While I support openness "in theory," it too has downsides. Not the least is that, if real or potential accountability is required, it will tend to increase "cover your ass" costs. Sure in some cases this is even desirable, for example, considering it a necessary cost to insure honesty or transparency. But in other cases, it may be cou…
While I support openness "in theory," it too has downsides. Not the least is that, if real or potential accountability is required, it will tend to increase "cover your ass" costs. Sure in some cases this is even desirable, for example, considering it a necessary cost to insure honesty or transparency. But in other cases, it may be counter-productive. A common example is "defensive medicine" where a doctor orders all manner of diagnostic tests. To defend against potentially ruinous legal claims, the doctor rationally tries to cover all possible diagnoses, no matter how improbable This, of course, has the effect of drastically raising costs as well as making the delivery of medical care that much more inefficient. Too often, it's easier to just blame the lawyers; but I'm arguing that is a missing the bigger picture.
Phillip Howard's "The Death of Common Sense" provides many such examples.
While I support openness "in theory," it too has downsides. Not the least is that, if real or potential accountability is required, it will tend to increase "cover your ass" costs. Sure in some cases this is even desirable, for example, considering it a necessary cost to insure honesty or transparency. But in other cases, it may be counter-productive. A common example is "defensive medicine" where a doctor orders all manner of diagnostic tests. To defend against potentially ruinous legal claims, the doctor rationally tries to cover all possible diagnoses, no matter how improbable This, of course, has the effect of drastically raising costs as well as making the delivery of medical care that much more inefficient. Too often, it's easier to just blame the lawyers; but I'm arguing that is a missing the bigger picture.
Phillip Howard's "The Death of Common Sense" provides many such examples.