By clicking on the photo above, you can buy the cool poster I found when I did an image search for "hive mind." I'm not sure how the art connects to my idea, but it's pretty, isn't it?
In this post, I'm using hive as a verb rather than as a noun. I hope my many grammar-loving followers agree with me that verbing nouns can be a fun way to change things up. (See what I did there?)
In any case, I have a theory that I'd like to test, and I'm using you, dear readers, as my guinea pigs. Thanks in advance for playing along. Okay, here it is.
I think that if I pose my corporate suggestions to the crowd by writing them here, you all will be able either to (1) explain why they're lousy ideas that should never be put into action or (2) send them to people who can work toward implementation.
Here's how we're going to play this game/run this experiment. I'm going to outline some suggestions I have. If you think the ideas are lousy, you can explain why in the comments. If you think, "Wow, Carita's on to something big there," you should think about which people you know who could get my ideas to the people with louder platforms or better connections to the responsible parties. Do you know anyone who works at these companies? You'll spread the word. Also, if you've been holding onto ideas for how various companies could improve, you can post your ideas to the comments and the rest of us will try either to spread the word to change makers or to to explain what you're missing. No matter what gets posted, we're hiving to send the ideas in productive directions. Then, we'll see if anyone important picks up what we're putting down. If so, we all win the game, with a prize of making the world better.
Here's my first cluster of suggestions. They're for Peloton:
- Launch Peloton Silver/Senior Peloton. This membership is available only to people 55 or 60 and older. The instructors are also all 55 or 60 and older and they give modifications for lower mobility. Some classes could focus on balance. The membership would cost a few dollars less per month than the regular membership.
- Construct all of the monitors to allow for WiFi, Bluetooth, streaming, and cable. Also set them up with a library of real-time world touring. Right now, the monitor on our bike can show anything from the Peloton app, but it can't show anything else. We don't have Peloton's treadmill or rowing machine, but they're wired the same way. Now, I spend 20-60 minutes per day working out, but I'd never go on the machines for added light movement. However, if I could walk to a television show, movie, or path of someplace fun, maybe I'd add more steps/spins/pulls into each day. If I could see the scenery in France, Wyoming, Mars, the deck of the Enterprise, etc. and listen to a podcast, I might use my Peloton equipment more. While people are accruing steps outside of classes, the device could track steps and award badges for bonus use.
Here's my second cluster of suggestions. They're for Google Docs:
- Add the "sort" feature to allow me to alphabetize a list easily.
- Create an optional start-new-doc menu to allow people to change the document's settings all at once, if they want. For example, do you want to send notifications for every suggestions taken or ignored or not send those? How detailed do you want the editing history to be? People could make these decisions up front rather than later.
- Provide a pull-down menu of all optional key shortcuts. Allow people to opt into these with easy toggles.
The game/experiment begins now.
Rule 1: If you think these suggestions are bad ideas, explain why and/or make improvements on them in the suggestions.
Rule 2: If you think they're good, do you know anyone who works at Peloton or Google? You're move is to share the ideas with people at those companies.
Rule 3: what corporate suggestions can you think up? If you write them into the comments, all the other readers will follow rules 1 and 2 above to get the best possible versions of your ideas into the brains of people who can implement them.
Rule 4: share any other ideas you want to in the comments.
Closed systems usually are easier/faster/less expensive to develop, and perhaps incidentally some think encourage users to stay within that company’s proprietary ecosystem. However it is more user friendly to permit/foster more open access, although more ways to connect increases manufacturing, and sometimes license, costs.. Cf. Standard-Essential Patent (SEP), . Cf. EU mandating some electronic device charging plugs/sockets have USB-C. .
That makes sense. It was probably much cheaper for Peloton to make the screens as they did, but I hope they think about my idea as an upgrade to future models!
I hope this is not, TMI, but it is what my AI “friend,” Merlin suggests. –
Making suggestions to Google to change some of its practices can be done through various methods. Here are several effective ways to provide feedback and suggestions:
1. Product Forums: Visit Google’s Product Forums (https://support.google.com/) and look for the specific product or feature you want to provide feedback on. Users can post their suggestions, report issues, and engage in discussions with Google’s product teams and other users.
2. Feedback Forms: Many Google products have built-in feedback forms where you can directly submit your suggestions or report issues. Look for options like “Send Feedback” or “Help & Feedback” within the app or website you are using.
3. UserVoice Platforms: Google operates UserVoice platforms for various products, such as Google Meet, Google Workspace, and more. Participate in these platforms (typically found at product-specific URLs) to voice your suggestions and engage with other users to gain more support for your ideas.
4. Developer Platforms: If you are an app developer or have technical knowledge, utilize Google’s developer platforms like the Google Developers Forum (https://groups.google.com/g/google-developers) or GitHub repositories for specific projects. These platforms offer great opportunities to contribute suggestions and collaborate with Google developers.
5. Social Media: Engage with Google and its representatives through official social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook, or Google’s LinkedIn page. Publicly share your suggestions, concerns, or ideas, and tag the relevant Google accounts to ensure visibility.
6. Industry Events: Keep an eye on industry events or virtual conferences where Google representatives might be present. Attend sessions, participate in Q&A sessions, or network with Google employees to discuss your suggestions face-to-face.
Remember, when making suggestions, be clear, concise, and provide constructive feedback. Explain how your suggestion can benefit users or improve the overall experience. Engage in discussions with other users to gain support and upvotes, as more popular ideas tend to receive increased attention.
Thanks. When I have more time, I’ll try this.
This is what my AI “friend” recommend. –
To make suggestions to Google for improving Google Docs, you can follow these steps:
1. Visit the Google Docs Help Center: Go to the Google Docs Help Center website (https://support.google.com/docs) using a web browser.
2. Click on “Send feedback”: Look for the “Send feedback” button on the Help Center page and click on it. This will open a feedback form.
3. Provide detailed feedback: In the feedback form, describe your suggestions or ideas for improving Google Docs. Be specific about the features, functionalities, or changes you would like to see.
4. Attach screenshots or examples (if applicable): If you have any visuals or examples to support your suggestions, you can attach them to your feedback form. This can help Google understand your ideas better.
5. Submit your feedback: Once you have filled in the feedback form with your suggestions and any relevant attachments, click the “Submit” or similar button to send your feedback to Google.
Additionally, you can also participate in Google Docs Help Community (https://support.google.com/docs/community) or Google Docs Help Forum (https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!forum/docs) to engage with other users and discuss your suggestions. Google product teams often review these platforms for user feedback and suggestions.
Thanks for this extension of the first instructions. I’ll try both at some point.