Thinkcorps

• Love how new car allowance rebate program rewards people for buying crappy cars. I bought a good car in 94, so of course, don’t qualify. #

• now that TV’s digital, can we finally start complaining about how much it sucks? #deathoftelevision #
• Sadly, not impressed with 2009 Knight Foundation winners. Not much “there” there. http://bit.ly/GE7FT #
• Knight Foundation should be funding crowdsourced journo projects like this: http://mps-expenses.guardian.co.uk/ #
• hcalendar + ffox is annoying me. I can’t figure out how to turn off these stupid add to calendar links. microformats docs = not great #
• ahh, stupid greasemonkey script was the culprit. feeling better now. :) #

• exploring spreedly for subscriptions management. looks super promising. bye bye paypal. #
• The value of Twitter is how easily it meshes with Net services. Twitter teaches people to speak computer. #

• Wiredtree webhosting rocks. Why do you pay more? Service, people. Wiredtree is always hyper-responsive. #icansleepeasynow #
• A-rental hunting we go! Got the inside scoop on an eastside 2+ BD? Help a brother out! :) #
• Is it so much to ask for the perfect 3BR? Come on pdx, sock it to me! #

Shared by Tim

On my reading list.

Altruism in business and behaviorial economics is a topic that comes up quite often on kottke.org, even when it’s not explicit. (For instance, the central issue in the Atul Gawande article I pointed to yesterday pits the individual financial desires of doctors vs. the health of their patients.) This article from Ode Magazine takes a look at the research done in this area so far and how the idea of altruism in economics is currently on the rise.

The theory is based on the premise that humans evolved in small groups with strong social contracts and plenty of contact with strangers. Cooperation within the tribe was advantageous so long as free riders were punished. It was also the best gambit on encountering strangers. Cooperation, particularly in times of famine, was the only means of survival, so altruism became a favored evolutionary trait.

One of my favorite books on altruism and economics is Robert Wright’s Nonzero.

Tags: economics  nonzero  robertwright

Prediction: i will buy a PS3 to play Project Trico. Colossus is one of my fave games ever. http://bit.ly/1052×1

Sorry, but the new newsweek.com is awful. The front page is a mess, and it’s never a good sign when your CMS is showing.