Google Takes on Uber with New Ride-Share Service • Hacker News Board

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

#241

Post by prawn » Tue, Aug 30, 2016, 11:15 PM UTC

jonahx wrote: post #87

chrisseaton wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> if tipping is an option, through a kind of cultural game-theoretic pressure, the situation will always devolve into the restaurant norm. at least that's how it is in the states In the UK tipping in restaurants is optional and, while it sounds really weird to say this, I don't think the waiters and waitresses seem to care either way. I don't get a different reaction from them if I tip or if I don't. They don't seem…

that's pretty interesting. any theories on the underlying cultural differences that explain it, or just different established customs? all the (many) wait-people here in the states i've known really dislike it, and it's generally considered either clueless, rude, or stingy not to tip at least 15%. i'm curious about things like: 1. if you go out with your friends to the pub, and don't tip on your bill, are you friends…

In Australia, no one would expect you to tip at a pub. Depending on how long you stayed there, you might open a tab, but usually people pay by round. With something like Paywave, paying small amounts is trivial.

On a date at a restaurant, they probably wouldn't care. Waitstaff don't really react differently whether you tip or not.

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

#242

Post by TheOneTrueKyle » Tue, Aug 30, 2016, 11:18 PM UTC

lsc wrote: post #207

TheOneTrueKyle wrote: post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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 Sout…

These types of establishments are the places I'm finding myself if I decide to go out to eat these days. Me personally, I come for the experience of the food, not the service.

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

#243

Post by seizethecheese » Tue, Aug 30, 2016, 11:21 PM UTC

imaginenore wrote: post #233

LordHumungous wrote: post #163

I was actually just thinking about this the other day- why doesn't a large tech company with lots of cash create a ride service which basically lets the driver keep everything? Uber can't possibly compete. Google can destroy them before they can become a threat in other tech spaces.

Network effect + first mover advantage. It takes a lot of time and money to develop the community if there already are major players. In this particular case Google would have so spend a shit ton of money on advertising, and it's not guaranteed to work. They failed with Google+.

Google could just add this as a feature in Google Maps.

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

#244

Post by hosh » Tue, Aug 30, 2016, 11:25 PM UTC

Back in the day, when Google opened up a 411 service, Microsoft did the same. It looked like a way to expand the search engine. After several years of operation, they shut it down. Why? They were collecting voice samples to feed into their voice recognition system, and they had collected enough.

I can't help but wonder if this ride sharing is a similar move. It sounds like a stepping stone for the kind of services that might be practical with self-driving cars. There might be some angle on collecting data that isn't obvious.

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

#245

Post by hosh » Tue, Aug 30, 2016, 11:27 PM UTC

ChuckMcM wrote: post #144

Ok, not unexpected given that Drummond stepped back from being a board member, of course they got that seat by buying nearly 7% of the company[1]. Which if they had sold it to the other investors who came in on $62.5B round[2] they could have taken about $900M out which they could use to start their own ride sharing service. Sort of like drinking the Unicorn's blood to create a spell that will kill the Unicorn. The i…

In the case of the smartphone, though, Google was working on a smartphone a year before Apple was. Apple got the jump on it, with a brilliant design.

I think this has more to do with a self-driving car play than anything.

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

#246

Post by imgabe » Tue, Aug 30, 2016, 11:27 PM UTC

ethanbond wrote: post #30

imgabe wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There should never be an obligation to tip. The whole point of tipping is that it's not obligatory. I get that we've messed that up for a lot of professions, like restaurant servers, but Uber et al have a chance to reset the social norms at least around taxi-esque services and they should take it.

If it's not obligatory to tip then it should be obligatory to pay people a living wage, in any context.

Adults should be capable of deciding for themselves if a given wage is sufficient to meet their expenses.

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

#247

Post by hosh » Tue, Aug 30, 2016, 11:28 PM UTC

dirtyaura wrote: post #17

Larry finally got his way :D

That's an interesting comment. Would you care to elaborate?

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

#248

Post by hosh » Tue, Aug 30, 2016, 11:32 PM UTC

mintplant wrote: post #132

I've noticed Google Maps will sometimes give me Uber ads when I'm looking up directions ("this route only $N on Uber" or such). Idle speculation but I wonder if this was a mistake for Uber -- perhaps Google has seen a high rate of click-through on these and will now try to get in on that action themselves.

I've noticed that too, and wondered about the connection with this.

I wonder if this was a similar play as when they opened that 411 service back in the day. Turned out, they were using it as a way to amass a large collection of voice samples.

I kinda wonder how valuable ride sharing data would be. They might necessarily have to make a profit directly on that. It might have something to do with their self-driving cars. For example (just randomly spouting off), knowing where people want to ride towards the same direction might inform how to deploy a fleet of self-driving taxis.

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

#249

Post by dacox » Tue, Aug 30, 2016, 11:32 PM UTC

mmanfrin wrote: post #3

Honestly I wish they wouldn't try to compete on price. Maybe I'm alone with this, but I'd rather not feel obligated to tip a driver because the ride is so cheap. Pay them a living wage, let me pay the exact fee, and let me not have to carry goddamn cash like I used to in the era of Taxis. e: Addressing common replies: "This is for people commuting already" -- okay, point taken; my point about Uber/Lyft still stands.…

Not feeling obligated to tip was almost the entire reason I prefer Uber over traditional cab companies in the first place.

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

#250

Post by xapata » Tue, Aug 30, 2016, 11:33 PM UTC

mmanfrin wrote: post #3

Honestly I wish they wouldn't try to compete on price. Maybe I'm alone with this, but I'd rather not feel obligated to tip a driver because the ride is so cheap. Pay them a living wage, let me pay the exact fee, and let me not have to carry goddamn cash like I used to in the era of Taxis. e: Addressing common replies: "This is for people commuting already" -- okay, point taken; my point about Uber/Lyft still stands.…

> "Tipping isn't obligatory" -- yes, it kind of is

The driver can put up a sign asking for a tip, but I don't feel obliged to give one.

I don't tip the cook in a restaurant. I don't tip the receptionist at a hotel. I don't tip the farmhands who picked the vegetables I eat at the supermarket. I don't tip the truck driver who unloaded all the goods I buy. I wish all of these people earned a higher wage and I'd be happy to pay more at the point of sale, but I wish the practice of tipping disappeared.