> - User automates saving of all store coupons to his loyalty card without ever looking at the coupon. This defeats the idea of coupons (to encourage you to try something you would not have otherwise bought). If everyone did it, coupons would cease to exist.
That sounds like success to me, though not everyone will agree.
> - User automates getting into desired university class by hammering the registration site repeatedly. Needless to say, if everyone started doing the same thing, no one would benefit.
This was circumventing a bad process; people would benefit if everyone did it, because it would demonstrate a need for a better process.
> - User automated complaining to the water utility about a problem in front of his house. Once again, it might work for one person, but becomes completely ineffective if everyone does it for problems in front of their houses.
If everyone does it then perhaps they’ll fix things—or admit defeat and stop giving people false hope by allowing them to report such things when they have no intention of doing anything about it.
> - User automated late delivery complaints to post office to get compensation. If his script becomes too widely used, the monopoly post office will simply raise prices or stop offering compensation.
That sounds like success to me, though not everyone will agree.
> - User automates getting into desired university class by hammering the registration site repeatedly. Needless to say, if everyone started doing the same thing, no one would benefit.
This was circumventing a bad process; people would benefit if everyone did it, because it would demonstrate a need for a better process.
> - User automated complaining to the water utility about a problem in front of his house. Once again, it might work for one person, but becomes completely ineffective if everyone does it for problems in front of their houses.
If everyone does it then perhaps they’ll fix things—or admit defeat and stop giving people false hope by allowing them to report such things when they have no intention of doing anything about it.
> - User automated late delivery complaints to post office to get compensation. If his script becomes too widely used, the monopoly post office will simply raise prices or stop offering compensation.
Or, just maybe, fix it. One can always hope.