I believe that the unpredictability that you reference stems from the fact that people undoubtedly value different things to various degrees. Therefore, person X may very well make different choices than person Y when confronted with the same stimulus. However, that does not change the fact that each is performing a cost/benefit analysis and acting in the way that they perceive benefits them the most and/or costs them the least. This may lead to the appearance of irrational and random behavior when it fact it is very predicable and non-random. Prediction then rests solely on the determination of what people will value the most to them when confronted with a known stimulus.

-- BrettJohnson - 26 Sep 2009

Professor Moglen,

Your response seems unnecessarily attacking. Perhaps I hit a nerve or two and brought up topics that you did not want to discuss. I will say that it seems to me that people become attacking most often when they feel that their substantive arguments lack merit and they want to deflect from the merits of the discussion. I will only respond to one specific statement that you made—your statement that I think that I am smarter than you. Nothing I said even comes close to that and I am not sure how you make that inference. I have not yet even disagreed with you; and even if at some point in the future I do choose to disagree with you--that in no way means that I think that I am smarter than you. Frankly, I am just grateful to be here.

-- BrettJohnson - 26 Sep 2009