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I think you're making basically the same mistake that Gruber is in the article, and that all "location based services" are making. The context isn't the current

I think you're making basically the same mistake that Gruber is in the article, and that all "location based services" are making. The context isn't the current location, it's where people's attention is. To take Gruber's example, if you had an office in London Ontario, were talking about setting up a video call, then asked your assistant "what time is it in London", and they picked London England because it's the most famous, you'd question how smart they were. The context is not where you are, or which "London" is largest or most popular or least driving distance away or where you grew up or where you lived once, the context is why you are asking about the time in London, it's all of the present brain/attention/conversation/local state bundled together.

akira2501 6y ago
> you'd question how smart they were. If I'm physically in a city named London, and you ask me literally "what is the time in London" that's actually an ambiguous question. Why would you specify the name of the place you're currently in? Typically someone in that instance would just ask "What time is it?" I don't hire people to make "educated guesses" on my behalf. If they detect an ambiguity then I expect them to initiate a dialog that resolves that, not just blithely pick the first thing that comes to their mind.
- saagarjha 6y ago
  > If I'm physically in a city named London, But Gruber is not in London. If he was, perhaps we'd have a discussion about what the right answer might have been, maybe we need some more clarity, that kind of stuff. If I ask a stranger outside (well, if I did before everyone isolated themselves) they would immediately give me the time in London, England, and if I actually wanted the time in Ohio I would have to clarify myself. > I don't hire people to make "educated guesses" on my behalf. Of course you do. Do you really want people asking you questions all day when there could be any ambiguity?

akira2501 6y ago

> you'd question how smart they were. If I'm physically in a city named London, and you ask me literally "what is the time in London" that's actually an ambiguous question. Why would you specify the name of the place you're currently in? Typically someone in that instance would just ask "What time is it?" I don't hire people to make "educated guesses" on my behalf. If they detect an ambiguity then I expect them to initiate a dialog that resolves that, not just blithely pick the first thing that comes to their mind.

saagarjha 6y ago
> If I'm physically in a city named London, But Gruber is not in London. If he was, perhaps we'd have a discussion about what the right answer might have been, maybe we need some more clarity, that kind of stuff. If I ask a stranger outside (well, if I did before everyone isolated themselves) they would immediately give me the time in London, England, and if I actually wanted the time in Ohio I would have to clarify myself. > I don't hire people to make "educated guesses" on my behalf. Of course you do. Do you really want people asking you questions all day when there could be any ambiguity?