This implied that we could safely build a system to block things that were very different from this "typical" use and not catch too many dolphins in our tuna nets:

https://t.co/QBVY75tbFO

14/

So Kathryn and I were talking about this, and she said, "Yeah, all complex ecosystems have parasites." I was thunderstruck. 

15/

Cory Doctorow NONCONSENSUAL BLUE TICK

there's a deep piece of wisdom here

https://x.com/doctorow/status/1915378093868671225

Something like:

- There is a certain class of systems (protocols, markets, ecosystems, economies...) which are very important for human flourishing

- Their "correct" behaviour always includes a non-zero amount of activity that we'll think is morally wrong (fraud, parasitism, etc) because these systems are open and dynamic and involve individual agency

- If you try to hard to squeeze out the bad behaviour, you can kill the system

Maybe a corollary: robust systems generate enough surplus value to feed parasites and still be viewed as legitimate and net beneficial

This was my favorite 

"The optimal amount of fraud is non-zero," because "everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." Complexity is generative, but "all complex ecosystems have parasites."