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Re:Consider applying for grad school by late2part on Friday August 24, 2018 @08:31PM (#17838832)
Quite often, these untrained amateurs create great solutions!
Re:Consider applying for grad school by vokep on Friday August 24, 2018 @08:38PM (#17838872)
Not really. As an untrained amateur myself hoping to create great solutions. Thing is its the exception, not the rule.

Also with highly complex things (large scale - global problems) often it is possible for an untrained amateur to create a solution that is easy to communicate why it should be good, and it works in the short term. However awhile later, it is found that long term failure occurs

Re:Consider applying for grad school by stouset on Friday August 24, 2018 @08:35PM (#17838852)
Yes, but the argument is that these untrained amateurs more often make grave errors from ignorance that make existing situations worse, or at best divert resources from more well-considered approaches.

Which produces net better global outcomes I couldn’t say, though I have my own intuitions.

Re:Consider applying for grad school by intended on Saturday August 25, 2018 @02:19AM (#17839808)
In certain context - empty frontiers vs discovered/cultivated regions

Take the Internet -no one had any models for it. You could come up with new innovations and then disrupt other industries or make entirely new frontiers.

But in denser more studied areas - advances are incremental. People don’t come up with magic hashing functions for example.

Or new engine designs - there’s only so much you can do without breaking emissions norms or fuel efficiency or end up having engines which end up getting damaged.

BUT- the dream is always to find that missing or unthought of idea which changes the world.

It’s just relatively easier with an open frontier.

Re:Consider applying for grad school by Fomite on Saturday August 25, 2018 @12:00AM (#17839453)
And quite often, they create toe-curlingly bad ones.