Post #2304169
2026-05-06 21:00 UTC
(4/8) Computers actually are a good analogy for market capitalism.
Not because markets “compute” how to allocate resources but because they are a distributed system (like a computer network) whose implicit and explicit rules affect throughput and user experience.
Price as a signal indicates where there are opportunities, but cannot inherently show what knowledge is being acted on. Very often it has nothing to do with “allocative efficiency.”
https://misaligned.markets/capitalism-as-a-stack/
Replies (1)
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@MidniteMikeWrites@zirk.us 2026-05-06 21:00
(5/8) Digital goods are the perfect illustration. Digital assets are non-rivalrous; one person's use doesn't deplete another's, and the marginal cost of production is near zero. Yet, the tech industry has produced the most profitable companies in history. Why? Because they've found ways to capture value that have nothing to do with distribution. https://misaligned.markets/21st-century-property-rights-conflicts/