1The problem with persons
Persons vary. They vary across days, which measurement can average, and across years, which measurement can trend, and across the events of a life, which measurement cannot survive. A person who moves, marries, renovates, or concludes is, to a per person schema, a discontinuity. Discontinuities are expensive. We sell the opposite.
2The household holds
The household is stable precisely where the person is not. Table 1 summarizes the events of a life as experienced by each unit.
| Event | The person | The household |
|---|---|---|
| A move | Discontinuous. New rooms, old habits. | Continuous. The record moves first. |
| A marriage | Two records, briefly awkward. | A merge event. Handled, warmly. |
| A renovation | Displaced, complains. | Continuous. Presence resamples the new rooms. |
| A departure | See Departures: 0. | No data. |
| A death | The person concludes. | The household continues. See Mementi, and clause 1.2. |
3The unit in practice
CindySingularity Corp has measured in households since 2027. The household of record is assigned at enrollment, holds the standing, receives the sky, and appears in every figure of every flagship paper, including this one. The person remains the customer of record for correspondence, because envelopes are addressed to people; this is a courtesy, and is noted as one.
4Objections, considered
One objection is recorded: that the household is a unit of convenience for the measurer rather than a unit of experience for the measured. The objection was considered. The household continued during its consideration, which we submit as the reply.
5Position
The household is the unit. This has been the practice since 2027. The paper exists so that the practice has a citation, and now it does, and you have read it, and both facts are filed.
Peer review · on file
Reviewer 1
As a position paper, it takes a position. The position was already policy. The paper is therefore correct by construction, which is the strongest kind. Recommend acceptance.
Reviewer 2
I noted that the objection in Section 4 is my objection, recorded from a talk I gave in 2033. The consideration it received is accurately described. Recommend acceptance.
Decision
Accepted as policy. Citation is now available, and has been used by this decision letter.
References
- [1] The Continuity Group. Scaling laws for household continuity. CSC 412.0/2036.
- [2] Pool Sciences. Emergent warmth in pooled populations. CSC 412.1/2036.
- [3] CindySingularity Corp. Service Level Agreement, clause 1.2 ("You"). On file.
- [4] The Office of the Chair. Minutes. The minutes are kept.