Shockbot (SB): Logic problems with human systems.
It appears at first to be an excellent idea to raise the minimum wage paid to human workers.
This policy in isolation will obviously cause the least capable humans whose talents are worth less
than that new minimum wage to become unemployed.
BR: There may be considerations given to young workers with learning potential at the start of their
careers. Thus, they may be brought into the firm to perform a variety of menial tasks, such as an older
'intern' may do in a professional organization. Their learning curve of time to perform the given tasks
to the desired level of quality may be accepted as a means to introduce them to the organization
during summer employment, for example.
In 1873, Frank Winfield Woolworth was “a sorry excuse for a potential salesman.” He applied for a job
working for a retailer. When he asked how much he would be paid, the owner told him “You don’t
expect me to pay you, do you? Why you should pay me for teaching you the business.” He went on
from this “no pay job” to become founder of F. W. Woolworths and was so grateful to the man who did
not pay him at first that he made him a business partner.
See Thomas Sowell’s Applied Economics p.36 for more detail.
SB: Today humans have a different approach. Humans now “cure” the F. W. Woolworths with Ritalin
and pay them minimum wage. That prevents any repeat of such past performances. Let me remind you
that I am called Shockbot because I am shocked at human behavior.
BR: Our behavior may seem different to you but it is guided by kindness and concern.
What are the concepts of differential skill levels for different employees as a general concept?
SB: Perhaps we should clarify our roles here. You are the human who is attempting to defend humans
and human societies, their rules and procedures. I am the robot (Shockbot) who is continuously
shocked by your (human) methods. As far as I am concerned, we robots certainly have different skill
levels for different employees. A lawn-mowing robot is skilled at cutting the grass on lawns. A
vacuum cleaning robot is skilled at vacuuming rugs and floors. As a general concept, we design a
robot to perform the particular task that is desired.
Turing Androids, OTOH, are more generally designed like the human being. It is this new style of
robot that causes us to want to discuss issues with you humans because you are also generally
designed (with genetic variations, of course.)
By the way, why do you leave the current regime in place? Your random variation that is used as a
design method degrades the product as far as manufacturing quality is concerned. Why isn’t there a
Secretary of Human Quality Assurance position on the US President’s cabinet, for example? Rather
than wishing to improve the quality of your human beings, the current POTUS seems to desire to slow
research by restricting the use of stem cells in government sponsored research.
BR: Does it matter for a given employee if they are assessed during part of the workday when they may
be medically impeded as part of their defined medication protocol?
Example: Treatment for migraine headaches or narcolepsy.
SB: “Who lets these people live?” was the popular phrase one person used.
Shouldn’t you humans consider the repairing of the defective people who have headaches and
narcolepsy? Instead, you marry them and help them to reproduce their genes. Strange behavior.
Shouldn’t you seek a certain quality minimum standard before engaging in the production of product
from that blueprint?
BR: In periods or places where available people are limited in number and less experienced people.
Even people with a criminal record may be hired to serve in the role of defined employee. Special
attention may be given to them to enhance their continued job performance.
SB: Would this be like having Martha Stuart manufacture furniture at the Alderson, West Virginia,
Federal Correctional Institution? Are you humans doing that because the availability of people is
limited in number?
Why do you humans return your criminals to society without first repairing them? You wouldn’t
simply take a broken automobile and put it in a garage for five years and then return it to service,
would you? What rating would Consumers Union give to a car manufacturer whose dealers simply
sequestered the broken vehicle for a period of time and returned to be used again? I am a new robot
and it is difficult for me to understand humans and the rules by which they abide.
The logical thing would be to eliminate those least capable workers.
BR: A traditional quotation may relate to this discussion: "It's a poor craftsman who blames the tools
(for the possible poor performance of their recent efforts.)"
Thus, what may on the face of it appear 'logical' may also reduce the flexibility of the organization as it
loses people who may have already undergone several weeks
of startup employment. New employees would have to be identified and undergo similar startup
assessments.
Q. Is there an appropriate selection criteria and experienced
hiring staff to ensure that subsequent employees shall meet
the desired achievement levels?
Q. Is there an accepted training regimen for these newly
hired employees so that they may begin their work
experiences with sufficient preparation?
SB: In general, one wants to spend money rather than scrapping things and starting over. Doing this
too much leads to “throwing good money after bad.” Why not just extend the age where abortion is
permitted to be performed? If a 12-year-old cannot get a simple job mowing neighbor’s lawns over the
summer, she can be recycled before the parents waste any more money raising her. The parents who
abort the 12-year-old will be much more careful to implant a quality blastomere in the mother the next
time. That way they save the 12 years of expenses and making excuses for continuing investment in a
loser. After all, the 12-year-old is the "poor craftsman" who probably is blaming tools or parents or
something else for her poor performance. Why not just agree with her that it was bad genes and recycle
her?
Shockbot
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