Interesting Links for 12-06-2014

[andrewducker]

• It's Really Hard to Be a Good Guy With a Gun
  (tags: guns usa )
• Using "hero rats" to save lives by finding mines. (And the rats don't get hurt!)
  (tags: rats minesweeper )
• An Open Letter To J.K. Rowling
  (tags: jkrowling Scotland independence )
• No more IPv4 addresses in Latin America and the Caribbean
  (tags: internet ipv6 ipv4 )
• Response by Ray

Comments

Uber

[danieldwilliam]

Tempted to put the rise in London Uber users down to free advertising on the BBC rather than a ringing endorsement of Uber's stand against protectionism which seemed to be the spin the CEO was putting on it.

A bit like UKIP but in a mini-cab rather than a second hand Jag.

Re: Uber

[andrewducker]

It's very hard to tell what's actually going on!

On the one hand, I know that London Taxi-drivers are stringently tested and regulated, and I think that that can be a good thing. On the other hand, how necessary is it?

I like the idea of drawing a distinction between "A taxi driver that can pick up people wandering randonly around town" and "A taxi driver you book for a ride" - the idea that tourists who have turned up randomly in town will get excellent service, but locals can choose to make other arrangements if they so wish.

I suspect this is an argument that will play out for years to come, if not decades.

Re: Uber

[danieldwilliam]

Yeah - they do look like two different markets. One, the random pick up on the street likely to be more vulnerable e.g. tourists or a bit drunk. The other likely to be a more informed consumer.

And it makes sense that we err on the side of caution when creating markets for those with access to less information.

I'd go for decades of wrangling against a backdrop of steady price competition.

[a_pawson]

London cabbies have to pass "the knowledge", but since the advent of the Satnav, does it really have any advantage? In the age of advanced Satnav's that use live traffic data to work out the quickest route from A to B, I suspect not

[danieldwilliam]

I suspect the public argument suits them. Lots of BBC coverage and it makes the cabbies look like Luddites.

I can't think of an advantage of "the knowledge" over a decent satnav.

[a_pawson]

It certainly gave Uber lots of free publicity. I hadn't even heard of them until yesterday, I suspect a lot of people downloaded their app yesterday evening.

[andrewducker]

I've been driven by taxi drivers who were expert in an area. And by drivers relying on Satnav.

The difference was startling. Not quite as big a difference as between Google Translate and a UN translator, but pretty darn big.

[danieldwilliam]

Was it a valuable difference. I mean did you arrive there quicker or more cheaply with the knowledge rather than the satnav or were you just aware of someone being competent?

[andrewducker]

Oh yes - avoiding unpleasant traffic conditions and areas is worth a lot and can save significant time.

Unsurprisingly, this test has been carried out a few times:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/7143897.stm

And around Edinburgh I've definitely had times when I've not known the exact address, but been able to describe where I'm going in enough detail for the driver to work it out and get me there.

"You know, past the B&Q along the river from the botanics, towards the park" isn't going into a Satnav, but got me to a party :->

[andrewducker]

Satnavs are a bit like Google Translate. Fine for nice simple things, but not so good for mazes of twisty turny streets (like the middle of London).

I agree about setting fares though - and I thought that was what Uber did. (Which is why TfL allowed them)

[bohemiancoast]

The Knowledge consistently beats sat-nave in areas it covers. It's much, much better -- just the same as you will know better local routes than a satnav.

But the Knowledge is no help more than six miles from Charing Cross, and it can be very very difficult to actually get a black cab in the evenings, at weekends, or when it's raining, or if you want to go more than six miles from Charing Cross. So the only black cab I'm ever likely to take (home to Walthamstow, late at night at a weekend) is pretty much non-existent.