4 ms·

How are people supposed to use features like this if they get dropped and re-added from time to time? If I want a convenient timer, googling "set 5 minute timer

How are people supposed to use features like this if they get dropped and re-added from time to time? If I want a convenient timer, googling "set 5 minute timer" has no advantage if I don't know whether it will work or not. Inconsistency is an enemy of convenience.

capableweb 4y ago
I agree with you in general but not in this particular case. Best case scenario: you get a five minute timer running right away. Worst case scenario: you click the first link and get a five minute timer right away
- djbusby 4y ago
  First link would be ad-filled, SEO gamed bullshit.
  - mlyle 4y ago
    Yup, something undesirable that will probably still work while Google Timer is "down."
  - sixstringtheory 4y ago
    Basically the first page of any Google search page is ads now. If I want a quick 5 minute timer, it’s just a “Hey Siri” away. Navigating to Google to type a query is strictly inferior.
  - hacym 4y ago
    Screw those people for trying to monetize something you’re expecting to use for free. Your phone and computer have the capability to do timers. Why are you googling a timer with this attitude in the first place?
    - nightpool 4y ago
      > Your [...] computer has the capability to do timers Source? At least on macOS, i'm not aware of any built in timer or stopwatch.
      - eindiran 4y ago
        sleep 300; tput bel or even timer() { sleep $1 ; i=$2; until [ $i -eq 0 ]; do tput bel; sleep 1; i=$((i-1)); done } timer 300 10
      - halJordan 4y ago
        https://9to5mac.com/2022/06/07/macos-ventura-clock-timers/ https://9to5mac.com/2022/06/07/macos-ventura-clock-timers/
meibo 4y ago
Your software never has bugs? We definitely had to turn something off before because something didn't line up/someone messed up planning during a bigger tech transition. This stuff happens in big orgs ran by humans, I'm happy that it's back and it's a lot better than the first result in any case.
- hotpotamus 4y ago
  I know that software is fiendishly difficult, but if you think a parent is ever going to put their child in a software driven car, then the industry had probably better get a bit more serious.
  - wutbrodo 4y ago
    This doesn't make any sense. "Software" isn't produced by a single company with a single set of engineering practices and trade-offs. Safety-critical software has been around for decades and decades, and it's not developed and tested using the same practices as a minuscule D-list feature of a web service.
    - hotpotamus 4y ago
      A lesson that Boeing apparently needed a refresher on.
    - DiggyJohnson 4y ago
      It does make sense, you just disagree on whether it’s actionable or not.
  - spoonjim 4y ago
    I already put my kids in a software driven car every day. It has automatic cruise control, automatic lane keeping, and automatic emergency braking. I don't trust Tesla's Autopilot yet but as soon as there is a self-driving car which I believe is safer than a car driven by me, I will switch to that.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
behnamoh 4y ago
Why wouldn't I be surprised to see it gone later on? Kudos to Google for reshaping their brand image this way, they made my switch to alternatives much easier.
naillo 4y ago
On the other hand I doubt many more people noticed that it went away than ppl on HN who saw the previous thread. So now they've all been re-informed and know they can rely on it again.
shmoe 4y ago
Still bitter about reader over here, friend.
- tonetheman 4y ago
  this this this!
dpedu 4y ago
Is it inconsistent? Even if it isn't google's timer, you still get results for timers provided by other websites, if you google search for "set 5 minute timer".
spurgu 4y ago

capableweb 4y ago

I agree with you in general but not in this particular case. Best case scenario: you get a five minute timer running right away. Worst case scenario: you click the first link and get a five minute timer right away

djbusby 4y ago
First link would be ad-filled, SEO gamed bullshit.
- mlyle 4y ago
  Yup, something undesirable that will probably still work while Google Timer is "down."
- sixstringtheory 4y ago
  Basically the first page of any Google search page is ads now. If I want a quick 5 minute timer, it’s just a “Hey Siri” away. Navigating to Google to type a query is strictly inferior.
- hacym 4y ago
  Screw those people for trying to monetize something you’re expecting to use for free. Your phone and computer have the capability to do timers. Why are you googling a timer with this attitude in the first place?
  - nightpool 4y ago
    > Your [...] computer has the capability to do timers Source? At least on macOS, i'm not aware of any built in timer or stopwatch.
    - eindiran 4y ago
      sleep 300; tput bel or even timer() { sleep $1 ; i=$2; until [ $i -eq 0 ]; do tput bel; sleep 1; i=$((i-1)); done } timer 300 10
    - halJordan 4y ago
      https://9to5mac.com/2022/06/07/macos-ventura-clock-timers/ https://9to5mac.com/2022/06/07/macos-ventura-clock-timers/

meibo 4y ago

Your software never has bugs? We definitely had to turn something off before because something didn't line up/someone messed up planning during a bigger tech transition. This stuff happens in big orgs ran by humans, I'm happy that it's back and it's a lot better than the first result in any case.

hotpotamus 4y ago
I know that software is fiendishly difficult, but if you think a parent is ever going to put their child in a software driven car, then the industry had probably better get a bit more serious.
- wutbrodo 4y ago
  This doesn't make any sense. "Software" isn't produced by a single company with a single set of engineering practices and trade-offs. Safety-critical software has been around for decades and decades, and it's not developed and tested using the same practices as a minuscule D-list feature of a web service.
  - hotpotamus 4y ago
    A lesson that Boeing apparently needed a refresher on.
  - DiggyJohnson 4y ago
    It does make sense, you just disagree on whether it’s actionable or not.
- spoonjim 4y ago
  I already put my kids in a software driven car every day. It has automatic cruise control, automatic lane keeping, and automatic emergency braking. I don't trust Tesla's Autopilot yet but as soon as there is a self-driving car which I believe is safer than a car driven by me, I will switch to that.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]

behnamoh 4y ago

Why wouldn't I be surprised to see it gone later on? Kudos to Google for reshaping their brand image this way, they made my switch to alternatives much easier.

naillo 4y ago

On the other hand I doubt many more people noticed that it went away than ppl on HN who saw the previous thread. So now they've all been re-informed and know they can rely on it again.

shmoe 4y ago

Still bitter about reader over here, friend.

tonetheman 4y ago
this this this!

dpedu 4y ago

Is it inconsistent? Even if it isn't google's timer, you still get results for timers provided by other websites, if you google search for "set 5 minute timer".

spurgu 4y ago