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  1. Slate Star Codex8/30/183 min
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    Slate Star Codex
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    • jbuchana3 years ago

      I remember once bringing in a stereo amplifier that I'd built into work. Of course, it wasn't UL or in any other way certified. My boss liked it, we liked listening to music while we worked. But some idiot complained that, since it wasn't UL certified, it could be a fire hazard. The solution? Have an electrical engineer write a note declaring it safe. The closest electrical engineer? Me. So I wrote the letter, signed it, then we filed it, and as far as I know they're still using it there.

      • SEnkey3 years ago

        That is great. I'm going to reshare that story every chance I get.

    • deephdave
      Top reader of all timeScoutScribe
      3 years ago

      I’ve been wondering about this for a long time, and I try to notice when something I’m doing is bulls**t. I guess this fits the bill. It seems to be an issue of people spending time and money to create and satisfy procedures that degenerate into rituals, so that they can look all procedural and responsible in front of – courts? regulators? bosses? investors? I’m not sure. But I do wonder how much of the economy is made of things like this.

      • SEnkey3 years ago

        Bingo. Once you figure out how often submitting anything, literally anything, gets you what you want - you're home free. Half the forms and applications and 'required' items don't get checked at all or get a precursory glance before the poor soul whose job it is to honor the paperwork ritual moves on.

        I do my best to comply, especially when I think the rules are reasonable or for a good cause, but there have been a few occasions where I submitted a blank file in a required file slot and it was fine. I've also submitted a note from myself, signed by myself, saying "I don't think it should be necessary for me to submit this from a doctor etc" and that has worked too.