From the monthly archives: October 2006

Communication: The act of asssuring a listener that the speaker would be harsh to other people

By On 04/10/2006 ·

I find signalling (as in signalling theory) quite fascinating. Basically, individuals sometimes want to communicate their possession of a certain trait (in the broadest sense).

Anyway, the other day I called my bank to have my credit card re-activated (don’t ask).

I give my name, state the problem and ask the [...]

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Now that’s a real reply (my emphasis)

By On 02/10/2006 ·

On two occasions I have been asked, ‘Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?’ I am not able rightly to apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question.

- Charles Babbage

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