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Secret’s founder returns with anti-loneliness app Ikaria

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Re: Secret’s founder returns with anti-loneliness app Ikaria

#91
post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Disgusting and insulting? Please don't be ridiculous. This kind of reaction is a large reason why society is in the situation it is in. But I get it. To feel "special", one must feel "insulted". That's how to collect "victim points". Do you really want to live in a society like that?

Wow. Lot of bad blood in this thread.

Care to elaborate?

Nothing I wrote was because of "bad blood" (whatever that is).

In a society where, whatever you say, somebody is offended and claims some victimhood status in order to justify the being offended, it is hardly surprising that people feel increasingly lonely.

I would not blame technology for that.

EDIT: So, no discussion? Just "punishing downvotes"? Well, looks like Q.E.D. then. Brave new world.

Re: Secret’s founder returns with anti-loneliness app Ikaria

#92
post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

have you been outside recently? I mean outside without a phone for a couple of months. Give yourself a no-data diet, and just observe what is going on in others. Wait alone at a bus-stop or alone at a pub or cafe. You can see them addicted to their screens everywhere. It's the norm now to immediately reach for the phone because god forbid they might otherwise feel 2 seconds of boredom. They are no longer human as far…

> They are no longer human as far as I'm concerned. Holy dehumanization Batman! You arrived at this point frighteningly fast. They are staving off boredom with X - they aren't human anymore. Despite staving off boredom being literally one of most human things to do. Yeah, you probably can't fix some problem with another app, but the same can be said of most things. Loneliness is a complex thing to solve. Not to menti…

[deleted]

Re: Secret’s founder returns with anti-loneliness app Ikaria

#93
It should be an app in the form of a huge EPFCG EMP. ;) Only when:

0. people's survival depends on them interacting

1. the established ruling-class is dethroned from atomizing and monetizing people into individual, lonely, learned-helpless products who are taught to spend 10% of their pay on a laptop every 3 years, forgo single-payer healthcare and spend 10x more for medications

2. people can afford housing, start a family and put down roots instead of going in insane debt, gig economy pseudo-jobs, changing jobs/moving like a pinball or living at work to burn-out

3. return to solidarity, cohesion, the Golden Rule and basic decency as the prevalent modality

... will they do so.

Re: Secret’s founder returns with anti-loneliness app Ikaria

#94
post #63
post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is simply false. Gamers don't start at 27 when they gave up on dating. They just keep playing more and more from pre-teenage years as social thing with friends. Nor do people start drink after they have been without partner for years. Instead, they are friends with peers and drink with them progressively. > Do we always live for ourselves? Do we never try to live up to expectations of our family or friends? Or t…

To make some perspective, you started in a “clueless dad” mode about gaming and then went that route (gamers social grouping, etc) to justify the phenomenon. There is nothing to justify though. Someone is choosing a partner from a different country, who can fly over for a weekend. It is not “better” or “worse”, it is a selection from a bigger set of beautiful he-dogs, and all-time high expectations. You can see that…

There is nothing clueless about observation that people start playing games way sooner then they seek partners. There is nothing clueless about observation that it has social component - bonding among guys. In particular gamers tend to have whole social life composed of other gamers.

The guys you described are not failing to meet some super high expectations. You described people with drug and alcohol issues who have game addiction issues on top.

Romantic relationship is not the only source of company and relationships. You can't depend on one person for all your social and emotional needs.

There are slightly more girls then males at any given moment. There are plenty of single women around the world. They don't blame missing guys for their alcoholism (through plenty of them have other issues)

Re: Secret’s founder returns with anti-loneliness app Ikaria

#95
post #18

I invested in Ikaria and feel like someone should speak up here. I was early investor with Chrys Bader previously on his startup Secret. He was a YC batchmate of mine from 2008. I watched him build an initial prototype that had the chance to be a real social network that had very high long term retention, but in the end the company didn't invest deeply enough into moderation and the long term retention cohorts went d…

> I invested in Ikaria and feel like someone should speak up here. > ... but don't write the startup off before you actually try the software itself. Cool. So you want to protect your investment. I get it. But to be honest your comment reads like damage control from someone who is just realizing they might have made a bad investment. So I'm curious: why did you think this startup was ever a good idea to invest in? To…

>When you say "don't write this startup off" does that mean you believe it will actually help combat depression (i.e. are you that dumb)?

How are comments like this even remotely productive or good faith?

Re: Secret’s founder returns with anti-loneliness app Ikaria

#96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I invested in Ikaria and feel like someone should speak up here. > ... but don't write the startup off before you actually try the software itself. Cool. So you want to protect your investment. I get it. But to be honest your comment reads like damage control from someone who is just realizing they might have made a bad investment. So I'm curious: why did you think this startup was ever a good idea to invest in? To…

>When you say "don't write this startup off" does that mean you believe it will actually help combat depression (i.e. are you that dumb)? How are comments like this even remotely productive or good faith?

Nearly every comment made by this user in this thread, at this time, is at odds with HN community standards, particularly as they related to tone and substance.

Re: Secret’s founder returns with anti-loneliness app Ikaria

#97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with your evaluation of the article, but I'm tired of this "social problems created by tech" narrative. I grew up in the world before the internet. It was NOT better.

I actually think it was worse before, just like in many areas. The bullying and fighting then was physical and real. Everything keeps getting better over time (measured in say decades) but the one constant we will always have is complaining. Yes there are always real problems and new ones are also created, but on the whole we are doing better in many matters.

> I actually think it was worse before, just like in many areas. The bullying and fighting then was physical and real.

That seem like a pretty hard to prove statement. Per definition those who were young in the olden-days of bullying are now old and not in the same situation where the bullying typically happens. I too remember the physical "real" bullying but one up-side of that is that the bullies couldn't get away with that much bullying since it was very visible and left physical traces. Also the extreme solution of relocating was available. Modern day bullies bullies in a very _real_ way (ask someone who is bullied) and it's harder to find a safe place and also harder to find and build a few strong meaningful friendships. Bullies find their way into your bedroom under your covers (phone lights up, "is it them?") and when every relation is visible and measured in likes and engagement good luck getting a friend that wants to connect with someone who is bullied and risk attracting the attention of the bullies.

So what until today's young ones are old enough to tell you exactly how bad we fucked them up. Bring tissues.

But maybe this app will fix them! Invest!

Re: Secret’s founder returns with anti-loneliness app Ikaria

#98
“Since I left Secret I feel alive and aligned with my values and my purpose again.” - Bader, co founder

What Bader learned from watching Secret’s users “do this in the dark” was the realization that “actually, we need to learn to do this in the light, to have that same kind of dialogue, but do it openly with each other.”

Hell of anti workplace toxicity spot if you ask me.

We need to regain this piece of our humanity back.

Im doing l my share, are you ? HN does lean towards the light from what i can see.

Re: Secret’s founder returns with anti-loneliness app Ikaria

#99
post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

have you been outside recently? I mean outside without a phone for a couple of months. Give yourself a no-data diet, and just observe what is going on in others. Wait alone at a bus-stop or alone at a pub or cafe. You can see them addicted to their screens everywhere. It's the norm now to immediately reach for the phone because god forbid they might otherwise feel 2 seconds of boredom. They are no longer human as far…

DyslexicAtheist 49 minutes ago | parent | on: Secret’s founder returns with anti-loneliness app ... have you been outside recently? I mean outside without a phone for a couple of months. Give yourself a no-data diet, and just observe what is going on in others. Wait alone at a bus-stop or alone at a pub or cafe. You can see them addicted to their screens everywhere. It's the norm now to immediately reach for the phon…

That first source - at least everyone appears to be reading roughly the same thing. I think it’s still a further step of isolation for every person to be doing something different on their phone. Similar to a TV in a living room vs everyone watching something different on their device.

Re: Secret’s founder returns with anti-loneliness app Ikaria

#100
post #37
post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m guessing you’ve never actually been lonely. I am not lonely because of greed. I am lonely because my friends have all married and moved away to start families. I am lonely because I have always been socially awkward and being in my mid 30s with less time and energy than ever the prospect of trying to make new friends is a terrifying maze. I go to meetups and other social events and put myself out ther but connect…

>I am lonely because my friends have all married and moved away to start families. Why don't you have a family and kids?

My wife and I have been trying to conceive for 4 years but it has been a complicated and emotional roller coaster.
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