them to re-list it.......while hoping no one snaps it up first. The biggest seller hire staff for warehouses that may not speak English. But my pet peeve is the change in fabrics. Not all cotton is the same. We understood what 100 percent cotton was for a long time. It's become 3 of 4 different textiles now, and they 'itch'. Cotton from Mexico and Pakistan is cool and light. Cotton from China can be anything, even recycled material. And why does it all 'itch' !!

 

[I M Dex]

Hubbard invented the routing form to eliminate individual decision points. He felt these points created Dev-t and slowed production. He sat down and decided all the options a PC or student could take. Boy - are lucky he didn't evolve Scientology in the computer age. Why? you ask.

E-bay has such a system. If you sell an item, they collect shipping. If your buyer decides to pick it up locally after wining the auction - E-bay has no option to change the method of shipping, other than canceling the sale, refunding the money to the buyer and having the seller relist it with a local pickup option.

Why can't they simply change the delivery method in accounting?

Their computer won't let them. Just like Hubbard's routing form concept of eliminating decision points. Was he prescient? Or has the world gone mad since the advent of the computer?

Mimsey

View attachment 25709

The human tendency to replace actually being consciously present with systems is inherently unreliable. Like what I've gone through with Paypal holding up clients' payments to me for internet sessions for lack of a shipping receipt. Or Amazon cancelling a regular monthly shipment of several items to me because one of those items wasn't available. Systems tend not to be flexible enough to cover what actually happens in life. Like relying too heavily on analytics in baseball that fail to take into consideration the specifics of the moment, like the right handed batter is in a slump, or isn't fully healed from an injury, or the pitcher had a fight with his wife and isn't focused, and a thousand other possible individual one-off factors.

 

[Hatshepsut]

I had a similar situation with auto insurance online payments. I got a notice in my checking saying I had been charged 270 dollars on a MC ending in 9004. I dont' own one..... with those 4 digits. I thought someone was trying to set up themselves with my ID. I called and said I didn't authorize it but tell the person thankyou. My auto insurance company had discovered my debit card was on hold for suspicious purchase I'd reported, so, concocted their own fake 4 digit MC # to extract the renewal fee. I'm glad I schedule pays 3 weeks early, or I'd not have had time to fix this.

No one at the office could tell me why they had a card ending 9004. Only top people know the banking protocols. And only they can see the debits and recredit small details. Then, when I made the actual payment....... they said I didn't, and had already received the refund. I said my bank sent me a statement showing the debit posted to my account and the ins received it. They said, Lady, you cancelled your payment. I said, that was the earlier one, which I don't feel I made. The second one, 3 days later was self-issued. They sent me a notice of termination if a renewal fee wasn't received. I said do you not believe my bank showing you used the online payment. I can see where the fake MC payment was voided, but can't you see the bank extracted payment from 3 days later?. You GOT your renewal fee. There were 4 more notices of termination in my email.

Everything is on a need to know basis. Lower level employees cannot be given access to ALL your data. But, they can be given access to a computer which Terminates your account. Anyone waiting for a void at checkout can attest. Auto insurance is big money and it's the younger generation handing phones after office hours. NEVER pay with a debit card number, or auto pay form checking. Transfer funds to a linked credit card at the same bank, and pay with that. Nightmare will stop.

 

[mimsey borogrove]

The human tendency to replace actually being consciously present with systems is inherently unreliable. Like what I've gone through with Paypal holding up clients' payments to me for internet sessions for lack of a shipping receipt. Or Amazon cancelling a regular monthly shipment of several items to me because one of those items wasn't available. Systems tend not to be flexible enough to cover what actually happens in life. Like relying too heavily on analytics in baseball that fail to take into consideration the specifics of the moment, like the right handed batter is in a slump, or isn't fully healed from an injury, or the pitcher had a fight with his wife and isn't focused, and a thousand other possible individual one-off factors.

That's my worry with AI - it will be too inflexible. In a way it seems to be a sort of condescension by the micromanaging programmers in assuming there's only x # of options. I can see computer driven long haul trucks if they only stay in a dedicated highway as being efficient - but what if they get hijacked? Computer cars are supposed to be able to self learn - what's to prevent them from learning to knock people out of the way is the most efficient way to do an on time delivery?

Mmsey

 

[mimsey borogrove]

I had a similar situation with auto insurance online payments. I got a notice in my checking saying I had been charged 270 dollars on a MC ending in 9004. I dont' own one..... with those 4 digits. I thought someone was trying to set up themselves with my ID. I called and said I didn't authorize it but tell the person thankyou. My auto insurance company had discovered my debit card was on hold for suspicious purchase I'd reported, so, concocted their own fake 4 digit MC # to extract the renewal fee. I'm glad I schedule pays 3 weeks early, or I'd not have had time to fix this.

No one at the office could tell me why they had a card ending 9004. Only top people know the banking protocols. And only they can see the debits and recredit small details. Then, when I made the actual payment....... they said I didn't, and had already received the refund. I said my bank sent me a statement showing the debit posted to my account and the ins received it. They said, Lady, you cancelled your payment. I said, that was the earlier one, which I don't feel I made. The second one, 3 days later was self-issued. They sent me a notice of termination if a renewal fee wasn't received. I said do you not believe my bank showing you used the online payment. I can see where the fake MC payment was voided, but can't you see the bank extracted payment from 3 days later?. You GOT your renewal fee. There were 4 more notices of termination in my email.

Everything is on a need to know basis. Lower level employees cannot be given access to ALL your data. But, they can be given access to a computer which Terminates your account. Anyone waiting for a void at checkout can attest. Auto insurance is big money and it's the younger generation handing phones after office hours. NEVER pay with a debit card number, or auto pay form checking. Transfer funds to a linked credit card at the same bank, and pay with that. Nightmare will stop.

In my example of the E-Bay personnel unable to change the delivery at their end - the only logical explanation is that the higherups want it that way. They intentionally hamstring the system. Why? preventing embezzlement?

I once read a si-fi story about a super efficient computer controlled future - the protagonist's job - screw with the system.

Mimsey

 

[Hatshepsut]

The brass never trust the underlings with handling the cash. Look how many places dont' accept cash anymore. You can't even drive to local office and pay cash for your cable or power sometimes.... when bringing the bill with you. Can't imagine the trust level between pimps and their stable gals. Probably higher.

 

[I M Dex]

That's my worry with AI - it will be too inflexible. In a way it seems to be a sort of condescension by the micromanaging programmers in assuming there's only x # of options. I can see computer driven long haul trucks if they only stay in a dedicated highway as being efficient - but what if they get hijacked? Computer cars are supposed to be able to self learn - what's to prevent them from learning to knock people out of the way is the most efficient way to do an on time delivery?

Mmsey

View attachment 25712

In my experience, AI can be useful, providing it is a mid-way step followed by human review. My marketing partner provided me with an AI application to transcribe my videos. The transcriptions were quite flawed, but it gave me something I could correct in less than 2 hours, as opposed to manually transcribing, which would have taken me at least 5 times as long.

 

[Hatshepsut]

That's my worry with AI - it will be too inflexible. In a way it seems to be a sort of condescension by the micromanaging programmers in assuming there's only x # of options. I can see computer driven long haul trucks if they only stay in a dedicated highway as being efficient - but what if they get hijacked? Computer cars are supposed to be able to self learn - what's to prevent them from learning to knock people out of the way is the most efficient way to do an on time delivery?

Someone sent me an allen wrench via FedEx. It left MD en route to Cleveland. It got trucked to Columbus and then Tennessee and went to Missouri, then Arkansas and then back to Columbus and then up to me. I called FedEx and asked why such a circuitous route? They said that's just the way the computer has the packages loaded. Maybe if items in the back aren't off the truck the same day, the remainder travels along to the next pickup location. Crazy. Complaints are sent to the office mgr who works from home now.

 

[mimsey borogrove]

Someone sent me an allen wrench via FedEx. It left MD en route to Cleveland. It got trucked to Columbus and then Tennessee and went to Missouri, then Arkansas and then back to Columbus and then up to me. I called FedEx and asked why such a circuitous route? They said that's just the way the computer has the packages loaded. Maybe if items in the back aren't off the truck the same day, the remainder travels along to the next pickup location. Crazy. Complaints are sent to the office mgr who works from home now.

View attachment 25717

I agree - trying to drive in LA with google maps or waze telling you where to go can be a weird adventure as it tries to save a minute or two and ends up taking more time than a simple direct route

 

[La La Lou Lou]

I shop ebay. You get stuck in their system. Can't even change the color of a cotton blouse after ordering from their stock. Have to refund and wait a day for them to re-list it.......while hoping no one snaps it up first. The biggest seller hire staff for warehouses that may not speak English. But my pet peeve is the change in fabrics. Not all cotton is the same. We understood what 100 percent cotton was for a long time. It's become 3 of 4 different textiles now, and they 'itch'. Cotton from Mexico and Pakistan is cool and light. Cotton from China can be anything, even recycled material. And why does it all 'itch' !!

It itches because it's not 100 percent cotton, it's got polyester in it.

 

[Enthetan]

It itches because it's not 100 percent cotton, it's got polyester in it.

Never trust a Chinese label.

 

[La La Lou Lou]

Never trust a Chinese label.

If it costs a pound with free postage the chances are that it's not a real diamond set in pure gold, if it is it will be radioactive. There are some good Chinese products. but there was the garlic crusher that broke the first time I used it, the silver chain that turned green etc etc.

 

[mimsey borogrove]

Never trust a Chinese label.

I have a client who buys electronic parts from China. At first the quality was good, but as more manufacturers bought Chinese - the quality dropped. His rejection rate has increased. I guess their profit margin is so high they can afford the uptick in rejected products.

Mimsey

 

[Hatshepsut]

mimsey

individual decision points

The DECISION to Sell NOW?

Is Harry Dent right?

 

[The_Fixer]

I have a client who buys electronic parts from China. At first the quality was good, but as more manufacturers bought Chinese - the quality dropped. His rejection rate has increased. I guess their profit margin is so high they can afford the uptick in rejected products.

Mimsey

My boss imports directly from China.

The trick is finding the right manufacturer and establishing a rapport with them and you should get a lower rejection rate, as long as you set yourself realistic expectations in the first place.

Once you've shopped with them successfully the first time, you have to be quite careful to establish the terms for the next set of purchases as they are known for changing the terms and prices without advising you. You can be sent a highly inflated invoice if you don't.

 

[mimsey borogrove]

My boss imports directly from China.

The trick is finding the right manufacturer and establishing a rapport with them and you should get a lower rejection rate, as long as you set yourself realistic expectations in the first place.

Once you've shopped with them successfully the first time, you have to be quite careful to establish the terms for the next set of purchases as they are known for changing the terms and prices without advising you. You can be sent a highly inflated invoice if you don't.

I asked him about that, but he said the opposite - he has been using a quality company, but their quality has dropped over the years - perhaps due to selling more than they can comfortably produce at the quality he needs. He says there's a high demand in China for product so quality suffers.

He also invested in some robots to solder parts which cut back his payroll.

Mimsey