Definition of Act of Manufacturing has a capitalist perspective

[swartik]

The definition of Act of Manufacturing is:

An Act of Artifact Processing wherein Artifacts are created in a Facility for the purpose of being sold to consumers.

A socialist government such as Kim Jong Un's runs munitions factories that create artifacts without intention to sell them to consumers, at least as "sold" is usually understood. How about broadening the definition by using "supplied" instead of "sold"? Or maybe omit the statement of purpose.

[alanruttenberg]

Less is more. I vote drop the purpose. We already have a purpose, which is creating Artifacts, which in turn have a purpose.

[neilotte]

@swartik That makes sense. One small concern: If the resulting definition is 'An Act of Artifact Processing wherein Artifacts are created in a Facility', then this seems a little broad. e.g. A cup of Starbucks coffee is an artfact, but it seems like a stretch to say that Starbucks manufacturers each cup at a Starbucks store.

[APCox]

The statement of purpose above was included to avoid over-generalities such as the example Neil raised. Another example is if I go in my garage and build a raised garden bed to install in my backyard. I built an artifact in a facility but it's a stretch to say that I'm a raised garden bed manufacturer or that my garage/house is a manufacturing facility. Hence, the idea was to exclude such, typically one-off, "small batch", or "artisanal", acts from being instances of Act of Manufacturing.

If we press on the boundary conditions, I might build more raised garden beds and I might even give away or sell some. At some point you may readily point to me and my garage and say, "That's a raised garden bed manufacturing facility with many acts of manufacturing occurring therein every year."

Setting tougher boundary issues aside, the intent was to identify mass production as Acts of Manufacturing. I think Steve is correct to point out that not every Act of Manufacturing need be aimed at selling the resulting artifact(s).

We might amend this to:

An Act of Artifact Processing wherein Artifacts are mass produced in a Facility for the purpose of being sold or distributed to consumers.

We might even drop the "in a Facility" part entirely.