5 ms·

Maybe someone needs to make an app for adults too. Especially as you get older it is harder to make new friends.

joshmarlow 10y ago
I would rather like something like this for Restaurants/Bars. There are times when I'm taking up a whole table and would gladly share with someone.
- wccrawford 10y ago
  I would think that a sign on the table would be a lot more effective. I've definitely had times in crowded restaurants that I was willing to share my table with people who were looking for one, but I'm shy and had no way to signal that without feeling like bad things were going to happen, so I just sat there. I think only 1 time did someone ever ask, and I let them. But if I had a sign that could signal that the other 3 chairs at my 4-person table were available, I'd use it, at least sometimes. An app, though? That just seems like a pain.
  - Tyr42 10y ago
    I even thought of making little signs saying "Would welcome sharing a table" and putting them next to the cafeteria trays at work.
  - mikepurvis 10y ago
    Board game cafes usually have little signs for "come join us".
  - joshmarlow 10y ago
    I've had the same experience. Agreed, signs would be simpler and a preferable user experience. But then you have to get every restaurant to produce/keep them or carry your own. Still you're right about the app being a bit of a pain.
- gm-conspiracy 10y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_sharing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_sharing I know, just a link, no insightful discussion. Maybe patio11 can chime in?
whorleater 10y ago
Isn't that what sites like meetup.com are made for?
- samfisher83 10y ago
  Meetups are different. Usually I never go to lunch by myself, but if I was it would be cool to have table to sit down at.
aaron695 10y ago
Dime a dozen. Google "Social Dining Apps" Will you use it? I'd bet no. I know I thought it a good idea until I found one, and never used it. It was specifically for finding people near you to eat lunch that day with. (Can't remember this exact one) It's good in your head, socially awkward in practice. Unlike dating apps, or large group apps like meetup. See "We’re F*cked, It’s Over. Or Is It?" https://medium.com/the-mission/were-f-cked-it-s-over-or-is-it-5abe1432471d#.fyh6oic3f https://medium.com/the-mission/were-f-cked-it-s-over-or-is-i...
- eatbitseveryday 10y ago
  > It's good in your head, socially awkward in practice. I find it interesting (honest) that children can just hang out, initially as strangers, without it being awkward. As adults, this is much harder. Why? Do we think too much as adults, such that it causes these situations to become awkward?
  - mc32 10y ago
    Easy. With adults come the questions, is this platonic, is it sexual, is there an angle, what do they want from me, when is the ask coming, what are you selling, is that spinach between their teeth? In essence, innocence does not exist for adults, there have been too many formative experiences so that they are no longer a blankish slate.
  - pavel_lishin 10y ago
    I think it's because children don't really have anything that they need to do, but there are often places they have to just be. So what else is there to do but socialize? As an adult, there are many things I have to do. I need to go to work, I need to do laundry, dishes, child-care. But I am free to mostly do the things I want to do wherever I want to - I'm not trapped in school or camp or whatnot. And when you, as an adult, do have free time, there aren't too many places an adult can go and just hang out, socially. The neighborhood bar is the only place I can think of where it's acceptable to just sit, do nothing, and socialize with whoever might be nearby.
  - hashmp 10y ago

I would rather like something like this for Restaurants/Bars. There are times when I'm taking up a whole table and would gladly share with someone.

wccrawford 10y ago
I would think that a sign on the table would be a lot more effective. I've definitely had times in crowded restaurants that I was willing to share my table with people who were looking for one, but I'm shy and had no way to signal that without feeling like bad things were going to happen, so I just sat there. I think only 1 time did someone ever ask, and I let them. But if I had a sign that could signal that the other 3 chairs at my 4-person table were available, I'd use it, at least sometimes. An app, though? That just seems like a pain.
- Tyr42 10y ago
  I even thought of making little signs saying "Would welcome sharing a table" and putting them next to the cafeteria trays at work.
- mikepurvis 10y ago
  Board game cafes usually have little signs for "come join us".
- joshmarlow 10y ago
  I've had the same experience. Agreed, signs would be simpler and a preferable user experience. But then you have to get every restaurant to produce/keep them or carry your own. Still you're right about the app being a bit of a pain.
gm-conspiracy 10y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_sharing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_sharing I know, just a link, no insightful discussion. Maybe patio11 can chime in?

whorleater 10y ago

Isn't that what sites like meetup.com are made for?

samfisher83 10y ago
Meetups are different. Usually I never go to lunch by myself, but if I was it would be cool to have table to sit down at.

aaron695 10y ago

Dime a dozen. Google "Social Dining Apps" Will you use it? I'd bet no. I know I thought it a good idea until I found one, and never used it. It was specifically for finding people near you to eat lunch that day with. (Can't remember this exact one) It's good in your head, socially awkward in practice. Unlike dating apps, or large group apps like meetup. See "We’re F*cked, It’s Over. Or Is It?" https://medium.com/the-mission/were-f-cked-it-s-over-or-is-it-5abe1432471d#.fyh6oic3f https://medium.com/the-mission/were-f-cked-it-s-over-or-is-i...

eatbitseveryday 10y ago
> It's good in your head, socially awkward in practice. I find it interesting (honest) that children can just hang out, initially as strangers, without it being awkward. As adults, this is much harder. Why? Do we think too much as adults, such that it causes these situations to become awkward?
- mc32 10y ago
  Easy. With adults come the questions, is this platonic, is it sexual, is there an angle, what do they want from me, when is the ask coming, what are you selling, is that spinach between their teeth? In essence, innocence does not exist for adults, there have been too many formative experiences so that they are no longer a blankish slate.
- pavel_lishin 10y ago
  I think it's because children don't really have anything that they need to do, but there are often places they have to just be. So what else is there to do but socialize? As an adult, there are many things I have to do. I need to go to work, I need to do laundry, dishes, child-care. But I am free to mostly do the things I want to do wherever I want to - I'm not trapped in school or camp or whatnot. And when you, as an adult, do have free time, there aren't too many places an adult can go and just hang out, socially. The neighborhood bar is the only place I can think of where it's acceptable to just sit, do nothing, and socialize with whoever might be nearby.
- hashmp 10y ago