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The article surely likes to ask "but at what cost to the rest of the economy?". And I was thinking: What a wonderful benefit for our planet :) and for those pe

The article surely likes to ask "but at what cost to the rest of the economy?". And I was thinking: What a wonderful benefit for our planet :) and for those people. Saving millions of people from their morning commute? Yes, please. Improved air quality due to less traffic? Yes, please. 70% less air travel? Yes, please. In addition to that, let's scrap a few parking lots and convert them into parks and then call it a day :) Maybe I'm the odd one here, but I actually like working from home and playing with my son during lunch break. And I've always resisted company business trips as much as I could.

therockspush 6y ago
I'm wondering whats going to happen to all these sprawled out empty campuses, the miles of diabolically ugly 2-3 story buildings in santa clara. I'd love them to become free range stock farms, with animals shitting on the carpets and in the lobby fountain. Or paintball ranges with a prebuilt post-apocalyptic office setting. When they've been used up, doze em and put in a wavetank or something.
- schwartzworld 6y ago
  Reminds me of an old Abbot and Costello routine. They were interviewing a guest. Guest: Did you know this place used to be a livery stable? Abbott: You mean there used to be horses and jackasses in here? Guest: Yep. Ain't changed much.
occamrazor 6y ago
The shift to working from home may be a net positive for society and at the same time a net negative for the businesses in the “office economy”. As a society, it is probably worthwhile to support the most vulnerable people in the latter sector, with the objective of expediting the transition.
suduudeueu 6y ago
Public parks are like public libraries, they're mostly just homeless shelters and places to deal drugs. As a city dweller I really don't get this rosy presentation of them that acts like they're somehow gifts to the community.
- fxtentacle 6y ago
  Obviously, you don't play golf. Scratch that. Obviously, you've never been to Singapore. I have very fond memories of walking out of the air-conditioned shopping mall above the Waterfront MRT station and then walking through Mount Faber Park, Henderson Waves, Southern Ridges Park, Kent Ridge Park, and then back into an air-conditioned shopping mall at Kent Ridge MRT. I took one of those walks almost every day, and in many cases co-workers or friends decided to join, because with the MRT system it's just so easy to quickly zip over to nature in your lunch break. It's difficult to access this objectively, but I'm 100% convinced that this was a major factor in making my time in Singapore some of the most productive months I've ever had. Also in Italy, the town squares were usually full with families and the elderly, sipping coffee and reading newspapers. But it was well understood that just by being there, they signal that they're available for you to just talk to people. Again, I felt like the strong communal spirit of having talked to 100+ neighbors in your village was fantastic, even if you only did small-talk about the newspaper. Now if you could reduce the depression rate and related issues by 10% with a new well-maintained park. That'd be a significant GDP boost, so the economic value of such parks is probably in the billions of $$$.
  - suduudeueu 6y ago
    How silly of me not to include "public golf parks", Italian town squares, and Singapore in a discussion about America. But then, there's nothing surprising about someone so privileged they can travel the globe having a loose grip on the reality being faced by most of the country.
    - nix23 6y ago
      I don't know in which shit-place you live, but the rest of the world loves parks. Homeless People in public library? Maybe ask your Government why that is.
      - suduudeueu 6y ago
        "The rest of the world" isn't the topic.
puranjay 6y ago
I just keep thinking about all the money I was wasting on things I never truly enjoyed but bought because they were convenient and available. A cup of mediocre coffee, an overpriced sandwich, clothes I wasn't particularly comfortable in, an evening snack, then ordering expensive and unhealthy dinner because you're too tired to cook.
- uzakov 6y ago
  Have you heard of FIRE(Financial Independence Retire Early? You might find it interesting

therockspush 6y ago

I'm wondering whats going to happen to all these sprawled out empty campuses, the miles of diabolically ugly 2-3 story buildings in santa clara. I'd love them to become free range stock farms, with animals shitting on the carpets and in the lobby fountain. Or paintball ranges with a prebuilt post-apocalyptic office setting. When they've been used up, doze em and put in a wavetank or something.

schwartzworld 6y ago
Reminds me of an old Abbot and Costello routine. They were interviewing a guest. Guest: Did you know this place used to be a livery stable? Abbott: You mean there used to be horses and jackasses in here? Guest: Yep. Ain't changed much.

occamrazor 6y ago

The shift to working from home may be a net positive for society and at the same time a net negative for the businesses in the “office economy”. As a society, it is probably worthwhile to support the most vulnerable people in the latter sector, with the objective of expediting the transition.

suduudeueu 6y ago

Public parks are like public libraries, they're mostly just homeless shelters and places to deal drugs. As a city dweller I really don't get this rosy presentation of them that acts like they're somehow gifts to the community.

fxtentacle 6y ago
Obviously, you don't play golf. Scratch that. Obviously, you've never been to Singapore. I have very fond memories of walking out of the air-conditioned shopping mall above the Waterfront MRT station and then walking through Mount Faber Park, Henderson Waves, Southern Ridges Park, Kent Ridge Park, and then back into an air-conditioned shopping mall at Kent Ridge MRT. I took one of those walks almost every day, and in many cases co-workers or friends decided to join, because with the MRT system it's just so easy to quickly zip over to nature in your lunch break. It's difficult to access this objectively, but I'm 100% convinced that this was a major factor in making my time in Singapore some of the most productive months I've ever had. Also in Italy, the town squares were usually full with families and the elderly, sipping coffee and reading newspapers. But it was well understood that just by being there, they signal that they're available for you to just talk to people. Again, I felt like the strong communal spirit of having talked to 100+ neighbors in your village was fantastic, even if you only did small-talk about the newspaper. Now if you could reduce the depression rate and related issues by 10% with a new well-maintained park. That'd be a significant GDP boost, so the economic value of such parks is probably in the billions of $$$.
- suduudeueu 6y ago
  How silly of me not to include "public golf parks", Italian town squares, and Singapore in a discussion about America. But then, there's nothing surprising about someone so privileged they can travel the globe having a loose grip on the reality being faced by most of the country.
  - nix23 6y ago
    I don't know in which shit-place you live, but the rest of the world loves parks. Homeless People in public library? Maybe ask your Government why that is.
    - suduudeueu 6y ago
      "The rest of the world" isn't the topic.

puranjay 6y ago

I just keep thinking about all the money I was wasting on things I never truly enjoyed but bought because they were convenient and available. A cup of mediocre coffee, an overpriced sandwich, clothes I wasn't particularly comfortable in, an evening snack, then ordering expensive and unhealthy dinner because you're too tired to cook.

uzakov 6y ago
Have you heard of FIRE(Financial Independence Retire Early? You might find it interesting