I signed up for Hunch today. Hunch, which is currently in beta, is a decision-making tool, built by its users. Hunch was developed by Flickr co-founder Caterina Fake, who describes the site thusly:
Hunch is a decision-making site, customized for you. Which means Hunch gets to know you, then asks you 10 questions about a topic (usually fewer!), and provides a result — a Hunch, if you will. It gives you results it wouldn’t give other people.
I’ve never been a proponent of mind-mapping or other thought-assistive applications, but I do consult various online resources to assist me with some decisions. For example, I regularly consult the customer reviews at Amazon when considering books, records or electronics. So I’m going to give Hunch a chance to earn its way into my online toolbox.
To get the most out of Hunch, you have to use it enough to allow the algorithm to map your preferences, etc. This will take some time, but in the meantime, here’s how the Hunch process works. Let’s start with one of the most popular questions.
Should I switch to a Mac?
Question 1: Does your job make you use Microsoft Outlook for email? Yep.
Question 2: Are you willing to spend more than $1000 for a new computer? Yes.
Question 3: Are you going to use this computer primarily for advanced, 3D gaming? No.
Question 4: Are you in the design, advertising, music, or video production business? Sometimes for music, but mostly No.
Question 5: Are you ok using the web-based version of Outlook? Yes, plus there’s my beloved iPhone.
Question 6: Do you make heavy use of Microsoft Excel? No.
Question 7: How much do you need to use Visio? I don’t even know what that is, so it’s “not a factor.”
Question 8: Do you want to go “under the hood”, change components yourself, to make your own personalized machine? You bet I do.
Question 9: Are you looking for a portable computer? For purposes of this question, no.
Question 10: Who do you prefer, Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. Actually, I prefer Elizabeth Mitchell. So “not a factor.”
Looks like Dave and Earl are going to be happy. . .
Based on conventional wisdom about Macs, I can’t argue too much with that. I’m not going to switch, but I totally get the argument that I should.
Clicking the “Why did Hunch pick this” link leads to a less than fulfilling list of the answers that supported the switch and the ones that didn’t.
It’s too early to tell, but the process is interesting, and thought-provoking. The thought process will likely prove to one of Hunch’s biggest benefits- perhaps more so than the final answer.
OK, let’s try a more open ended question.
Which book author should I read?
Only 2 questions: fiction or nonfiction and sub-genre. I choose fiction, and then science fiction. The first suggestion was Cormac McCarthy. Well, he just happens to be my favorite author. Given there were only 2 questions, that has to be a coincidence. If somehow not, it’s 90% impressive and 10% disturbing. The second suggestion was Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I tried thrice to read One Hundred Years of Solitude, and thrice I concluded digging ditches was an easier way to spend my time. The third choice was Stanislaw Lem. I’ve not read his books, but I know of them and some of them look interesting. The “wild card” suggestion was James M. McPherson. Don’t know of him, so no way to tell.
There are options within Hunch to create a topic. I don’t know if I’ll ever do that, but if Wikipedia is any indication, there will be plenty of people who will.
Again, it’s too early to tell, but for now, Hunch is on my radar.
Newsome.Org 