Algorithms Quote by Jennifer Tour Chayes
“It is cheaper to pay mathematicians and computer scientists to design algorithms that will eliminate webspamming, rather than to pay lawyers to do lawsuits.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Tech Conference, 2015
Investing in algorithmic solutions to stop spam is more cost‑effective than funding legal battles against it.
In simple terms: Build better tech, not lawsuits.
Key Takeaway
Prioritize technical defenses.
Themes
technology
law
economics
security
innovation
Mood
pragmatic
optimistic
Type
analytical
policy
When to use this quote
- online platforms
- corporate policy
- government regulation
- legal strategy
Key Concepts
algorithm design
spam prevention
cost‑benefit analysis
Questions to Reflect On
- Can technology fully replace legal deterrence?
- What are the limits of algorithmic spam control?
A Different Perspective
Technical solutions may not address all malicious intent.
![“With recidivism algorithms, for example, I worry about racist outcomes. With personality tests [for hiring], I worry about filtering out people with mental health problems from jobs. And with a teacher value-added model algorithm [used in New York City to score teachers], I worry literally that…” quote by Cathy O'Neil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7df/cathy-o-neil-11478_algorithms_with-recidivism-algorithms-for-example-i_18212.jpg)
![“The classes of problems which are respectively known and not known to have good algorithms are of great theoretical interest. [...] I conjecture that there is no good algorithm for the traveling salesman problem. My reasons are the same as for any mathematical conjecture: (1) It is a legitimate…” quote by Jack Edmonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/43a/jack-edmonds-61996_algorithms_the-classes-of-problems-which-are-respec_50487.jpg)
![“Object-oriented programming aficionados think that everything is an object… this [isn't] so. There are things that are objects. Things that have state and change their state are objects. And then there are things that are not objects. A binary search is not an object. It is an algorithm” quote by Alexander Stepanov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ef9/alexander-stepanov-55292_algorithms_object-oriented-programming-aficionados_89704.jpg)
![“[The Euclidean algorithm is] the granddaddy of all algorithms, because it is the oldest nontrivial algorithm that has survived to the present day.” quote by Donald Knuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/880/donald-knuth-8762_algorithms_the-euclidean-algorithm-is-the-granddadd_96085.jpg)
