DelayAction

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To delay action is to buy time. In terms of SoftSecurity, time allows PeerReview, for example. It also allows people to change their minds, in effect reviewing themselves. It's a good idea to DelayAction whenever you cannot create a ReversibleChange.

For example, this wiki uses DelayAction for a number of destructive actions. KeptPages and PageDeletion destroy VersionHistory, thwarting ReversibleChange. FileReplacement uses DelayAction as the replacement will overwrite the previous copy.

This is used in real life in a number of circumstances. People often put off decisions that requires more consultation; it's an important part of FairProcess to give everyone the time to express their opinions. Consulting periods often take months. Votes in some countries are open for a week or longer to allow people time to travel and time off work to vote.

More structurally, it is used in public health care systems to avoid abuse. People coming into emergency rooms are often triaged, so those with [snotty noses] are placed at the bottom of the queue. By making them wait for hours and hours, many of them end up leaving. This uses time as a PricklyHedge Of course, it also makes sense to treat the gunshot ahead of the sniffly. It is even used to prevent bank robberies: The safes take a very long time to open. In that case, DelayAction is HardSecurity. It uses time as an insurmountable fence.

Compare ReactLater, SurgeProtector.

CategorySoftSecurity HardSecurity (CategoryHardSecurity?)

DelayAction

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