Vitalik Buterin
@vitalik.eth
This old slatestarcodex post is fascinating to revisit in the context of everything that has happened in the 7 years since it was written: https://slatestarcodex.com/2016/07/25/how-the-west-was-won/
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Vitalik Buterin
@vitalik.eth
Since the first time I read the post, I've probably become somewhat less confident in the idea that high-entropy cultures are almost always better. And I feel like that's a common update coming out of recent trends: trumpism and wokeness have both proven themselves high-entropy, and it's kinda hard to approve of both.
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timdaub
@timdaub.eth
Isn‘t the high entropy Coke example misleading? „Dalai Lama bans Coke (high-e) over milk (low-e)“ To me that makes it sound like Coke is such a great drink that it establishes itself. But this is false. In Tibet, milk is (high-e) through tradition and Coke needs marketing energy https://i.imgur.com/DoPlblW.jpg
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mk
@mk
Take 10 Tibetan kids. Let them choose a cup of milk or Coke. You'll be left with 9-10 cups of milk.
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timdaub
@timdaub.eth
- I loved Coke as a kid too. I haven‘t had it in years now. Unhealthy and too sweet. Don‘t like taste - You assume perfect distribution of Coke equal to milk. But Tibetans have yaks and no source of Coke. So you have to expense energy for Coke to be there. The yaks are just gonna reproduce and give milk.
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timdaub
@timdaub.eth
@mk Go to any developing country and see how much Coke involves itself into the supply chain. Store signs are Coke themed. The fridges are from them, and the entire „sortiment“ is supplied. They have very big costs to establish themselves. It‘s not a genetic „the best taste wins“ gene.
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mk
@mk
I've seen it. The brand helps no doubt. I think it also establishes itself on novelty and taste. But, IMO in the context of the article, we are talking about Coke as more than just the beverage, it is a company. Sales of Coke lead to more Coke advertising, etc.
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timdaub
@timdaub.eth
But then I find the comparison unfair. Coke is a culture and a business, yak milk is just culture. So yeah, you need to expense energy to repress Coke through banning but the inverse argument is that it‘s distribution is a flywheel because of re-investment. Yik milk isn‘t comparable.
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