But also there's the problem wherein many problems really don't have better metrics - other options either have too-long feedback cycles or can't actually be measured. Contractors are often hired on an hourly basis, because the person paying them has no clue how hard things are.
Thinking about the use of appearance of effort applied/resources used as a metric for goal achieved. So obviously there's Goodhart problems with optimizing on effort applied, rewarding people for looking like they worked hard instead of actually getting things done.
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Then there's the doubly tricky bit where the appearance of effort is used to make sure things don't actually get done, when the person doing them don't want them done. (Yes, I'm doing "my best" on this job which charges by the hour, no I don't know how long it'll take)
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So it's used as a shield. This also works for political reasons - wow, the outgroup is demanding we do a thing! We'll make a special Department of The Thing which will have a budget and everything, and will be unable to actually do anything. Examples are exercises for the reader.
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For extra fun, we use it to lie to ourselves. "Yeah I really want to be better, look at all this effort I put in." No actual change, you subconsciously think that changing strategies won't work but that the appearance of trying is useful.
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Oops forgot to link this in this threadhttps://twitter.com/imhinesmi/status/1209870066352893952 …
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