Developer here - thanks for your kind words! There are several criteria to the matching algorithm that we use. Since battles run from 8am-8pm, we match people in the same time zone, with people who have been active recently, and with similar average step count. This makes it possible to not match people of completely dissimilar ability while still providing a diverse set of opponents.
"But, worse, aside from being non-useful, such stereotyping by (some) thinkers is the very thing they criticize in despise in others, so it's an error in thinking, too!"
Wrong, it has to start somewhere. The idea that stereotyping will just fix itself probably won't happen. Now, yes, the idea of "white privilege" is targeting one group, but it is the majority in this country (for now, 30 years it may change) and it is the group that has been the root of racism/bigotry in this country. But if it makes you feel better, you can say "majority privilege" instead.
What an awful opinion piece! The fact it is on Time.com is part of the "white privilege". lolz.
The reason why they say "check your privilege" because we should foster the notion that non-white people have a different American experience than white people.
If a minority got into Stanford, there is a thought that probably goes into everyone's mind, that they had an advantage because they were a minority. White people don't have that same stigma.
It's a mind set. It's understanding that there are our society has a problem, and that it needs to get checked at the door.
> If a minority got into Stanford, there is a thought that probably goes into everyone's mind, that they had an advantage because they were a minority. White people don't have that same stigma.
Out of curiosity, where do you think that stigma arises from? In my view, this is one of the best arguments against affirmative action based on purely on race, ethnicity or gender. In my high school, which was the top ranked public high school in California, admission was based on test scores and an essay.
Because at that time the school had an race-based affirmative action policy, the black girl (who would eventually be valedictorian) complained that everyone assumed she got in because she was black (though she tested high enough regardless).
They removed this policy eventually after complaints from parents demanding equal treatment. Ironically in a few years white parents in the district started complaining that their kids were being pushed out by asian and indian kids.
You have to consider the fact they probably didn't give out all of the optional pool. Depending on how many employees they hired and at what skill level. My hunch is they only gave out 8% of the optional pool. At most.
Entirely different loyalty, maybe even belief in the long term. I would say that the difference between the two companies is that Facebook hired young, while Google hired older, highly educated employees.
(In the list below, I wouldn't even count Steve Chen, he was from Paypal and spent no time at Facebook).
hey durga, I like the simplicity but for me it isn't useful. There are many other apps that do a similar thing.
I want an app with workouts I can share with friends, so we can try to do the same workouts remotely.
A friend of mine wanted to start strength training for rock climbing. First finding an app that creates a progressive workout is non-existant. (and if it did exist, it probably sucks) Second, there isn't an app that you can share scheduled workouts with another user and keep each other accountable.
We have been thinking of doing something very similar. For me the motivation was to make a feature so that my dad can do his evening walks with his friends who are remote, at the same scheduled time. I'll push this feature up in the list.
This may be blasphemy at HN, but I see so many similarities between digg and reddit. From the power of their service to the complete adoration to their founders.
Doesn't this fawning over Ohanian remind you of Kevin Rose?
If you don’t have insurance, you literally are the problem.