Asking and searching people.

2018-06-03

• Suppose “[listen (e.g., to music)” means “the person asking the question pays a time cost of 10, the person answering the question pays a time cost of 10, and the questioner’s knowledge increases by 1.”

• Advances in the Internet have created “[search (e.g., for someone using a search engine)” where “paying 1 time cost yields 1 knowledge”.

• Before search, we asked 10 questions at a cost of 100 and gained 10 knowledge.

• Those adapted to search have 100 searches and 100 knowledge at a cost of 100

• If someone with zero knowledge asks you a question in that situation, you say, “Well, why should I pay the cost of 1,000 for you to come up from 0 to 100? Do your own search, it would be more reasonable for both parties.

• Even among people who have 100’s of knowledge due to the diversity of knowledge, they have things they don’t know about each other.

• So the exchange of knowledge between people in that state is based on a mutually beneficial relationship. - Exchange knowledge and learn from each other - Knowledge exchange and excellence

• The knowledge exchanged at this time is high-value knowledge of a type that cannot be easily acquired through search. Knowledge that cannot be obtained throughsearch

  • So multiplying the cost by 10 is justified.

• 100 people use the high-cost means of “questioning” to exchange such high-value items.

• When people show up there asking questions that can be easily found by searching, they are wary that they might be harmful people who exploit their time. - free rider

• Rather, it’s very kind of you to give feedback back saying, “Do a search.

• You’re not trying to give a hungry man a fish, you’re trying to teach him how to fish.The Parable of the Fish and the Fishing

• The problem is that hungry people don’t understand the value of learning to fish and ask you to give them fish, or they resent you for not giving them fish.

  • The axe is very rusty, shouldn’t it be sharpened?” I’m so busy chopping wood that I don’t have time to sharpen my axe! Like that.
  • The Parable of the Poker Face
    • Do not attempt to give to those who are unwilling to receive

• Other Issues

  • Need to teach search skills.
  • We need to train our ability to filter out the garbage from search results.

• relevance - 15-minute rule - It is agnostic as to whether it is something that can be quickly found by searching around, or something that can’t be found by looking around but can be done in an instant by asking someone in the know. - So the rule is that you should try to do something on your own for 15 minutes, and if that doesn’t work, ask questions.

  • Clarify tacit knowledge in your organization with /shokai/Scrapbox.

    • The efficiency of the method is that those who don’t understand first explain, and those who do understand correct them.

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