alt Hacker NewsI agree, but the fact that authorities even have to spend time investigating is a massive negative externality.
A few years years ago, there was no conceivable profit motive for interfering with weather sensors on public property. Now there is one.
Replies
This is the definitive argument for me against prediction markets. It creates incentives to do really dumb shit.
> A few years years ago, there was no conceivable profit motive for interfering with weather sensors on public property. Now there is one.
Can this really be said with a straight face?
Suppose you're an oil company, or a trader with a large position, and "hottest year on record ten years in a row" is bad PR that will make bills you don't like more likely to get passed. Or for that matter a company selling carbon capture stuff who wants to make sure it goes the other way. How about tobacco companies?
This has been a huge problem for as long as public data has been used to make decisions affecting profits.
> A few years years ago, there was no conceivable profit motive for interfering with weather sensors on public property.
I have bad news for you. The manipulation of weather sensors for profit has a history that long pre-dates prediction markets. You just weren't paying attention until now.