Inside Amazon Go • Hacker News Board

Re: Inside Amazon Go

#141

Post by lsc » Sun, Jan 21, 2018, 9:49 PM UTC

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #41

I know the standard reaction from a lot of HN folk will be to celebrate this progress: it's faster, more efficient, and no one likes to waste time waiting in line. Still, though, I think Amazon's automation of the retail experience is helping to create a society where there is even less real social interaction, and I think it's a factor (if even a small one currently) in the increasing tribalism in American society.…

>Throughout history, "the marketplace" had been one of the major centers of interpersonal interaction

If you mean "the coffee shop" (there's a long history there) or "the pub" (a longer history, in the western tradition there) sure, I agree. I'm not saying randos approach me all the time when I'm in those sorts of places, but it happens. It doesn't happen at the grocery store hardly at all.

It happens a lot more often in the ride sharing services than even the pub; Yesterday I took my Saturday afternoon ride to Fry's for sandwiches, (The Fry's Sunnyvale Cafe is passable. Not bad. Not as good as the dedicated food places on Murphy, say, but it is super nostalgic for me, so it's something of a weekend tradition.) and while nobody talked to me in the Fry's cafe (I mean, aside from the procurement of food. I have met other interesting people there in the past.) the driver actually apologized to me because he spent most of the ride there speaking with another rider in a foreign language, which was mostly interesting in that he seemed to think that I had some expectation of being included in conversation as he drove. But yeah, I talk to the drivers often, a lot more than talking to strangers in retail spaces.

I guess what I'm saying is that social spaces need space for idling. Sitting in the back of the car does this, as does serving food or drink. Buying groceries, I think, does not.

Re: Inside Amazon Go

#142

Post by cm2187 » Sun, Jan 21, 2018, 9:49 PM UTC

Guest9812398 wrote: post #16

makomk wrote: post #5

"Amazon won’t say much about how the system works, other than to say it involves sophisticated computer vision and machine learning software." Why do I have the feeling this probably actually translates to humans staring at video feeds a lot of the time?

I imagine it's similar to the below video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeS8TJwBAFs

I wonder how resilient it is to real life shoppers who pick things, then put them back at the wrong place.

Re: Inside Amazon Go

#143

Post by philwelch » Sun, Jan 21, 2018, 9:50 PM UTC

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #41

I know the standard reaction from a lot of HN folk will be to celebrate this progress: it's faster, more efficient, and no one likes to waste time waiting in line. Still, though, I think Amazon's automation of the retail experience is helping to create a society where there is even less real social interaction, and I think it's a factor (if even a small one currently) in the increasing tribalism in American society.…

Most American tribalism is already geographic enough that forcing people to interact in shops won’t do anything to fix it.

Re: Inside Amazon Go

#144

Post by matte_black » Sun, Jan 21, 2018, 9:51 PM UTC

Can’t wait to try this experience. I will be flying up to go see it myself and purchase a few things.

Re: Inside Amazon Go

#145

Post by nlawalker » Sun, Jan 21, 2018, 9:53 PM UTC

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #41

I know the standard reaction from a lot of HN folk will be to celebrate this progress: it's faster, more efficient, and no one likes to waste time waiting in line. Still, though, I think Amazon's automation of the retail experience is helping to create a society where there is even less real social interaction, and I think it's a factor (if even a small one currently) in the increasing tribalism in American society.…

Every modern good, service and machine is helping to create a society with less real social interaction, and has been for decades. We're only feeling it now because we're reaching the horizon of not having to directly interact with another human being, ever, while still being able to take advantage of many other aspects of modern life.

The real lamentation is that the lack of interaction is perhaps less of a "choice" and more of a necessity for many people. Casual socialization is becoming a privilege reserved for the people who can afford to indulge. Everyone else is too busy getting by, and will choose the path of least interaction because they can't afford the inefficiency. Economic pressure over generations may make introverts of us all.

Re: Inside Amazon Go

#146

Post by Disruptive_Dave » Sun, Jan 21, 2018, 9:53 PM UTC

Less human interaction, less discomfort, easier to spend money faster. Sounds so wonderful! /s

Re: Inside Amazon Go

#147

Post by matte_black » Sun, Jan 21, 2018, 9:53 PM UTC

pcurve wrote: post #139

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many stores in the USA already have self checkout, and have had it for a decade or so. Go just eliminates the checkout process all together.

Maybe I'm weird, but I enjoy self checkout line. Picking up each item, looking for barcode, scanning it, and bagging, is kind of fun activity to do every once in awhile. The only lame part is, "please place the item in the bag" mechanism.

I kind of agree, I try to even make a mini game out of seeing how fast I can checkout.

Re: Inside Amazon Go

#148

Post by mhb » Sun, Jan 21, 2018, 9:54 PM UTC

jvagner wrote: post #68

mhb wrote: post #43

No shopping carts? If that's not a signal that this is, at best, half-baked, I don't know what is.

It says right at the beginning the concept is like a 7-11. Are there carts in a 7-11?

Hmm. You're right. Missed it.

Re: Inside Amazon Go

#149

Post by pacaro » Sun, Jan 21, 2018, 10:00 PM UTC

ballenarosada wrote: post #140

pacaro wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The revolution is in how you spend your time. On an ordinary day when you know what you want for lunch, it can take under a minute to pop in and get it, under 10 seconds if you’re in a hurry.

none of these things are a "revolution"

Yeah, revolution is definitely hyperbole, but from experience it does change the way you think about “popping into a store” because it really can take so little time. This can be both good and bad; you can pick up lunch in a hurry without that frustrating 5 minutes waiting to pay, but on the other hand you can also pick up a chocolate chip cookie between meetings far far too easily.

Re: Inside Amazon Go

#150

Post by srtjstjsj » Sun, Jan 21, 2018, 10:06 PM UTC

Kalium wrote: post #54

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #41

I know the standard reaction from a lot of HN folk will be to celebrate this progress: it's faster, more efficient, and no one likes to waste time waiting in line. Still, though, I think Amazon's automation of the retail experience is helping to create a society where there is even less real social interaction, and I think it's a factor (if even a small one currently) in the increasing tribalism in American society.…

I understand how you feel that way. It feels like Amazon, and others, are creating a wholly atomized society. Where people exist without having to admit that other people exist. Where people are stripped away from society for profit. But... what if I want that? What if I don't want to be coerced into social interaction, every day, just so I get get my basic physical needs met? What if I want to engage with society an…

You might be right, or your view might lead to social collapse. Society has been functioning for millenia; it's not clear that can work without people talking to each other. For an HN-pertinent example: If no one wanted to put together a company, would anyone have a job? Can computers really mediate all human interaction? If so, why are social connections so important in building a successful tech company?