Tragedy of the Commons

Agent Rad to the rescue
When I login around 10am on Sunday, I noticed the window of my advisor’s office was opened (windows for the whole building are mostly not grilled but mine is, weird isn’t it?). Since I was scared that she’s looking for me (yeah, I’m sort of being paranoid here but then the only time she ever came to office on Sunday was to see me – believe me, I know), I dared not open my own window (usually other ppl open their window coz of lack fresh air/ventilation esp. when the air-cond are not working but in my case it’s always because my small office is too cold – like in Siberia!). By 4.30pm, I couldn’t stand the suspense (&coldness) anymore (I thought of scoring points from her too) so I msgd her about the window. Lor, she’s at home all this while & dunno what happen with the window but she asked me to go there & check. I asked a male friend to tag along with the intention for him to climb the barrier wall (more than a meter high) in order to get to the window ledge (about 50cm width – BTW, her room has to be right smack in the middle of the wing). He said something like, “Am I going to get into trouble doing this?” What la..penakut ghopenya. “Ok, then you stay here & hold the chair for me.” I tell you, from outside it’s quite easy to climb over the wall what with the aid of some table & chair but it was a different matter coming from the other side, especially when you’re looking down from 5th floor (to ground level at 2nd floor)-gayat! If I were to fall down, I‘ll definitely fall onto the roof of 3rd floor la. But then again, those window-cleaning service people, they’re used to doing all these –nope, no problem at all.
Result:
Nothing is stolen. Perhaps she thought she already closed the window properly when actually it was not & the wind isn’t helping at all.
My betis masih sedikit kejang – I’m sure it’s not due to the senam-robik that I had earlier in the day.

Catchin’ Up
A friend went to Southampton in August last year for her phd – lost contact until recent weekend. She said, she’d IM me much, much earlier but no reply. How can it be?
A friend got back from Perth 3 weeks ago. She called, I picked up the phone but nobody was saying anything. Then she msgd, is this rad? I replied, “if so what??” So garang – I know. Her story:
Got two kids while doing phd. I do envy her.
Send back the kids late last year in order for her to concentrate on the writing up. Got back for good recently coz she & her hubby (peneman je) could bear being away from their kids for too long.
BTW, same case with me – money is gone.
Australian univ – no viva. I repeat, NO VIVA! I do envy her. I’m not scared of the actual viva process (pergghh!) but only worried of how long it takes for them to organize one for me once I’ve submitted of course which is goin to be in June, insyaAllah.
B’coz of her, I msgd some old ex-schoolmates (after so long) and two of them replied. One is engaged recently. The other has quitted her job and goin for master studies soon.

Tragedy of the Commons
The tragedy of the commons is a class of social trap that involve a conflict over resources between individual interests and the common good. The term derives originally from a parable published by William Forster Lloyd in his 1833 book on population. It was then popularized and extended by Garrett Hardin in his 1968 Science essay "The Tragedy of the Commons". However, the theory itself is as old as Aristotle who said: "That which is common to the greatest number has the least care bestowed upon it. Every one thinks chiefly of his own, hardly at all of the common interest; and only when he is himself concerned as an individual." ...
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons - 55k - Cached - Similar pages

When you’re sharing a house/office/space with other people, the so-called tragedy strikes too! You should know what I mean…esp. if you’ve experienced house-sharing with friends or strangers; spouses are different breed since well, they’re your spouses aren’t they?
By right, the space isn’t really a public good (and thus a free-rider problem) where nobody can prevent anybody else from utilizing it nor does the one person’s enjoyment of it reduce others’ ability to enjoy it simultaneously (non-excludabilility and non-rivalry in consumption). Wah, mcm quote textbook dah ni..
This is a classic common property problem. Basically (I’ve been told by none other than my advisor that this is my fave word. Her fave sentence start with, “I dunno whether you know this or not…” Just tell me la. Another committee loves this, “I’m sure you already thought of this/that ….” Again, tell me straight up! -Sorry, I digress), everyone extract utility from the area but no one is claiming responsibility. Thus, the failure of private ownership. As in the prisoner’s dilemma (Game theory, my fave topic – remember Nash equilibrium? And a film by the name A Beautiful Mind with Russell Crow as the leading man?), economics theory suggests that something can be done to solve this particular problem.

The idea of dividing the commons into private parcels is often advocated by classical liberals,….
A popular solution to the problem is also the "Coasian" one, where the individuals using the commons make payments to one another in exchange for not overusing the resource...

If only we all could agree to manage the common property jointly..
(Rad suggests – pejam mata je la.)

Berita Gempar Terkini
I wrote the above piece before this one even happened. On the very particular day (yesterday la I shirked my normal duty in order to pay the bills and other stuff) when I decided to go back early (well the sun is still shining instead of the usual moon shine), someone choose to blatantly disregard responsibility by leaving the door to the main graduate students’ office (which consist of 7 individual rooms and a meeting room; air-cond control unit) opened long after office hour. Lucky that somebody else came at around 8pm and everything is still intact. What if all the computers are gone? And with part of my dear-darling D inside (recoils in horror!)? And everyone else’s work too? Stupid cow!
So, somebody put up a notice today morning! An ‘essay’ of what has happened, what could have happen and what should be done etc. blahblah..
Then somebody else complained that it’s too lengthy. What do you expect? A marketing person did it!
Thus, a simpler & crude notice came out at noon (ironic coming from a bureaucrat all the way from Riau).
I wouldn’t want to be left out of the game so I came out with a short memo too (afternoon)..Heheheh..I’m only doing my share of the duties la.

BTW, you know that you’re really into this phd thing when you..
..swear a lot at everything and anything plus creatively too!
..
Dat someone said it again, “Ala, rilex2 la buat kerja…”
I said, “You nak buat kerja I ke?” –dgn nada yg sarcastic lagi deterministic.
_____
Tomorrow, Federal Territory holiday for KL ppl & Thaipusam for Selangor & other ‘selected’ states like N9 (kuil terindah dan terbesar(?) di TTJ- Astaghfirullahal’azim). So, I’ve got a different plan.
1.10am Balik kampong trip with a friend to settle some VIMatter. Procrastination isn’t good for anyone.
2.Drop by my single-parent-sis-who-currently-studying-for-her-degree’s plc in order to discuss her project paper (I told her, she better pay me this time coz my time & consultation is precious!)
3.Pick up items ordered by my other sis.
4.Drop china silk (the last one for sale) at another sis’s plc.
5.Giant -shopping for groceries.
6.230pm Catch the Grand Finale of BPBW (if it isn’t today already)
7.Friday after Subuh – journey back & send my friend back to her office.
8.Login office to settle urgent matters.
- catch the commuter to KL.
9.10am Direct to Sogo here I come – will be looking for new shoes since the sandal that I’m using everyday (bought at last year sale) need an urgent replacement –sebelah je tapaknya haus
10.CM for exchange of books (if time permitting)
KL Sentral- Payless Warehouse sale, plans to grab as many books as possible.
11.3pm Rush back for a meeting in faculty with the Big-Boss cum my committee too. My ever ready statement, “It isn’t going to be me again!”
12.Back to DDD.