5 ms·

The Next Hot Job: Pretending to Be a Robot (2019)

43 points by lxm 4y ago

metadat 4y ago
https://archive.today/8E3lM https://archive.today/8E3lM p.s. what does "prostoalex" mean? Is it short for prostate-alex, or something else?
- prostoprosto 4y ago
  "prosto" means "simply" in several Slavic languages so I read it as "simply Alex" or "just Alex"
  - metadat 4y ago
    Enlightening, prosto thank you.
  - metadat 4y ago
    It's cool, thank you for humoring me! Despite the lack of tact (obvious in hindsight), I mean no harm, offense, or disrespect. I actually really enjoy learning about other languages and cultures.
- andirk 4y ago
  Yes it is.
- lxm 4y ago
  It’s “simply” as mentioned below, I first started using it decades ago, and by the time I realized the dubious connotation you mentioned, it was too late.
  - dang 4y ago
    (We've since renamed prostoalex to lxm by their request.)
extragood 4y ago
Not quite related to the article's content, but the title reminded me of the time I cancelled my internet subscription with Comcast. The poor representative on the other end of the call decided that impersonating artificial speech as she read through her scripts was the best way to get through her day.
- tartoran 4y ago
  That poor representative didn’t decide anything, it’s their job to do just that, silly as it seems. They just work for a paycheck…
  - andirk 4y ago
    Yes but one can still sympathize. I want to activate this life hack I do but in an easier way: when I'm dealing with a person who gets monetary gain for upselling me, how about I hand them that amount and get straight talk from then on? 1% commission on my $1,000 mattress? Here's 10 bucks now gimme the real skinny, see?!
- ethbr0 4y ago
  I used to say "personal reasons," but I thought of a better cancellation reason the other day. "I'm converting to the Amish faith and forsaking technology." Best part: when they ask if there's anyone you'd like to transfer the account to, you can instantly play the indignant card. "And turn someone else away from the Lord with the distractions of worldly temptation?!"
  - Havoc 4y ago
    They don't give a f what you tell them. Told a beer subscription service I'm looking to quit due to health concerns. ...the "can we tempt you back with this offer" mails started immediate after.
  - bigthymer 4y ago
    I once got a call from a sales representative (SR). SR: "So, what shows do you like to watch?" Me: "I don't watch any shows because I don't have cable." SR: "How about you subscribe to our cable service then you can watch some good shows?" Me: "I can't...I don't have a TV." SR: "Why don't you buy a TV so you can watch some good shows?" Me: "I can't...I don't have electricity." (I lied) SR: (dead silence for a second or two...) SR: "Thank you sir. Have a nice day." They never bothered me again.
dinobones 4y ago
Has this guy ever tried playing an online game over 5G, lol?l Ping over cell networks is not favorable to real time things like this. How do you safely maneuver a vehicle with a 50ms delay?
- ramraj07 4y ago
  All things considered it’s bound to be better than most normal people driving if you specifically choose people with good reaction times. And it’s not F1, life and death is rarely determined by 50ms.
- joe_the_user 4y ago
  The things described in the article aren't really vehicles. You have slow carts with a container compartment for delivery or a slow moving area scanning "security bot". I've seen things like this moving on the UC Berkeley campus. "How do you safely maneuver a vehicle with a 50ms delay?" Very slowly and haphazardly. The whole scheme seems more about getting someone in third world country to work delivery in a first world country than efficiency of any sort.
  - archon1410 4y ago
    >The whole scheme seems more about getting someone in third world country to work delivery in a first world country than efficiency of any sort. Paying third world wages to deliver items in the first world seems pretty efficient.
jaredsohn 4y ago
[2019]
dorkwood 4y ago
I once worked for a company that created a large AR installation for an event. People could see themselves up on a big screen, and were able to "collect" digital items by waving their hands as they floated by. The only thing is, the company wasn't able to get the hit detection to work reliably, so they instead opted for a guy sitting at a computer in a room off to the side, where he would click on a screen to mimic realtime interaction.
diogenescynic 4y ago
The headline reminded me of mechanical turks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_Turk https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_Turk
- WillAdams 4y ago
  Not the latter day implementation? https://www.mturk.com/ https://www.mturk.com/
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
dang 4y ago
Discussed at the time: The growing need for human robot-minders could juice the remote workforce - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20884471 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20884471 - Sept 2019 (98 comments)
WalterBright 4y ago
I ask them: Me: "You're a chatbot, aren't you?" Chatbot: "hahaha, I get that all the time!" I bet you do!
- eastbound 4y ago
  The difference with chatbots is that it’s ok to abuse them.
Jemm 4y ago
The push for ever faster cellular is likely driven in part by the obvious path to remotely piloted vehicles.

43 points by lxm 4y ago

https://archive.today/8E3lM https://archive.today/8E3lM p.s. what does "prostoalex" mean? Is it short for prostate-alex, or something else?

prostoprosto 4y ago
"prosto" means "simply" in several Slavic languages so I read it as "simply Alex" or "just Alex"
- metadat 4y ago
  Enlightening, prosto thank you.
- metadat 4y ago
  It's cool, thank you for humoring me! Despite the lack of tact (obvious in hindsight), I mean no harm, offense, or disrespect. I actually really enjoy learning about other languages and cultures.
andirk 4y ago
Yes it is.
lxm 4y ago
It’s “simply” as mentioned below, I first started using it decades ago, and by the time I realized the dubious connotation you mentioned, it was too late.
- dang 4y ago
  (We've since renamed prostoalex to lxm by their request.)

extragood 4y ago

Not quite related to the article's content, but the title reminded me of the time I cancelled my internet subscription with Comcast. The poor representative on the other end of the call decided that impersonating artificial speech as she read through her scripts was the best way to get through her day.

tartoran 4y ago
That poor representative didn’t decide anything, it’s their job to do just that, silly as it seems. They just work for a paycheck…
- andirk 4y ago
  Yes but one can still sympathize. I want to activate this life hack I do but in an easier way: when I'm dealing with a person who gets monetary gain for upselling me, how about I hand them that amount and get straight talk from then on? 1% commission on my $1,000 mattress? Here's 10 bucks now gimme the real skinny, see?!
ethbr0 4y ago
I used to say "personal reasons," but I thought of a better cancellation reason the other day. "I'm converting to the Amish faith and forsaking technology." Best part: when they ask if there's anyone you'd like to transfer the account to, you can instantly play the indignant card. "And turn someone else away from the Lord with the distractions of worldly temptation?!"
- Havoc 4y ago
  They don't give a f what you tell them. Told a beer subscription service I'm looking to quit due to health concerns. ...the "can we tempt you back with this offer" mails started immediate after.
- bigthymer 4y ago
  I once got a call from a sales representative (SR). SR: "So, what shows do you like to watch?" Me: "I don't watch any shows because I don't have cable." SR: "How about you subscribe to our cable service then you can watch some good shows?" Me: "I can't...I don't have a TV." SR: "Why don't you buy a TV so you can watch some good shows?" Me: "I can't...I don't have electricity." (I lied) SR: (dead silence for a second or two...) SR: "Thank you sir. Have a nice day." They never bothered me again.

dinobones 4y ago

Has this guy ever tried playing an online game over 5G, lol?l Ping over cell networks is not favorable to real time things like this. How do you safely maneuver a vehicle with a 50ms delay?

ramraj07 4y ago
All things considered it’s bound to be better than most normal people driving if you specifically choose people with good reaction times. And it’s not F1, life and death is rarely determined by 50ms.
joe_the_user 4y ago
The things described in the article aren't really vehicles. You have slow carts with a container compartment for delivery or a slow moving area scanning "security bot". I've seen things like this moving on the UC Berkeley campus. "How do you safely maneuver a vehicle with a 50ms delay?" Very slowly and haphazardly. The whole scheme seems more about getting someone in third world country to work delivery in a first world country than efficiency of any sort.
- archon1410 4y ago
  >The whole scheme seems more about getting someone in third world country to work delivery in a first world country than efficiency of any sort. Paying third world wages to deliver items in the first world seems pretty efficient.

jaredsohn 4y ago

[2019]

dorkwood 4y ago

I once worked for a company that created a large AR installation for an event. People could see themselves up on a big screen, and were able to "collect" digital items by waving their hands as they floated by. The only thing is, the company wasn't able to get the hit detection to work reliably, so they instead opted for a guy sitting at a computer in a room off to the side, where he would click on a screen to mimic realtime interaction.

diogenescynic 4y ago

The headline reminded me of mechanical turks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_Turk https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_Turk

WillAdams 4y ago
Not the latter day implementation? https://www.mturk.com/ https://www.mturk.com/

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

dang 4y ago

Discussed at the time: The growing need for human robot-minders could juice the remote workforce - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20884471 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20884471 - Sept 2019 (98 comments)

WalterBright 4y ago

I ask them: Me: "You're a chatbot, aren't you?" Chatbot: "hahaha, I get that all the time!" I bet you do!

eastbound 4y ago
The difference with chatbots is that it’s ok to abuse them.

Jemm 4y ago

The push for ever faster cellular is likely driven in part by the obvious path to remotely piloted vehicles.