Thread: One red paperclip...

  1. #1
    The superhaterodyne twomers's Avatar
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    One red paperclip...

    Well, I don't know if any of ye heard about this guy who decided he'd trade up one small red paperclip for a house, well, whether ye did or not, he did it in a year!!!!! Check it out here!

    Do ye think it's real?

  2. #2
    Ecologist
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    It's fake. I'm sure he did trade all those things, but
    he traded with people who were aware of his goal
    and would make unrealistic offers.
    Staying away from General.

  3. #3
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    Im not sure its fake - Ive read it was shown on CNN, who followed his, apparently, successful attempt.

  4. #4
    The superhaterodyne twomers's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ethic
    It's fake. I'm sure he did trade all those things, but
    he traded with people who were aware of his goal
    and would make unrealistic offers.
    I see what you mean. But does that mean that he didn't trade the clip for a house? Just because people knew the goal, and traded with that in mind doesn't mean it's 'fake' .... but I do agree that it isn't really a lagitimate trade.

    All the same, a house for a clip, I wouldn't say no to that.

  5. #5
    (?<!re)tired Mario F.'s Avatar
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    Technically he didn't trade a clip for a house. He traded a role in a movie for a house.
    Originally Posted by brewbuck:
    Reimplementing a large system in another language to get a 25% performance boost is nonsense. It would be cheaper to just get a computer which is 25% faster.

  6. #6
    The superhaterodyne twomers's Avatar
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    Well technically he traded each successively for the house, starting with the clip, so yeah, he did (techniceally), but in reality, he traded the movie role.

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    They interviewed that guy on CBC, which is a pretty trusted news source, considering it's government-sponsored.

  8. #8
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    which is a pretty trusted news source, considering it's government-sponsored
    Ha ha... what's wrong with that logic?

    In any case - the previous posters weren't saying that this man didn't really get a house by starting with a red paper clip, they're saying that the integrity of the experiment is flawed because people knew what he was trying to do, and made unrealistic trades, possibly just for publicity.

  9. #9
    (?<!re)tired Mario F.'s Avatar
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    A snowmobile from an instant party... shocking!
    Originally Posted by brewbuck:
    Reimplementing a large system in another language to get a 25% performance boost is nonsense. It would be cheaper to just get a computer which is 25% faster.

  10. #10
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    But the house was only valued at ~45K USD, which is a pretty expensive paperclip, but still you won't find a house for that price where I live...
    The crows maintain that a single crow could destroy the heavens. Doubtless this is so. But it proves nothing against the heavens, for the heavens signify simply: the impossibility of crows.

  11. #11
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    Its very true, and has the reputation of several major news companies to back it, which is definately enouph to prove it.

  12. #12
    Devil's Advocate SlyMaelstrom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mario F.
    A snowmobile from an instant party... shocking!
    Hah, I think the paperclip for the fountain pen was shocking. Who would make that trade? The pen is probably a couple of dollars at least.
    Sent from my iPad®

  13. #13
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    heh, he could have gone farther pretending he was poor and then writing the Oprah Winfry show. The paper clip didn't get him that home, publicity did.

  14. #14
    Mayor of Awesometown Govtcheez's Avatar
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    You guys are really overthinking what is really just a fun exercise.

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