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Time is the only real currency we have

blog.theboringtech.io

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Re: Time is the only real currency we have

#151
post #134
post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are no baggers in Sweden though.

As a Swede the mere concept of a bagger boggles my mind. Talk about wasteful.

As a Brazilian the idea of not having baggers makes me immediately concerned about unemployment...

Re: Time is the only real currency we have

#152

Parameters of the universe are currency. Time is one of them, space (or area on earth’s surface) is another, and energy is a third. How these three things are used is what generates value to human beings. Each of the fundamental items can be traded individually, but money is used as a proxy for value . The most common trade is when a person can trade their time and their body’s energy. They produce some level of valu…

Although a bit of a tangent, The British Museum created this well-crafted 4:36 video about the short-lived concept of a time-based currency from the early 1800s. This is currency based on the notion that wages and prices are measured in hours instead of units of precious metal.

https://youtu.be/0Q3qcutiIwo

Re: Time is the only real currency we have

#153

I’ve often wondered what society would look like if optimized for saving people time. Just some quick thoughts: - Crosswalks and traffic lights would become non-existent and replaced with more pedestrian overpasses, turning/merging lanes, and other designs. Waiting for the light to change is a huge waste of time for both pedestrians and drivers. It seems like we might get this eventually with self-driving cars. - Min…

I wonder if it would be more fruitful to optimize not for saving time but for patience capacity. Somehow I was more accepting of having to wait 20 years ago than I am now.

Re: Time is the only real currency we have

#154
This is only true in the Western industrialized world. Monochronic time orientation is not the only orientation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronemics

Time is only money if you think of it that way. If your typing speed is holding you back from things then sure learn to type faster. But I don't type nonstop for hours at a time. A sentence here or there and then reflection.

Re: Time is the only real currency we have

#155

Interesting premise and article. I do disagree with a lot of it since I believe more in maximizing human potential through mindfulness and tuning ourselves instead of our tools. re: “ You don’t want to be the person who thinks their problem through on a piece of paper,...” For difficult problems I think you do want to be this kind of person. Walking away from your laptop, sitting outside or anywhere relaxing with a p…

I think you can apply this by journaling or keeping a personal diary as well. Just sit before bed and recount the thoughts of the day and put them on paper, maybe intending to read over them later to find out when some event happened or in 20 years to see what you were doing during the quarantine.

The act of reflection and organization itself is meditative.

Re: Time is the only real currency we have

#156

If you really want to take the "Learn to type fast" advice to heart you can get a Georgi keyboard [1] and spend a few months learning stenography [2]. That can get you typing at above 200 WPM! (but it does require a significant amount of time to learn) [1] https://www.gboards.ca/product/georgi [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wpv-Qb-dB6g

For a book author this seems a good thing, but for a developer?

We use so many special chars, i cant imagine that it is faster.

Re: Time is the only real currency we have

#157
post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a Swede the mere concept of a bagger boggles my mind. Talk about wasteful.

That's generally not that person's only job in the market though. These same people generally have mild janitorial duties, keeping the front-end stocked with supplies, and act as general go-fers (helping people find things, putting things back on shelves, price checks, etc.) This sort of role can make things way more efficient.

In my area of the US most stores don’t have baggers. But in those that do I’ve found they are often either very young (likely a first paid job) or have some form of mild mental disability. It kinda seems like stores having baggers is kind of a jobs program/public benefit, making the inefficiency less of a problem.

Re: Time is the only real currency we have

#158
post #75

I’ve often wondered what society would look like if optimized for saving people time. Just some quick thoughts: - Crosswalks and traffic lights would become non-existent and replaced with more pedestrian overpasses, turning/merging lanes, and other designs. Waiting for the light to change is a huge waste of time for both pedestrians and drivers. It seems like we might get this eventually with self-driving cars. - Min…

> replaced with more pedestrian overpasses, vegas has pedestrian overpasses and they are a tremendous waste of time - much worse than crosswalks. A better approach would be to keep the pedestrians at grade-level and have car under-passes

Vegas has built them to waste time rather then be efficient. The overpassed there make you loop around casinos and stores, purposely causing you to walk further and take longer

Re: Time is the only real currency we have

#159
post #133

I agree with the sentiment of this article, but strongly disagree with the title, and the advice to learn to type fast. The title is abuse (or misunderstanding) of the word "currency". Currency is an accounting mechanism. Time is, well, something else. It's an incredibly valuable commodity, a necessary (but not sufficient) ingredient for any activity and hence any kind of progress, and one which you cannot make more…

The typing advice seems out of place in the post, but I would encourage everyone to learn touch typing purely for the enjoyment of it. I find it really satisfying. I also think there are ergonomic benefits that outweigh any increased efficiency. Like the author concludes, though, nothing is "absolutely wrong" and to each their own :)

Re: Time is the only real currency we have

#160
post #156

If you really want to take the "Learn to type fast" advice to heart you can get a Georgi keyboard [1] and spend a few months learning stenography [2]. That can get you typing at above 200 WPM! (but it does require a significant amount of time to learn) [1] https://www.gboards.ca/product/georgi [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wpv-Qb-dB6g

For a book author this seems a good thing, but for a developer? We use so many special chars, i cant imagine that it is faster.

You can make custom chords for special chars and type them just as quickly as any other "word".

Here's an example of someone writing some javascript code with a steno keyboard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBBiri3CD6w

I don't use it myself but I assume that it would be faster than regular QWERTY typing, but only once you've used it for several years.

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