www.sixfingeredman.net
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tragedy of the commons

Simply put, this occurs when profits are realized on a different scale than losses. For example:

• sheep grazing: one person profits while loss is shared amongst everyone
• pollution: profit comes in the short term while loss is spread over the long term
• blogging: the benefits of a sensationalist comment are immediate, the detriment of a single comment to individual readers are minimal

Variations on the tragedy of the commons