Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

In my native language, it's the same word. I meant it as both.


i highly doubt it's the same word because it's not the same thing. consulting a thesaurus might help your understanding of the world.


Well, you can doubt it, but it is what it is: "efektivní" in Czech means both effective ("successful in producing a desired or intended result") and efficient ("working or operating quickly and effectively in an organized way") combined. Also it seems like that "efficient" in English includes "effective" as well, so there probably was no actual problem with my original comment.

Maybe it is you who should check the thesaurus and get a little more understanding of the world before posting dismissive comments.


That is not the commonly accepted definition of "efficient" in English. It would be more like "making good, thorough, or careful use of resources; not consuming extra."

The distinction is important because one can be very efficient (using resources carefully) while being ineffective (not achieving desired results).

In this context, the distinction is relevant because it is not clear that mass surveillance is a useful tool for preventing unlawful behavior (what most of us consider to be the desired result of law enforcement). Mass surveillance is effective at mass population control (e.g., subverting opposition political movements).




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: