[Jedd]

Not really tragedy of the commons.

[andybak]

If the resource is peace and privacy then "tragedy of the commons" seems like a reasonable metaphor.

Can you post in a little more detail as just prefixing the bit you disagree with with "not" isn't terribly useful.

[Jedd]

If resource was peace and privacy (those aren't resources), and they were zero-sum, then it'd arguably be tragedy of the commons.

People being dicks and drawing unwanted regulatory attention towards themselves and other people ... is just people being dicks.

I appreciate that 'tragedy of the commons' is a very hip phrasing these days, but its usefulness benefits from not being misused.

[ken]

"Resource" (Merriam-Webster), definition 1c: "a natural feature or phenomenon that enhances the quality of human life".

I would say silence does indeed meet this definition.

[Jedd]

> If resource was peace and privacy (those aren't resources), and they were zero-sum

Not to say I agree with your dubious attempt at bringing 'silence' into the fold of 'resource'.

When you start mining silence by the barrel from deep space, then we can start treating it as a commodity resource.

[andybak]

A resource can be locally limited despite being globally (or universally) unlimited. Energy for example (to a certain degree)

Also I'm not sure "zero sum" is the same thing as "limited". The former imposes stricter requirements.

I'm sticking to my guns on this one.

[Jedd]

I can't consume all the available quiet and therefore prevent you from having any.