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Eager to Burst His Own Bubble, a Techie Made Apps to Randomize His Life

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Re: Eager to Burst His Own Bubble, a Techie Made Apps to Randomize His Life

#51

Post by 33W »

reustle wrote: post #7

I actually met Max while we both happened to be in Thailand in 2015. We spent the day on bicycles following the directions his script told him, without hesitation. Regardless of where it was in the city, that's where we went next (a laundry mat, daycare, cafes, and the zoo iirc). Nothing was skipped, because it was what the software told us to do. Here are some pictures from that day https://goo.gl/photos/gyCNRz2rs7z…

Reminds me of a "game" some friends would play in the early days of turn-by-turn GPS.

"Garmin Knows Best", where you input a location and follow the GPS exactly. Driver beware.

Re: Eager to Burst His Own Bubble, a Techie Made Apps to Randomize His Life

#53

Post by Eduard »

owenversteeg wrote: post #18

Ah, but what was his source of randomness? Perhaps he didn't have enough entropy and now he's got to do the last few years all over again ;) I think I naturally do a bit of that myself: whenever I have some empty time, I fill it with something "random", only instead of choosing randomly I often choose the cheapest option. For example, I once booked a flight to Iran departing hours after I bought the ticket, simply be…

What if the algorithm chooses a destination you cannot go to (for reasons such as visa, vaccination...)

Re: Eager to Burst His Own Bubble, a Techie Made Apps to Randomize His Life

#54

Post by ng12 »

davidcelis wrote: post #44
reustle wrote: post #7

I actually met Max while we both happened to be in Thailand in 2015. We spent the day on bicycles following the directions his script told him, without hesitation. Regardless of where it was in the city, that's where we went next (a laundry mat, daycare, cafes, and the zoo iirc). Nothing was skipped, because it was what the software told us to do. Here are some pictures from that day https://goo.gl/photos/gyCNRz2rs7z…

The app took you too a daycare? Where people leave their children? Did you actually enter it, or just move on? I'd feel pretty uncomfortable with a random stranger and his friends showing up to my kid's daycare. I hope the apps have gotten better location filtering in place since 2015.

Just imagine if it took them to a park or candy store where there were also children around. Terrifying!

Re: Eager to Burst His Own Bubble, a Techie Made Apps to Randomize His Life

#55

Post by passivepinetree »

uncle_d wrote: post #35
throwaway2016a wrote: post #3

This is an awesome idea. I've spent a lot of energy making apps to automate my life and management my schedule. Now I'm tempted to also have it throw in something random now and again. I couldn't go to these extremes (I couldn't pick up and move to another country for instance) but it would be cool to say do things less extreme... like pick a random place for dinner or watch this random Netflix movie.

Random dinner location is certainly worth a try, for dipping a toe in the shallow end, so to speak: http://www.restaurantgenerator.com

Similarly, Netflix randomizer sites already exist. I've had good experiences with https://netflixroulette.net/, for example.

Re: Eager to Burst His Own Bubble, a Techie Made Apps to Randomize His Life

#56

Post by ctrl-j »

davidcelis wrote: post #44
reustle wrote: post #7

I actually met Max while we both happened to be in Thailand in 2015. We spent the day on bicycles following the directions his script told him, without hesitation. Regardless of where it was in the city, that's where we went next (a laundry mat, daycare, cafes, and the zoo iirc). Nothing was skipped, because it was what the software told us to do. Here are some pictures from that day https://goo.gl/photos/gyCNRz2rs7z…

The app took you too a daycare? Where people leave their children? Did you actually enter it, or just move on? I'd feel pretty uncomfortable with a random stranger and his friends showing up to my kid's daycare. I hope the apps have gotten better location filtering in place since 2015.

> I'd feel pretty uncomfortable with a random stranger and his friends showing up to my kid's daycare. I hope the apps have gotten better location filtering in place since 2015.

Wouldn't this be the onus of the daycare? To allow/disallow strangers?

If the app points them to a high-security military installation, they're not going to get in.

Other strangers not using the app can still show up at the daycare...

Re: Eager to Burst His Own Bubble, a Techie Made Apps to Randomize His Life

#57

Post by passivepinetree »

twothamendment wrote: post #39
AndrewOMartin wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you know when someone isn't on Facebook? ;)

Is there a site to sign up on so people can find you and find out that you are not on facebook? That would be great! Maybe facebook could integrate those results into there people search. "John Smith, Anytown, USA isn't on facebook. Try emailing him".

I think most people on Facebook are that way because they don't want to be reached. That would be a tough sell to us privacy-conscious people.

Re: Eager to Burst His Own Bubble, a Techie Made Apps to Randomize His Life

#58

Post by dexterdog »

davidcelis wrote: post #44
reustle wrote: post #7

I actually met Max while we both happened to be in Thailand in 2015. We spent the day on bicycles following the directions his script told him, without hesitation. Regardless of where it was in the city, that's where we went next (a laundry mat, daycare, cafes, and the zoo iirc). Nothing was skipped, because it was what the software told us to do. Here are some pictures from that day https://goo.gl/photos/gyCNRz2rs7z…

The app took you too a daycare? Where people leave their children? Did you actually enter it, or just move on? I'd feel pretty uncomfortable with a random stranger and his friends showing up to my kid's daycare. I hope the apps have gotten better location filtering in place since 2015.

I'd be less worried about a few guys showing up because a randomness app told them to than a guy showing up because he wanted to.

Re: Eager to Burst His Own Bubble, a Techie Made Apps to Randomize His Life

#59

Post by djtriptych »

sol_remmy wrote: post #45
628C6l0 wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

it's not just trust. a minority person (by which i mean to include all and only the less powerful in society, which has a heavy overlap with racial and ethnic minorities) can seem completely non-threatening, but still won't receive the kind of treatment he gets because the other party cannot muster the mental energe to do it as they finds it hard to imagine such treatment "leading to" anything.

As a very short white guy (5'1 here), I can assure you that height and attractiveness is much more important than race

have you ever been a tall attractive black guy?

Re: Eager to Burst His Own Bubble, a Techie Made Apps to Randomize His Life

#60

Post by djtriptych »

burger_moon wrote: post #41
stillhere wrote: post #12

>And Max acknowledges this privilege. Closed article.

This part of the article really stood out as awkward placement to me. As a white guy dating a black woman, we often go to events with her friends or family where I am the only white person and it can be quite unwelcoming especially at some night clubs. This idea that if you're white you fit in anywhere has such disconnect from reality.

Relative privilege still applies here. The "only person of of my race in the room" is new for you, but ubiquitous for a huge number of POCs, especially when climbing the corporate/academic ladder.
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