While a noble cause, this seems like a prime example of “techies convince themselves they are smarter than everyone and they can solve every single problem with JavaScript”. Which is why, when you actually look at the project, it’s a website, instructions for a 3D printed version of the chemistry kit I bought my kid for Christmas for $40, several software suites all listed as “pre-alpha” (read: not working), and instructions for turning their logo into merch like stickers. This comes off more like an art project at best, or a garage-band version of Theranos at worst.
I hate being cynical about something like this. I want there to be affordable health solutions for people. But this comes off so naive and self-aggrandizing that it makes me want to actually get out of tech and into a field where people are more grounded. Something with fewer religious fanatics, God complexes, and delusions of grandeur.
"I hate being cynical about something like this. I want there to be affordable health solutions for people."
Then do it- that's the point of the art piece, in a very literal way. Everybody fixates on the aesthetics around this kind of thing, but if it moves you to action than it's working.
So let it work, learn what you need to learn to help folks in the ways that you feel this project fails.
And then you won't have the cynical feeling that you don't like.
> it makes me want to actually get out of tech and into a field where people are more grounded. Something with fewer religious fanatics, God complexes, and delusions of grandeur.
I've been having this thought a lot lately. Do you have any thoughts about which field you might transition to, if you did this?
I've been considering bioinformatics, so far the classes have been pretty fun, but I haven't yet gotten close enough to the day-to-day work to know if it's any less toxic or just toxic in new and unpleasant ways.
I hate being cynical about something like this. I want there to be affordable health solutions for people. But this comes off so naive and self-aggrandizing that it makes me want to actually get out of tech and into a field where people are more grounded. Something with fewer religious fanatics, God complexes, and delusions of grandeur.