Comments on: Trying out Hunch http://www.notjustrandom.com/2009/03/30/trying-out-hunch/ Tue, 09 Aug 2011 15:16:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Alex http://www.notjustrandom.com/2009/03/30/trying-out-hunch/comment-page-1/#comment-11812 Alex Sun, 05 Apr 2009 23:33:13 +0000 http://notjustrandom.com/blog/?p=621#comment-11812 BTW: I do have a few more invites available. BTW: I do have a few more invites available.

]]> By: Harry Kautzman II http://www.notjustrandom.com/2009/03/30/trying-out-hunch/comment-page-1/#comment-11810 Harry Kautzman II Sun, 05 Apr 2009 23:27:11 +0000 http://notjustrandom.com/blog/?p=621#comment-11810 Thanks for the invite Alex. I wrote up a little review of my own after trying it out http://unseen.ws/2009/04/hunchcom-review/ I share your same thoughts about some of the shortcomings. Hopefully this can turn into something useful because it would be nice to be able to spend a little less time researching some topics, or at least be able to get a second opinion you can trust. Thanks for the invite Alex. I wrote up a little review of my own after trying it out

http://unseen.ws/2009/04/hunchcom-review/

I share your same thoughts about some of the shortcomings. Hopefully this can turn into something useful because it would be nice to be able to spend a little less time researching some topics, or at least be able to get a second opinion you can trust.

]]> By: Alex http://www.notjustrandom.com/2009/03/30/trying-out-hunch/comment-page-1/#comment-11727 Alex Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:51:45 +0000 http://notjustrandom.com/blog/?p=621#comment-11727 Interesting, thanks for your feedback. Regarding (3) - yes, I think I could see cases for that. This may be outside your intended scope, but how let's take the following question for example: What math prerequisites am I missing for graduate school? Or more general, What knowledge am I missing to understand [any subject/article/situation/etc.]? I would imagine, if we want a detailed picture, then exploring prerequisite knowledge cannot be easily done in just a few questions. It's not enough to ask "Have you taken Discrete Mathematics?" Rather individual concepts could be quizzed. A lot of decisions end up being pretty personal and require knowledge of personal circumstance (which of course changes over time). If I genuinely need information on an area I am not very familiar with, I may not know the best way of asking the question either. Interesting, thanks for your feedback. Regarding (3) – yes, I think I could see cases for that. This may be outside your intended scope, but how let’s take the following question for example: What math prerequisites am I missing for graduate school? Or more general, What knowledge am I missing to understand [any subject/article/situation/etc.]?

I would imagine, if we want a detailed picture, then exploring prerequisite knowledge cannot be easily done in just a few questions. It’s not enough to ask “Have you taken Discrete Mathematics?” Rather individual concepts could be quizzed.

A lot of decisions end up being pretty personal and require knowledge of personal circumstance (which of course changes over time). If I genuinely need information on an area I am not very familiar with, I may not know the best way of asking the question either.

]]> By: Caterina Fake http://www.notjustrandom.com/2009/03/30/trying-out-hunch/comment-page-1/#comment-11718 Caterina Fake Tue, 31 Mar 2009 04:30:34 +0000 http://notjustrandom.com/blog/?p=621#comment-11718 Alex, thanks for trying out Hunch. To your first question: It's possible, even probable at this point, that the best solution isn't there. We hope that users will add them as time passes, and the best for each individual will emerge from the combination of the "hard" inputs (say, how much you will pay, or what your GPA is) the "soft" inputs (I care enough about design to pay more for a Mac) and the array of results. Hunch is very embryonic now, so a lot of things are the equivalent of Wikipedia stubs. To your second question -- yes! Over time Hunch should be able to deliver an "I'm feeling lucky" kind of result for you. That'd be magic. To your third question -- a question back. Do you think there are certain questions that would be better served by *more* than ten questions? Thanks for your feedback! Cheers. Alex, thanks for trying out Hunch.

To your first question: It’s possible, even probable at this point, that the best solution isn’t there. We hope that users will add them as time passes, and the best for each individual will emerge from the combination of the “hard” inputs (say, how much you will pay, or what your GPA is) the “soft” inputs (I care enough about design to pay more for a Mac) and the array of results. Hunch is very embryonic now, so a lot of things are the equivalent of Wikipedia stubs.

To your second question — yes! Over time Hunch should be able to deliver an “I’m feeling lucky” kind of result for you. That’d be magic.

To your third question — a question back. Do you think there are certain questions that would be better served by *more* than ten questions?

Thanks for your feedback!

Cheers.

]]> By: Alex http://www.notjustrandom.com/2009/03/30/trying-out-hunch/comment-page-1/#comment-11717 Alex Tue, 31 Mar 2009 03:33:32 +0000 http://notjustrandom.com/blog/?p=621#comment-11717 Presumably, as more people contribute to the site, we will have a richer variety of topics and decisions to choose from. I noticed a <em>Why did Hunch pick this?</em> link after a decision was revealed. The presented explanation was not very descriptive though. Essentially, for a few questions: Because you responded like <em>that</em>. Presumably, as more people contribute to the site, we will have a richer variety of topics and decisions to choose from.

I noticed a Why did Hunch pick this? link after a decision was revealed. The presented explanation was not very descriptive though. Essentially, for a few questions: Because you responded like that.

]]> By: Daniel Tunkelang http://www.notjustrandom.com/2009/03/30/trying-out-hunch/comment-page-1/#comment-11715 Daniel Tunkelang Tue, 31 Mar 2009 02:48:50 +0000 http://notjustrandom.com/blog/?p=621#comment-11715 Indeed, I wonder how much the systems learns about you from the answers. But my main reaction to the site is that it doesn't offer me answers to many questions I care about. Maybe I just don't have enough burning questions to need a tool like this. And the answers for the few I do have aren't very satisfying. For example, it told me I should pay someone to help me with my taxes. But it didn't tell me why. So, it's cute and still intrigues me, but still feels to me like more of a magic eight ball than a decision support tool. Indeed, I wonder how much the systems learns about you from the answers.

But my main reaction to the site is that it doesn’t offer me answers to many questions I care about. Maybe I just don’t have enough burning questions to need a tool like this.

And the answers for the few I do have aren’t very satisfying. For example, it told me I should pay someone to help me with my taxes. But it didn’t tell me why.

So, it’s cute and still intrigues me, but still feels to me like more of a magic eight ball than a decision support tool.

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