Algorithmic Regulation Revisited

In this prior blog entry I commented on Algorithmic. Lambert Strether comments on it at this link:

Algorithmic Regulation "Code is Law" and the case of Ferguson. 

My prior blog entry was ignited by the thought of Algorithmic Regulation and some initial thinking about it:

"An Operating System as an Algorithmic Regulation processor shifts the line of thought about good and bad to a highly defined and structured conceptual social control system.  A system that addresses the nature of both cause and effect in social system structures.

At this point roaming general thoughts about good and bad stuff driving our lives and the broader nature of the collective life called society the application of AR like an operating system becomes very fascinating.

With a little time out to go kayaking I will come back to that fascinating idea that the AR link presented."

Lambert presents some interesting ideas.   He also wanders around various aspects but gives much more to think about.  Algorithmic is cut and dried logic.  Application to social system strurctures in the manner of a computer operating system?  Very interesting.

Nearing his conclusion Lambert writes this:

"In short form, we have politics to handle wicked problems; they cannot be handled algorithmically. This example is from fisheries (a common pool resource) but can be generalized:

Inspired by Rittel and Webber [Dilemmas in a general theory of planning. Policy Sciences 1973;4:155-69], it is argued that fisheries and coastal governance is confronted with problems that are inherently “wicked.” Problems are wicked (as opposed to “tame”) when they are difficult to define and delineate from other and bigger problems and when they are not solved once and for all but tend to reappear. Wicked problems have no technical solution, it is not clear when they are solved, and they have no right or wrong solution that can be determined scientifically. Instead, for wicked problems governance must rely on the collective judgment of stakeholders [for example, the people of Ferguson] involved in a process that is experiential, interactive and deliberative.

True, solution in detail cannot be determined scientifically.  The program code cannot be written in lines of code to solve the problem.  The general problem domain however is by nature systemic and systemic systems "wicked problems" are approached in and Object Oriented Analysis method to work toward solution.  Lambert is hung up on the code, which of course comes as the last solution to the problem domain.

This was Lamberts very first line:  I had to puzzle over it until I got to the end of his comments:

"Premature optimization is the root of all evil. –Donald Knuth"

Absolutely true, I guess.  Writing the code before the entire system has been designed tested and validated conceptually is certainly the root of all evil.  Approaching wicked problems however in an Object Oriented Analysis manner is the beginning of the solution that ultimately ends in code, even if that code is written in Natural Language.

The comments in response to what Lambert wrote are various excellent views and contributions of the readers that enlighten the Problem Doamain.