This meme about self-driving cabs being glorified busses reminds me of the infamous Dropbox comment. It’s technically correct. But it misses the social context so entirely that it, when you realise it’s being seriously said, becomes farce.

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cyanydeez 3 days ago | parent | next [-]

Is the context that using buses are for poors?

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troupo 3 days ago | parent | prev [-]

The way these are pushed as "solutions to cities and traffic" make making fun of the too easy.

> But it misses the social context

Funny how their entire social context is "never encounter another human as you go from A to B"

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JumpCrisscross 3 days ago | parent [-]

> way these are pushed as "solutions to cities and traffic" make making fun of the too easy

It's funny. It's also dumb. An observation can be both at the same time--it's a cornerstone of humor. What it isn't is fundamentally true or revealing.

> their entire social context is "never encounter another human as you go from A to B"

Nope. It's recognising that humans have diverse and varying needs for interaction and privacy.

I like to dine out, even alone. That doesn't make everyone who eats at home alone an idiot. (That doesn't mean I can't make jokes about it. But they shouldn't be mistaken for truth.)

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troupo 3 days ago | parent [-]

> What it isn't is fundamentally true or revealing.

Well, they are not a solution to transport problems, or to traffic jams.

Yes, they can be complementary to other types of transportation. Yes, companies will enshittify them beyond measure if/when they reach a certain proportion of cars.

> It's recognising that humans have diverse and varying needs for interaction and privacy.

No. I don't think this was even uttered by any of these companies.

Waymo claims to be committed to safety: https://waymo.com/about/

Tesla: stress and safety https://www.tesla.com/fsd

Zoox: purpose-built taxi shaping the future of transportation https://zoox.com/about

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JumpCrisscross 3 days ago | parent [-]

> they are not a solution to transport problems, or to traffic jams

Nor to world hunger.

> companies will enshittify them beyond measure

A hypothetical applicable to every mode of transit, private and public.

> don't think this was even uttered by any of these companies

Things can be true without being in a corporate press release. (Also, you're the one who originally argued these services' "entire social context is 'never encounter another human as you go from A to B'." If not being in a press release is an argument against one, it 's an argument against the other.)

Though, in this case, it has been said: "Waymo gives you your own personal space to focus on more meaningful things" [1].

[1] https://waymo.com/rides/

	▲	troupo 3 days ago \| parent [-]
		> Nor to world hunger. Ah, the good old ad absurdum. These companies literally hail themselves as "future of transportation". > A hypothetical applicable to every mode of transit, private and public. These are private companies looking for profit. These are not hypotheticals given what is happening to other cars and car manufacturers. > Also, you're the one who originally argued these services' "entire social context is 'never encounter another human as you go from A to B'." These are literally robo taxis. A taxi is literally a car that is taking you from A to B. And they are also removing the driver from them. Oh, and don't forget the existing of things like Boring Co. which exists almost solely to undermine public transport. Their intended future is nothing but endless roads with isolated vehicles going from A to B. There's no other "social context".