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Ask HN: Software with biggest potential for positive impact in 5 years?

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Re: Ask HN: Software with biggest potential for positive impact in 5 years?

#41

Post by agloeregrets »

pjerem wrote: post #35
mysore wrote: post #22

self driving cars could save the world from millions of deaths per year and reduce stress and wasted time from sitting in traffic in cities like LA/NYC

Interestingly, I thought like you some years ago. But since then, I realized that, nah, we just need to make cities that don't require cars at all. I'm not against self driving cars, they'll totally save millions of lives. But we must not make the mistake to build our society around the fact that self driving cars are a thing. We must build our future around the fact that any city should be livable without a car.

This. Coming from the rust belt, NYC was shock and awe for me and it isn't even a good example. But I get a bunch of people who ask me "How do you park when you visit?!" I don't...in town. I get a PATH train in NJ and forget the car. It is freeing and the Subway system works well enough for anyone. I wish I didn't live in a Stroad hellscape.

Re: Ask HN: Software with biggest potential for positive impact in 5 years?

#42

Post by Cthulhu_ »

mysore wrote: post #22

self driving cars could save the world from millions of deaths per year and reduce stress and wasted time from sitting in traffic in cities like LA/NYC

It's a solution to a problem, but said problem is not the root cause. Reduce the need for driving in the first place; normalize public transit within city limits, improve city designs by putting shops and work closer by, redesign cities to be more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly (and I'm aware cyclists get plenty of accidents too, I live in a cyclist country), etc. These are not easy things to fix, because especially in the US where I believe this is about, cities aren't designed like this in the first place and can't be redone easily.

First, if drivers make mistake, make them more accountable; require better training, enforce laws more strictly, etc. What are the causes behind traffic accidents? I'm confident the majority is from reckless driving, disregarding other drivers, speeding, impatience, alcohol / drugs, etc. Another percentage will be from unsafe driving conditions, which self-driving cars won't fix because they'll refuse to work in those conditions.

Re: Ask HN: Software with biggest potential for positive impact in 5 years?

#43

Post by mxuribe »

pjerem wrote: post #35
mysore wrote: post #22

self driving cars could save the world from millions of deaths per year and reduce stress and wasted time from sitting in traffic in cities like LA/NYC

Interestingly, I thought like you some years ago. But since then, I realized that, nah, we just need to make cities that don't require cars at all. I'm not against self driving cars, they'll totally save millions of lives. But we must not make the mistake to build our society around the fact that self driving cars are a thing. We must build our future around the fact that any city should be livable without a car.

I came to the conclusion myself. So, yeah, the primary goal should be to make communities that do not require cars at all...but the second-best thing i think we can do is to take the humans out of the control of cars for communities that already built. (Obviously, as we change even the established communities, any changes should shift towards a place without the need for cars too.)

Re: Ask HN: Software with biggest potential for positive impact in 5 years?

#46

Post by Cthulhu_ »

fsflover wrote: post #17
kaetemi wrote: post #8

An imaginary power user build of Windows that doesn't include all the builtin cloud nonsense and other useless distractions. And custom themes support instead of forced white menu bars that override the system pallette because some designer thinks they're clever.

Did you hear about Linux?

Or MacOS as an in-between; it has "cloud bullshit" but it doesn't nag your about it as much.

Re: Ask HN: Software with biggest potential for positive impact in 5 years?

#50

Post by loudmax »

So many communication platforms are proprietary walled gardens these days. Facebook, Twitter, Slack, Discord, and so on. Their incentives do not align with what's best for their users, or society in general. We absolutely need open solutions become the standard dominant medium for communicating.

If Matrix and Mastodon become as easy to use as their proprietary counterparts, they could undo much of the harm done by our culturally divisive "social" networks.

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