[Sigia-l] conflict of interest (was: usability testing)

[Ziya Oz]

Bruce Melendy:

> Ziya wrote: "Conflict of interest *is* bias."
> 
> Whether you are biased toward either, or biased toward a particular
> methodology etc or another, is a separate issue.

Not to me. In this country we mandate that people who have conflicts of
interest to recuse themselves in matters that touch upon their interests.
Why, because we believe they are inherently evil? No. Because, with
millennia of trial and error, we have come to the inescapable conclusion
that when people have interests they will pursue them. Otherwise,
tautologically speaking, they wouldn't be called interests, would they? In
fact, as you say, "I'd go so far as to say that interest = bias." Indeed, it
is. When interests conflict bias ensues. There's no other meaningful way to
split that hair.

Ziya
Nullius in Verba