One rule, if attended to, would eliminate so many dead end threads here:

You can't get out more than you put in.

And, it's corollary:

The harder you try to get out more than you put in, the worse it gets.

It's something of a reframing of Ginsberg's Theorem.

[EDIT: Needed to make things impossible by adding "'t"]

 

You can get out more than you put in.

I think you missed out a 'not'.

 

I think you missed out a 'not'.

Ha! An editing error. Thanks.

 

well for rule to hold, it really need to define better what is it that goes "in" and "out".

context matters (over unity) but from pure 'consumer' perspective, that does not hold in all situations.
otherwise that would make mosquitos and anteaters go extinct.
same goes for forum. some members may not post at all (zero "in") but find things useful (get something "out")

 

well for rule to hold, it really need to define better what is it that goes "in" and "out".

that would make mosquitos and anteaters go extinct.
same goes for forum. some members may not post at all (zero "in") but find things useful (get something "out")

The power of the rule is its heuristic quality. It's a general case and the specification of inputs and outputs must be applied to practical attempts to violate the laws of physics in the poster's own special way.

I think the most common case is simply not considering the rule, which would lead to discarding the question before even posting it.

But you are correct in noting that it is often the mistaken belief in mythical inputs and outputs that disorder the TS's thinking.

 

Do as I say not as I do! Have you seen the advertisement on this site from digikey for the components for rail guns?
But officially I'm cool with that!
It keeps all the weirdos out what's next crystal balls. But I could edit that too and put my original brass ones in.
Just kidding!

 

Do as I say not as I do! Have you seen the advertisement on this site from digikey for the components for rail guns?
But officially I'm cool with that!
It keeps all the weirdos out what's next crystal balls. But I could edit that too and put my original brass ones in.

At least a railgun can be built.

 

The harder you try to get out more than you put in, the worse it gets.

and there's a god that enjoys his endless rule. :/
BTW,it's also the main strategy behind a famous game called "Pac Man" or Packed Man in other words. :>

 

No motivation of site owner to apply this "rule" because thread activity drives SEO which drives future traffic. Google has no way to determine the quality of a thread, nor do they care as long as it has eyes & interest that they measure by activity. New user, old user, same user - Google doesn't care.

 

sometimes you can get much more sarcasm than you put in... not sure how that's calculated.