6 ms·

Notes on making a multiplayer "doing nothing app"

107 points by rpastuszak 3y ago

mnky9800n 3y ago
SCENE JERRY'S APARTMENT JERRY so the app does nothing ELAINE get out! JERRY no really, the app is about doing nothing GEORGE Jerry did I tell you my parents moved back to del Boca vista? If anyone is doing nothing it's them! ELAINE so what do you do with the app if it does nothing JERRY PRESSES A BUTTON ON THE APP AND IT CHIMES. KRAMER BUSTS THROUGH THE DOOR LOOKING CONFUSED. JERRY well it's made that a lot more predictable. SEINFELD THEME PLAYS
- silenced_trope 3y ago
  Love it! :)
- jakub_g 3y ago
  The app sounds like Kramer's idea actually :) KRAMER (slides in to the Jerry's place) (with the excited voice) Jerry! I have an idea. An app that does nothing. (screams and shakes his head) NOTHING!
  - jareklupinski 3y ago
    turns out it was Newman's "hello world" program that he made at a tech boot camp he was trying to make an app that would repel dogs by playing an ultra-high frequency sound only they would hear after discovering its real effect, he tried getting kramer to buy the app in exchange for free dead-mail storage at kramers apartment
  - Izkata 3y ago
    It's actually George's idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXYWZhN8Yks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXYWZhN8Yks
- erremerre 3y ago
  isn't there any AI we can feed this to have a little sketch in video form?
  - 0_____0 3y ago
    i fed it to a biological neural network that was eventually able to return a fuzzy but satisfying render to my sensorium
  - wyldfire 3y ago
    There was an AI doing nonstop video streaming of Seinfeld episodes for a while there. Not sure if it was taken down but it did get in hot water for a bit when it had the cast say some inappropriate things.
    - lawlessone 3y ago
      It's still going. Some of the real cast have actually said some inappropriate things.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- jacobwilliamroy 3y ago
  In a Seinfeld episode, is the laughter noise in the script or is it just up to the editor to figure out when to add it in post?
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
moontear 3y ago
Whereas I like the idea, isn’t being able to communicate with others the antithesis of „doing nothing“? We’re actually NOT doing nothing anymore, but doing something besides sitting and waiting?!
- littlelady 3y ago
  The idea is sweet, but I agree, by communicating you're no longer "doing nothing". Then again, mindfulness can also be cultivated by just focusing on one single task at a time.
  - RHSman2 3y ago
    You aren’t ever doing nothing. That act of doing nothing is something.
  - rpastuszak 3y ago
    One of the reasons I made the original/single player Sit. (sit.sonnet.io) was that I practice shi-ne, which involves "doing nothing" rather than focusing on a specific subject/thought/emotion. This is just a sketch so I might scale it down or split into different toys at some point, depending on how people interact with it. This thread is really valuable feedback for me, so thank you! I honestly didn't expect more than 5-10 people visiting:)
- Cthulhu_ 3y ago
  It puts me more in mind of the multiplayer aspect of Journey; you see other players, but you can't really do much with them other than follow them around and see where they're headed to e.g. find secrets. But you can talk to them using chirrups and controls like jumping and running around. I found it wholesome as fuck, and most others that have played it will have their own experiences running into a random stranger, or eventually having to say their goodbyes, or losing them, etc.
  - robertlagrant 3y ago
    > wholesome as fuck I mean. Sure.
Darky 3y ago
I would love to be able to subscribe via RSS to your blog !
- latexr 3y ago
  https://untested.sonnet.io/rss.xml https://untested.sonnet.io/rss.xml Website says on the bottom right that it’s “Powered by Obsidian Publish” so that seemed like a request for the platform more than the website. Searched online for “Obsidian Publish RSS” and found a feature request on their forum. https://forum.obsidian.md/t/rss-feed-for-obsidian-publish/18551 https://forum.obsidian.md/t/rss-feed-for-obsidian-publish/18... Last post points out there are feeds at `/rss.xml`. https://forum.obsidian.md/t/rss-feed-for-obsidian-publish/18551/14 https://forum.obsidian.md/t/rss-feed-for-obsidian-publish/18...
- rpastuszak 3y ago
  I'll an RSS feed soon, just trying to focus on writing first atm. I'll be moving away from obsidian to something that gives me more control. For now, I've just added a newsletter feed: https://letters.sonnet.io https://letters.sonnet.io
famahar 3y ago
I love the idea. The world needs more kind apps. There's another app I'm using called derive which just pins a random place on a map within 10km of me and I have to go there. That's it. No extra bells or whistles. The interface is super minimal and it's made by one person as a hobby. It encourages exploration.
- vjk800 3y ago
  There should be a sort game like this. Like it shows me a mostly dark map like in video games and as I move around, the maps gets revealed (within 100m radius or within algorithmically determined visibility radius or something). The game would be to open new areas on a map like you would on a video game.
  - OmarShehata 3y ago
    Zenly (recently went bust) did this! https://blog.mapbox.com/clear-the-fog-with-zenly-fc7778b06c33 https://blog.mapbox.com/clear-the-fog-with-zenly-fc7778b06c3... > Zenly’s location tech works in real time to uncover the map as you cover more ground. Zenly’s location tracking runs in the background, updating automatically as you check out new neighborhoods and take road trips. (it's very social though I think, more "compete with friends!" than "explore your neighborhood & find delight in small things)
    - dewey 3y ago
      There's also https://fogofworld.app https://fogofworld.app, which does this since 2012 and has a big community of people using dedicated "tracking phones" or other gadgets to be as accurate as possible.
  - radlad 3y ago
    A bit different but when I was cycling during the pandemic, I got into https://wandrer.earth https://wandrer.earth where the goal is to bike every street in your area.
    - 3y ago
layer8 3y ago
By "chirps", I was expecting bird sounds, which I think would be charming.
henryaj 3y ago
https://sit-together-toy.vercel.app/ https://sit-together-toy.vercel.app/
Tepix 3y ago
> Now, every time a gong goes off, the droplet belonging to a person will ripple gently. There's no audio. Just the acknowledgement that they're there. I do get audio. Perhaps the design was changed?
clippyplz 3y ago
I couldn't get scrolling to work on this site. Turns out all the content is on the left half; if you scroll while mousing over the right half it won't have any effect. Posting this in case anyone else has the same confusion.
- seanw444 3y ago
  Yeah I think the right field is supposed to have some navigation components, but it's completely unpopulated.
- rpastuszak 3y ago
  Yeah, sorry for that! I'm planning to move away from Obsidian Publish once I have more time. For now I'm trying to focus on writing and sharing (sometimes half-finished) work, rather than polishing the site template, which is a huge temptation for me tbf. PS. I'm also writing a mini-review of Obsidian Publish. I might use your comment if that's ok with you.
  - kepano 3y ago
    A small tweak would be to use a background color on the render-container similar to Andy Matuschak's site — or a border/shadow on the side of each pane https://notes.andymatuschak.org https://notes.andymatuschak.org Edit: Deploying a change to Publish sites that should make the scroll area clearer :)
    - rpastuszak 3y ago
      Sweet, thanks Steph!
danielvaughn 3y ago
"I wasted so much time trying to get this done in a few hours." Alternatively, I've wasted a lot of time going down rabbit holes, trying to create the best design that will save me from headaches down the road. I still haven't figured out that balancing act.
- c0wb0yc0d3r 3y ago
  For me, I have just been going with my first instinct and moving on. I am trying to complete more of the projects I start, and I have found that I just accept I might cause myself trouble later, I will work on it then.
pavel_lishin 3y ago
> I will rush less. I wasted so much time trying to get this done in under a few hours. It's so hard to work on things when you only have a few hours a day to focus on something.
cco 3y ago
I saw this (https://is-it-over.jevakallio.partykit.dev/ https://is-it-over.jevakallio.partykit.dev/) website and chuckled seeing all of the mouse pointers from around the world clicking a single toggle back and forth. I love these "dumb" apps so much. I made a San Francisco version and check it from time to time, I really gotta know whether SF is back: https://is-sf-back.cconeill.partykit.dev/ https://is-sf-back.cconeill.partykit.dev/

107 points by rpastuszak 3y ago

SCENE JERRY'S APARTMENT JERRY so the app does nothing ELAINE get out! JERRY no really, the app is about doing nothing GEORGE Jerry did I tell you my parents moved back to del Boca vista? If anyone is doing nothing it's them! ELAINE so what do you do with the app if it does nothing JERRY PRESSES A BUTTON ON THE APP AND IT CHIMES. KRAMER BUSTS THROUGH THE DOOR LOOKING CONFUSED. JERRY well it's made that a lot more predictable. SEINFELD THEME PLAYS

silenced_trope 3y ago
Love it! :)
jakub_g 3y ago
The app sounds like Kramer's idea actually :) KRAMER (slides in to the Jerry's place) (with the excited voice) Jerry! I have an idea. An app that does nothing. (screams and shakes his head) NOTHING!
- jareklupinski 3y ago
  turns out it was Newman's "hello world" program that he made at a tech boot camp he was trying to make an app that would repel dogs by playing an ultra-high frequency sound only they would hear after discovering its real effect, he tried getting kramer to buy the app in exchange for free dead-mail storage at kramers apartment
- Izkata 3y ago
  It's actually George's idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXYWZhN8Yks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXYWZhN8Yks
erremerre 3y ago
isn't there any AI we can feed this to have a little sketch in video form?
- 0_____0 3y ago
  i fed it to a biological neural network that was eventually able to return a fuzzy but satisfying render to my sensorium
- wyldfire 3y ago
  There was an AI doing nonstop video streaming of Seinfeld episodes for a while there. Not sure if it was taken down but it did get in hot water for a bit when it had the cast say some inappropriate things.
  - lawlessone 3y ago
    It's still going. Some of the real cast have actually said some inappropriate things.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
jacobwilliamroy 3y ago
In a Seinfeld episode, is the laughter noise in the script or is it just up to the editor to figure out when to add it in post?
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]

moontear 3y ago

Whereas I like the idea, isn’t being able to communicate with others the antithesis of „doing nothing“? We’re actually NOT doing nothing anymore, but doing something besides sitting and waiting?!

littlelady 3y ago
The idea is sweet, but I agree, by communicating you're no longer "doing nothing". Then again, mindfulness can also be cultivated by just focusing on one single task at a time.
- RHSman2 3y ago
  You aren’t ever doing nothing. That act of doing nothing is something.
- rpastuszak 3y ago
  One of the reasons I made the original/single player Sit. (sit.sonnet.io) was that I practice shi-ne, which involves "doing nothing" rather than focusing on a specific subject/thought/emotion. This is just a sketch so I might scale it down or split into different toys at some point, depending on how people interact with it. This thread is really valuable feedback for me, so thank you! I honestly didn't expect more than 5-10 people visiting:)
Cthulhu_ 3y ago
It puts me more in mind of the multiplayer aspect of Journey; you see other players, but you can't really do much with them other than follow them around and see where they're headed to e.g. find secrets. But you can talk to them using chirrups and controls like jumping and running around. I found it wholesome as fuck, and most others that have played it will have their own experiences running into a random stranger, or eventually having to say their goodbyes, or losing them, etc.
- robertlagrant 3y ago
  > wholesome as fuck I mean. Sure.

Darky 3y ago

I would love to be able to subscribe via RSS to your blog !

latexr 3y ago
https://untested.sonnet.io/rss.xml https://untested.sonnet.io/rss.xml Website says on the bottom right that it’s “Powered by Obsidian Publish” so that seemed like a request for the platform more than the website. Searched online for “Obsidian Publish RSS” and found a feature request on their forum. https://forum.obsidian.md/t/rss-feed-for-obsidian-publish/18551 https://forum.obsidian.md/t/rss-feed-for-obsidian-publish/18... Last post points out there are feeds at `/rss.xml`. https://forum.obsidian.md/t/rss-feed-for-obsidian-publish/18551/14 https://forum.obsidian.md/t/rss-feed-for-obsidian-publish/18...
rpastuszak 3y ago
I'll an RSS feed soon, just trying to focus on writing first atm. I'll be moving away from obsidian to something that gives me more control. For now, I've just added a newsletter feed: https://letters.sonnet.io https://letters.sonnet.io

famahar 3y ago

I love the idea. The world needs more kind apps. There's another app I'm using called derive which just pins a random place on a map within 10km of me and I have to go there. That's it. No extra bells or whistles. The interface is super minimal and it's made by one person as a hobby. It encourages exploration.

vjk800 3y ago
There should be a sort game like this. Like it shows me a mostly dark map like in video games and as I move around, the maps gets revealed (within 100m radius or within algorithmically determined visibility radius or something). The game would be to open new areas on a map like you would on a video game.
- OmarShehata 3y ago
  Zenly (recently went bust) did this! https://blog.mapbox.com/clear-the-fog-with-zenly-fc7778b06c33 https://blog.mapbox.com/clear-the-fog-with-zenly-fc7778b06c3... > Zenly’s location tech works in real time to uncover the map as you cover more ground. Zenly’s location tracking runs in the background, updating automatically as you check out new neighborhoods and take road trips. (it's very social though I think, more "compete with friends!" than "explore your neighborhood & find delight in small things)
  - dewey 3y ago
    There's also https://fogofworld.app https://fogofworld.app, which does this since 2012 and has a big community of people using dedicated "tracking phones" or other gadgets to be as accurate as possible.
- radlad 3y ago
  A bit different but when I was cycling during the pandemic, I got into https://wandrer.earth https://wandrer.earth where the goal is to bike every street in your area.
  - 3y ago

layer8 3y ago

By "chirps", I was expecting bird sounds, which I think would be charming.

henryaj 3y ago

https://sit-together-toy.vercel.app/ https://sit-together-toy.vercel.app/

Tepix 3y ago

> Now, every time a gong goes off, the droplet belonging to a person will ripple gently. There's no audio. Just the acknowledgement that they're there. I do get audio. Perhaps the design was changed?

clippyplz 3y ago

I couldn't get scrolling to work on this site. Turns out all the content is on the left half; if you scroll while mousing over the right half it won't have any effect. Posting this in case anyone else has the same confusion.

seanw444 3y ago
Yeah I think the right field is supposed to have some navigation components, but it's completely unpopulated.
rpastuszak 3y ago
Yeah, sorry for that! I'm planning to move away from Obsidian Publish once I have more time. For now I'm trying to focus on writing and sharing (sometimes half-finished) work, rather than polishing the site template, which is a huge temptation for me tbf. PS. I'm also writing a mini-review of Obsidian Publish. I might use your comment if that's ok with you.
- kepano 3y ago
  A small tweak would be to use a background color on the render-container similar to Andy Matuschak's site — or a border/shadow on the side of each pane https://notes.andymatuschak.org https://notes.andymatuschak.org Edit: Deploying a change to Publish sites that should make the scroll area clearer :)
  - rpastuszak 3y ago
    Sweet, thanks Steph!

danielvaughn 3y ago

"I wasted so much time trying to get this done in a few hours." Alternatively, I've wasted a lot of time going down rabbit holes, trying to create the best design that will save me from headaches down the road. I still haven't figured out that balancing act.

c0wb0yc0d3r 3y ago
For me, I have just been going with my first instinct and moving on. I am trying to complete more of the projects I start, and I have found that I just accept I might cause myself trouble later, I will work on it then.

pavel_lishin 3y ago

> I will rush less. I wasted so much time trying to get this done in under a few hours. It's so hard to work on things when you only have a few hours a day to focus on something.

cco 3y ago

I saw this (https://is-it-over.jevakallio.partykit.dev/ https://is-it-over.jevakallio.partykit.dev/) website and chuckled seeing all of the mouse pointers from around the world clicking a single toggle back and forth. I love these "dumb" apps so much. I made a San Francisco version and check it from time to time, I really gotta know whether SF is back: https://is-sf-back.cconeill.partykit.dev/ https://is-sf-back.cconeill.partykit.dev/