Editing Work Amplification

[[Work Amplification]] occurs when a request takes a much smaller effort to make than a response. This is a problem in interactions both in the software client/server and in a human context. Any low-effort ask that requires a high-effort response could be work amplification.

== Software ==

In software, a host of techniques exist to reduce the scope of the problem:

* caching - cut subsequent response costs at the price of freshness
* debouncing - assist with accidental request replication
* rate-limiting - control requests to match response costs
* request aggregation - set `n` request cost to same as 1 request cost

These are all necessary because otherwise it's trivial for someone to intentionally or accidentally result in denial of service. Modern designs usually distribute work-execution from work-determination which allows for many of these things to not be a problem. You may receive a thousand requests, but you only ever do the expensive thing every minute or so which allows you to just aggregate them.

== Conversation ==

A similar thing happens in conversations as well. However, unlike in the client-server model, conversation partners are rarely paying each other for services. Consequently, the optimal strategy in any case is for the requester to abandon the conversation. This is especially true online, where there is usually no incentive for the one making a claim to attempt to prove it. Online commenters frequently espouse the idea that "the burden of proof is on the one making the claim" even though there is no burden on anyone once the consequences are considered.

The website [https://lmgtfy.app/ Let Me Google That For You] was invented for this purpose, but as always [[wikipedia:Eternal September|Eternal September]] never ends. Sometimes people try to help others help themselves but this rarely works.

{{HackerNews
 | url      = https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45906147
 | author   = lukan
 | title    = Is your electric bill going up? AI is partly to blame
 | text     = "and extra especially nuclear, in addition to making power lines difficult to build, are to blame"

I used to think nuclear reactors are just hard to build in general, because the costs when something goes wrong are very, very high. So what unnecessary regulation is there with nuclear reactors that you think should be deleted?
 | date     = 2025-11-13
 | score    = 60
 | comments = 72
 | comment  = true
}}
{{HackerNews
 | url      = https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45906237
 | author   = bpodgursky
 | title    = Is your electric bill going up? AI is partly to blame
 | text     = I'm sorry but this is the easiest thing to google in history, don't make people do the work for you.\n\nStart here:\n\n1. How many new nuclear power plants has the NRC approved in its entire history (since being formed from the AEC)?\n\n2. What's the cost of a nuclear kw in China vs the US, and is the trend going up or going down?
 | date     = 2025-11-13
 | score    = 60
 | comments = 72
 | comment = true
}}

== Notes ==

[[Category:Concepts]]