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A 33-Year-Old NPR Story Convinced Me Google Glass Will Stop Looking So Dorky

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Re: A 33-Year-Old NPR Story Convinced Me Google Glass Will Stop Looking So Dorky

#111
post #15
post #6

I disagree that people will become comfortable with Google Glass - the primary negative reaction is the voyeuristic-rejection of having a camera always pointed at you (that may or may not be recording). To which the analogy vs. headphones is not relevant. I anticipate, however, that Google (or somebody) will find a way to make this product largely invisible to anybody but the wearer in the near term future. Through m…

And yet most people don't have that reaction to pervasive CCTV. Which, in some places, is virtually omnipresent and constantly recording. "Smile, you're on camera ☺" And many people have no qualms sharing pretty much everything on Facebook and the like. I don't know which way it will really go, but it is really not obvious a priori that everyone is that concerned about privacy, or that society will not adapt to make…

>And yet most people don't have that reaction to pervasive CCTV. Which, in some places, is virtually omnipresent and constantly recording.

That's because they don't see those recordings posted around and embarrasing them or affecting their future lifes.

Re: A 33-Year-Old NPR Story Convinced Me Google Glass Will Stop Looking So Dorky

#112
Skimming the original NPR article: "Unidentified Man #2: You know, it's nice when you're walking around to hear other people talking and see what they're doing. And you're kind of putting blinders on."

Culturally we've evolved to taken wearing headphones publicly in a public place (such as a Grocery Store) as a subtle social cue that "I don't want social interaction".

I imagine with early augmented reality devices like the Google Glass, we will adapt social etiquette around them. Its less of a question if it will be accepted but how social graces will accommodate such a technology. I imagine similar behaviors will evolve around the Glass. I can speculate what those might be but I think more importantly that the Google Glass may not stop looking super dorky, but rather we will develop culture around said device, and its acceptable uses.

Re: A 33-Year-Old NPR Story Convinced Me Google Glass Will Stop Looking So Dorky

#113
post #108
post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Let's not ignore the elephant in the room here though, glass is far more similar to bluetooth headsets. How are those aging? Do the kids think it's cool? No, because they have no use for them. There's nothing inherently goofy about them other than that society hasn't made them the norm. It certainly could be said that staring glazed-face at a glowing rectangle in front of you looks dorky as well. But smart phones h…

Glass and bluetooth have the same problem, they are peripheral, accessory devices. That's what makes them uncool, they're unnecessary. Maybe someday glass will cut the rope of being paired with a phone, but not anytime soon.

It also seems rude to be wearing a headset while socializing. People take their headphones out of their ears. If you have a bluetooth headset, I feel like I'm not getting your full attention. Even if you're not on a call, I still feel like I come second. It would be the same with Glass. If I'm talking to someone and they're wearing Glass, it seems rude. If they glance to the screen, even more so.

Then, it's unnecessary at times like you said. I think this is what looks smug, you're walking around with something on your head, that you might not be actively using. Or with bluetooth, you have an earpiece, but you're not in a call. It looks like you're wearing it, just to show it off, and it seems like you're trying hard to impress. With headphones, we make the assumption you're listening to music when they're in your ear.

People enjoy their technology, but they like to pretend they're free from it. A friend posted on Facebook the other day how everyone is always on their tablet or laptop, and 'gah, can't people just put their phone or tablet down for one day and look up'. But... she was on Facebook writing that message. I get that feeling from a lot of people. They keep their phone close, but they don't want to look like they depend on it. They want instant e-mail notifications or texts, but, they don't want to give off that image. It's not an attractive quality to always be playing with your phone or attached at the hip with technology. It's anti-social. That's a negative. When you're wearing something like Glass, you give off that impression.

And lastly, with Glass, you're literally pointing a camera at my face, and could be taking photos, and recording audio or video without my knowledge. That's a little uncomfortable.

Personally, I think it's going to fail, and I wouldn't be surprised if I never see a single person wearing the device. However, I applaud them for taking the risk, since the technology and advances will be used in some way. Could it be used by doctors to stay hands free? Could it be used on motorcycles, so you can see your speed or a rearview image in the corner of your eye? Does it work well just for around the house, so I can do housework, and get notifications? Or can I cook with dirty hands, and see my recipe, or cooking time remaining? I think there are uses for it, I think others will see what they've accomplished and apply it in some way. However, as a device that everyone will be wearing while walking down the street, I just don't see it happening.

Re: A 33-Year-Old NPR Story Convinced Me Google Glass Will Stop Looking So Dorky

#114
post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My long bet is that longbets will be gone in 10 years.

I will take that bet. Name your stakes and we will put it up on the site pronto.

What could go wrong? Done!

Re: A 33-Year-Old NPR Story Convinced Me Google Glass Will Stop Looking So Dorky

#115
post #65

I am actually pretty shocked at the responses here on HN, of all places. Not because, as technologists we should all automatically love any new technology, but because, as technologists we should have perspective on its inexorable march. How many times have we laughed at definitive statements, pontificating on this or that newfangled thing, that were proven to be wildly off-the-mark only a few years later? How many t…

Might I suggest putting money down? http://longbets.org/ I built the site ten years ago, and the Long Now Foundation has plenty of other things going on, so I'm pretty confident that this will do for your 10-year bet. If you find a challenger, I'm glad to help you two negotiate a testable prediction and get the bet up on the site.

Wow. I've had for many years an idea I've called GoodBets to get people who argue on the web to put their money where their mouth is, with the money going to the winner's choice of charity, just as you have with Long Bets. GoodBets would integrate with comment systems, such as this one on HN, so if someone makes some unequivocal statement you think is baloney, you can challenge them with a GoodBet in your reply. They can accept or back down. The benefits are two-fold: discourse would improve[1] and charities would benefit.

The GoodBet website would have two leaderboards: users with most winning bets by dollar and users who donated the most by dollar. That way even the losers win, encouraging participation.

Any chance you could adopt my ideas, either into Long Bets or a fork of it?

[1] Partisan Bias Diminishes When Partisans Pay. http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2013/06/554...

Re: A 33-Year-Old NPR Story Convinced Me Google Glass Will Stop Looking So Dorky

#117
post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to only wear earbuds simply because they were more portable. More recently, though, I've begun wearing a full-size set (Bowers and Wilkins P3) because I was tired of my music sounding "small." The difference is amazing and I'll never go back.

I think it's entirely dependent on the type of headphones. The kind you mention are really slim and sleek; they don't really look out of place. It's when I see people wearing Beats or even bigger over/on ear headphones that attract my attention. I don't think ill of people wearing these headphones, but I do think they look silly because of how unwieldy the headphones seem.

You're correct about the larger cans. Personally, I dislike the weight of those type, and also how unwieldy they are and that they do not produce superior sound to smaller, more intelligently designed models (that usually don't cost more).

Re: A 33-Year-Old NPR Story Convinced Me Google Glass Will Stop Looking So Dorky

#118
Google glass has its problems, but barring any major catastrophes I expect augmented reality eyeglasses to be very popular perhaps by the end of this decade or the beginning of the next.

I see Google glass as the ZX-80 of augmented reality.

Re: A 33-Year-Old NPR Story Convinced Me Google Glass Will Stop Looking So Dorky

#119

I believe the idea that these technologies is alienating is false. There are some people (such as myself) who simply do not wish to engage with their fellow passengers on a train or airplane. So, if someone politely speaks to me then I am forced to either a: engage with them (there's no harm in doing so, but I simply don't want to), or b: come up with some sort of way out of the conversation and hope to not appear ru…

> I believe the idea that these technologies is alienating is false. You know, there's one side to "alienating" where the world shuts you out. But I think it's fair to say when people talk about headphones or Google Glass, they also mean you shutting out the world. You're describing a scenario where headphones basically make it harder for people to interact with you (correct me if I'm wrong), or make it easier for yo…

You're exactly right. Too often words like "alienating" are considered negative, as I did. As a tool that allows me to focus on my work, alienation is a good thing.

Note that I'm not bashing serendipitous meetings, those are often the best (I met my wife that way). But I'm semi-neurotic (there's probably a word for it that I don't know, maybe ADD?) and find it nearly impossible to get back to my work if I'm even distracted for a short while.

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