This "social credit" system is a really interesting thing. A lot of people feel that it's extremely dystopian, but I thought this article made a really interesting point about it:
This "social credit" system is a really interesting thing. A lot of people feel that it's extremely dystopian, but I thought this article made a really interesting point about it:
In the classroom, one of the ways I suggest students think about money is as a kind of social scorecard. You did something good — made something somebody wanted, let somebody else use something you own, went to work and did everything the boss told you? Good for you, you get a cookie. Or more precisely, you get a credit, in both senses, in the personal record kept for you at a bank. Now you want something for yourself? OK, but that is going to be subtracted from the running total of how much you’ve done for the rest for us.
People get very excited about China’s social credit system, a sort of generalization of the “permanent record” we use to intimidate schoolchildren. And ok, it does sound kind of dystopian. If your rating is too low, you aren’t allowed to fly on a plane. Think about that — a number assigned to every person, adjusted based on somebody’s judgement of your pro-social or anti-social behavior. If your number is too low, you can’t get on a plane. If it’s really low, you can’t even get on a bus. Could you imagine a system like that in the US?
Except, of course, that we have exactly this system already. The number is called a bank account. The difference is simply that we have so naturalized the system that “how much money you have” seems like simply a fact about you, rather than a judgement imposed by society.
A very intriguing point, though I don't think that comparison is perfect. This social credit system is much worse in my opinion. It is centralized. The government decides what is good or bad, not...
A very intriguing point, though I don't think that comparison is perfect.
This social credit system is much worse in my opinion.
It is centralized. The government decides what is good or bad, not the rest of society.
It is opaque. The algorithms used will almost certainly contain intrinsic biases against people who are poor/racial minorities/dissidents.
The CCP has a terrible record of how it treats it's citizens. Why won't they abuse this as well?
I can't remember if who you associate with affects your score?
According to some outlets, it does. Wired, however says there's different regional programs with different metrics and parameters, and that none are official part of the government (yet)...
I can't remember if who you associate with affects your score?
According to some outlets, it does. Wired, however says there's different regional programs with different metrics and parameters, and that none are official part of the government (yet) https://www.wired.co.uk/article/china-social-credit-system-explained so your mileage may vary.
While there might be surface similarities between China's social credit system and Mason's payments system, there is an important difference: freedom. China's social credit system provides you...
While there might be surface similarities between China's social credit system and Mason's payments system, there is an important difference: freedom. China's social credit system provides you with no freedom, no "off" time, no time where you can simply be yourself. The payments system is "opt in", while China's social credit system is "opt out". You opt in to earning money, and you can choose how and when to earn it, and how much to earn, and how to use that money to fulfil your obligations. And, at the end of the working day, you can stop. You can relax. You've earned your debt obligations. You don't opt in to China's 24/7 monitoring. It's there all the time, monitoring everything you do. There is no downtime, no time to switch off.
If you want to get on a plane using money, you can simply earn more money and pay for it. If you want to get on a plane using social credit, you can't simply earn more to pay for it. The choice to increase your credit is out of your hands.
I must say, as much as I hate the dystopia of it all; this is really tempting. I also don't think we'll be able to avoid it for long in the west. It will come eventually. Hopefully, not as bad as...
Smoking in a no-smoking zone, disturbing public order or fare evasion could result in offenders being barred from future train travel, the announcement says.
I must say, as much as I hate the dystopia of it all; this is really tempting.
I also don't think we'll be able to avoid it for long in the west. It will come eventually. Hopefully, not as bad as it is in China, but it will.
I wonder if a few decades ago when we started putting up surveillance and traffic cameras there were people protesting it. I bet there were. Yet here we are.
Every generation becomes more and more accustomed to constantly being watched one way or another. So when we transition slowly to even more surveillance, it's just a small step in a long progression.
This "social credit" system is a really interesting thing. A lot of people feel that it's extremely dystopian, but I thought this article made a really interesting point about it:
A very intriguing point, though I don't think that comparison is perfect.
This social credit system is much worse in my opinion.
I can't remember if who you associate with affects your score?
According to some outlets, it does. Wired, however says there's different regional programs with different metrics and parameters, and that none are official part of the government (yet) https://www.wired.co.uk/article/china-social-credit-system-explained so your mileage may vary.
While there might be surface similarities between China's social credit system and Mason's payments system, there is an important difference: freedom. China's social credit system provides you with no freedom, no "off" time, no time where you can simply be yourself. The payments system is "opt in", while China's social credit system is "opt out". You opt in to earning money, and you can choose how and when to earn it, and how much to earn, and how to use that money to fulfil your obligations. And, at the end of the working day, you can stop. You can relax. You've earned your debt obligations. You don't opt in to China's 24/7 monitoring. It's there all the time, monitoring everything you do. There is no downtime, no time to switch off.
If you want to get on a plane using money, you can simply earn more money and pay for it. If you want to get on a plane using social credit, you can't simply earn more to pay for it. The choice to increase your credit is out of your hands.
I must say, as much as I hate the dystopia of it all; this is really tempting.
I also don't think we'll be able to avoid it for long in the west. It will come eventually. Hopefully, not as bad as it is in China, but it will.
I wonder if a few decades ago when we started putting up surveillance and traffic cameras there were people protesting it. I bet there were. Yet here we are.
Every generation becomes more and more accustomed to constantly being watched one way or another. So when we transition slowly to even more surveillance, it's just a small step in a long progression.