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Comment by sebmellen | Hacker News Reader

Even in context, the whole concept is a bit strange. If I read something like this, coming from just 40 years ago, it would seem absurd.

I strongly dislike the urge of modern humans to categorize and analyze everything (very non-tech sounding, I know).

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Eh, we have clay tablets thousands of years old that are just lists of things.

Here, in this conversaion, the discussion is about the visceral need that people have to categorize and place other people into databases. It's not about lists of things.

“Measurement is the first step that leads to control and eventually to improvement. If you can't measure something, you can't understand it. If you can't understand it, you can't control it. If you can't control it, you can't improve it.”

The quote is specifically about business, but the concept is universal. In the case of this article, Ivan Gayton is interested in controlling disease & improving health. He needs to measure the population to understand the spread of disease.

Yes, but "improve" is often subjective, and systems of surveillance and control take away power from people being surveiled and controlled.

> He needs to measure the population to understand the spread of disease.

Not exactly. He _wants_ to measure the population to understand the spread of disease.

Was just strolling through a park yesterday and walked across a duck with a big tag on each leg. Thought to myself that even in seeking nature, nothings natural. We know down to the family level what the animals are doing.

It can have it's upsides, but it's also disgusting in its own way. And just like you I thought to myself how I love analysis, but I don't have enough confidence in fellow men to feel ok with them doing the analysis.

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