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Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

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Re: Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

#201

Post by drcross »

aristus wrote: post #195

Google likes to use software to eat the world. But sometimes their software-only approach just ends up slobbering all over it. The point of Uber isn't the "sharing" of a ride, but the availability and predictability of getting one.

On the point of software eating the world google may be uniquely positioned to make something of this scale work- They have trend data for a majority of people with smartphones and I often see from Google Now cards that they know what I'll do generally before I have even decided. If used in the correct way it would deliver huge value and disrupt the established patterns of car ownership.

Re: Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

#203

Post by [deleted] »

budde wrote: post #200
youarewhite wrote: post #175

Lets talk for a moment about this plague on society. This social justice warrior bullshit is getting really old really quick. Human beings are becoming unbelievably weak

I will never for the life of me understand why pointing out that some people have been fortunate to have an easier path in life than others is so offensive to some folks. I think people see it as a way to try to diminish what some have accomplished rather than trying to shine light on the inequality that exists in society. Additionally, "social justice warrior" is truly a pejorative that says more about the person us…

[deleted]

Re: Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

#204

Post by res0nat0r »

relaytheurgency wrote: post #178
res0nat0r wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it is because they aren't getting paid $2.13/hr like servers in the USA are.

Servers are actually never paid that wage. If a server's tips do not elevate them above the standard minimum wage, the restaurant is required to compensate them at the standard minimum wage. This was at least the law when I worked in the service industry.

Yes, very true.

The fact really is in the USA if we eliminated tipping, the cost of the food on the menu would just go up by $X number of dollars, and people don't want that, they want low prices for the items on the menu which is why the system also is the way it is.

Re: Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

#205

Post by ocdtrekkie »

bluejekyll wrote: post #186

> Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc., began a pilot program around... So, basic question, What is the difference between Alphabet and Google again? It seems like everything is still being branded as Google. I know it's slightly off topic, but I am honestly confused as to when something is not Google.

It's just your average shell company thing. People only make a big deal of it because it's a thing Google did.

Re: Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

#206

Post by ianamartin »

Am I the only one who laughs when I see, "Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc., . . . ."?

Umm, who reading this article doesn't know who Google is? That construction is almost always there to let you know who some no-name subsidiary or division of a much more well-known company is.

In this case it functions in the reverse if at all--reminding people that Alphabet is a thing, in case you didn't know.

Anyway, I just think that's funny.

Re: Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

#207

Post by lsc »

TheOneTrueKyle wrote: post #189
lsc wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is what I find interesting about the situation, and why I see tipping as a cultural rather than ethical imperative. If it was about poverty or social justice, it is a terribly inefficient way to go about fighting those battles. If instead you theorize that Tipping is largely about smoothing interactions between those of a higher economic class and the people who immediately serve them, the whole thing makes more…

Is there a possibility for smoothing out this social awkwardness that didn't involved monetary value? Is there a way for society to make these jobs appear simply as a job and not some exchange of money for this psuedo caste system I am placing on you while I eat my salmon? I am generally curious. I don't eat at restaurants for this reason. I have no interest in being involved with this human interaction. Which is a s…

Sure, there are plenty of places where you Walk up to order and pay and then walk up to get your food, and tipping norms seem super different there, I would assume because it seems a lot less like you are being directly served. If we are running with my model, the idea would be like they are manufacturing your food and you are buying it, rather than someone coming and serving you at your table.

If you are in the South bay, try dish n dash for super good food sold in that style.

To be clear, I am not super clear on tipping norms in that case, but observationaly, most people seem to tip a lot less, and some people just tip the change.

Re: Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

#208

Post by iamdave »

serge2k wrote: post #131
alkonaut wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the case in every country I have ever been. If you read a travel guide for any country it might say that tips are usually given to taxi drivers, restaurant staff etc, but only in the US has zero tipping almost become equivalent to not paying the tab in full. Also, when I go to the US with 5-10 year intervals the norms for tipping seem to have always crept upwards.

It's pretty much 20% here it seems. Then they raised the minimum wage. So restaurants added a 20% service fee on to cover it. Okay, fine. That's actually the outcome I wanted. Except some places left the tip line. So now people still tip out of obligation. Never ends.

I'm curious where people stand on the "To Insure Proper Service" backronym? I've always bucked back on that by saying "Well, taking some sense of pride in your work, even if that work is bringing people their food and are enjoying the experience of your establishment should insure proper service, otherwise why not work elsewhere?" but I'm not sure that's a very charitable stance to take so I've been wondering what others think as a means of evolving my position a bit?

Re: Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service

#210

Post by drcross »

tajen wrote: post #39
edoloughlin wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Once they have a critical mass of robberies, stabbings, etc., then the machine learning can easily filter out undesirable drivers. Not a problem.

Are you ironic? Do you see what's strange in that? Machine learning isn't exempt of racism. Google has a lot of background on people, but it's generally accepted as unethic to filter undesirable people based on generalizations, even if they were statistically correct.

I think you missed the satire but you raise an interesting perspective. For example, if machine learning knows through a user's phone that they match the locations of someone who drink drives will their online persona be disciplined without their knowledge? The scenario takes a twist if that person was actually a bar worker and not a drinker. Who do we appeal to to reclaim our online reputation if all the patterns match but we are a false positive case?
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