Amsterdam is a wonderful city for so many reasons. The intellectual, creative, and entrepreneurial capacity of its citizens and visitors has been apparent for centuries. This particular project won't influence Amsterdam's reputation much one way or the other.

My observation is that there is very little response from the slashdot community on this particular topic. That might be an indication that many slashdotters have not had the opportunity to go there.

It is true that back when I went, last millennium, marijuana was not legal in the US and the Bulldog Cafe's world renown was a great enticement to the land of orange, while in Europe. That reputation was never one of great intellectual value, and perhaps neither is this story. Nevertheless, I encourage every geek or non geek to make it a priority to burn some jet fuel and get your ass over to Europe and spend a few weeks with a first class Euro Rail train pass. Its way better for you and your intellect than a new car, and you will be a better, smarter person as a result of the experience.

If you can't manage to go at this time then try to appreciate the geek perspective of dutch sensibility in Teller's film "Tim's Vermeer"

Amsterdam is a very smart city, and you should see it and think about it if you can!

I have a dowsing rod with better accuracy. My coin flip is 50% accurate. But lets convince everyone here that our standards for the truth are low enough to buy a bunch of polygraph apparatus that is 75% accurate, because technology is just not good enough to get to the truth. The truth is, this is totally stupid.

Just be glad its not porno dwarf galaxies. That is just to hard to "unsee".

But the word WEASEL is just so RIGHT that the rest doesn't really matter. Weasel, weasel, weasel. They are a bunch of weasels and the whole world knows it.

I really admire the way he does not need to urinate or defecate. I'm gonna eat less like his people. The movie made me less hungry.

....Oh, oops, I thought it said BONERS.

Too bad we're not big importers of Borscht.

Its interesting how "economic sanctions" are no match for an OPEC decision to increase production. Even at lower prices with increased U.S. production and fracking, they did not waiver at market price. This will eventually hurt everyone who invested in shale, back when the market was twice the price. The middle east continues to be able to pull oil from the ground for about one half the cost...maybe even less. Of course, nothing lasts forever, but it seems the oil has been the biggest stick there is when it comes to economic pressures. It sure is a lot easier to shoot down air traffic over the Ukraine when oil is pegged at $120 a barrel. Now Putin is gonna be happy just sipping the borscht and saving the warfare for summertime, perhaps.

Ha! Samuel Beckett would be proud.

Cool. They ask for a video that shows them some skills, so I sent them some porn. I know how to make a rocket blast off.

So this works out to less than 1 whole job per 1 million Americans.

Wow. There were more astronauts.

In other words, this will be doing more for the Martian economy, than for Terra Firma.

Well, its a start!

Goo goo g'joob !

I just don't know whats worse anymore.... carrots or sticks? Maybe I could eat the sticks and whack things with the carrots.

The fact remains that I believe that incentives have everything to do with the way people function. You have illustrated how these incentives play out in the taxi business. Not unlike the comedy TV Series, folks of all types understand that arrangement, and travellers come to expect it.

But this is just more of the same old paradigm of the wealthy getting the serfs to start hopping. Whether slave, indentured servant, day laborer, refugee, disabled, unemployed, prison camp labor, minimum wage employee, intern, apprentice, work study student, migrant laborer, mercenary, etc its all the same: we can rely on desperate people begging for some improvement, no matter how slight. I really believe you're right about certain cultures being more willing to enter these arrangements, albeit, even their religious faith is accepting of the extreme disparity of social classes, and kiss that rich man's ass like a cherub....

Bat make no mistake, that is not going to be a good business plan in the long run. Its worked for centuries, but it leads to a lot of anger and destruction, and frankly, there are just too many people on earth these days to keep up this sort of arrangement.

I do know that everyone deserves a decent living. The people with taxi shields, as well as those without them. The people all need a livelihood, whether or not market economies provide one. We as people need to acknowledge and deal with the people that don't thrive in the economic system that serves many, but not all. And if we don't make that a priority and figure out how to do it then I'm afraid we're doomed to suffer. We're all in this ship of fools, and ultimately we all sink or swim. How we come to terms with Uber, and every other iteration of this very issue, must be done carefully. Ultimately, we need to all share what goes around in this world of scarcity.

Or else the folks with all the cash are gonna get as scarce as the royalty that once ruled...

Always have been, and always will, for as long as light echos through space and time. But nobody really cares who I am. They know who I am, nevertheless.

I am the walrus.

....But I am always seduced by Miss Information!

She is soooo irresistible that I can't control myself!

I believe everything she says because she says all of the right things!

And she wants me all the time....

Human achievements are not always very well enumerated in a paycheck or in business sales revenue.
Its good when the folks with piles of cash can pay it out to others who have done great things. The money seems to generate so much attention that it illuminates the recipient's good work. I humbly request piles and piles of cash so I could give it away to some peeps, that full time.