I'm a big girl. Just tell me.

Inara ,'Objects In Space'


Natter 48 Contiguous States of Denial  

Off-topic discussion. Wanna talk about corsets, duct tape, or physics? This is the place. Detailed discussion of any current-season TV must be whitefonted.


shrift - Dec 20, 2006 9:34:24 am PST #7233 of 10007
"You can't put a price on the joy of not giving a shit." -Zenkitty

I'm so painfully bored that I'm getting the jump on next week's totally unnecessary Excel spreadsheets.


Sean K - Dec 20, 2006 9:37:18 am PST #7234 of 10007
You can't leave me to my own devices; my devices are Nap and Eat. -Zenkitty

Next week's Excel spreadsheets are most definitely imaginary.

Kind of.


§ ita § - Dec 20, 2006 9:38:11 am PST #7235 of 10007
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.

I guess I'm not following where the "semi" part comes in, then.

Well, it's not totally imaginary--and my assumption (watch me project into Sean) is that imaginary comes up at all because it's sustained by our acceptance of and belief in it. My chair needs no such sustenance. Even if I don't use it to sit in, it's still chairy.

I don't know what the proper word is, and I haven't seen it used here yet, or at least not recognised it as such.


bon bon - Dec 20, 2006 9:38:28 am PST #7236 of 10007
It's five thousand for kissing, ten thousand for snuggling... End of list.

And if I'm going to get really semantically nitpicky, semi-imaginary != fictional.

Well, you asked me to clarify what my problem was, and that's how I read semi-imaginary.

I think you read me to be disagreeing with you when I was responding to Sean. In re-reading, I see a misunderstanding that needs to be cleared up, and Jessica has done most of the heavy lifting there. There is a big difference among (1) a market for a particular item (2) the economy as a whole and (3) economics as a description of certain behaviors. The fact that the value of something changes /= disappearance of a whole economy /= the scientific status of economics. Economics and economies are not "semi-imaginary", even if the values of some things are highly disputed at different periods of time.


Sean K - Dec 20, 2006 9:39:06 am PST #7237 of 10007
You can't leave me to my own devices; my devices are Nap and Eat. -Zenkitty

What ita said.


Tom Scola - Dec 20, 2006 9:40:18 am PST #7238 of 10007
Remember that the frontier of the Rebellion is everywhere. And even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward.

Economies are not imaginary. An economy will always exist when there is competition over access to limited resources. An anthill has an economy, even though individual ants don't possess much of an imagination.

If our existing money-based economy gets replaced with one based on the blunt-force application of sticks and rocks, it doesn't mean that one is more real than the other.


shrift - Dec 20, 2006 9:41:02 am PST #7239 of 10007
"You can't put a price on the joy of not giving a shit." -Zenkitty

Next week's Excel spreadsheets are most definitely imaginary.

My personal experience contradicts your assertion!


Topic!Cindy - Dec 20, 2006 9:42:27 am PST #7240 of 10007
What is even happening?

Just a small town girl...


Gudanov - Dec 20, 2006 9:43:44 am PST #7241 of 10007
Coding and Sleeping

Just a small town girl...

I can sense my put increasing in value already.


§ ita § - Dec 20, 2006 9:44:47 am PST #7242 of 10007
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.

I think you read me to be disagreeing with you when I was responding to Sean.

Well, I'm mostly agreeing with Sean, but that's not it. I have seen reactions to ideas where the ideas don't seem to have been posted. That's why I keep saying "I don't know who said that" and why I ask who did. Not just because I didn't say it.

If no one trades, there is no economy, right? Or is the null economy still considered one? I mean, if I create most of what I need and steal the rest (assuming the actual existence of other people doing the same, because the economy that is null because there are