Why we need iRobot for really large “living rooms”

Bergen at night: Cleaned by iRobot Roomba

Today I was reminded why I am disgusted every time I walk in the city center. It has to do with the lack of garbage collection, and no, I am not thinking of garbage collection understood by most computer geeks as something that happens automatically … because garbage collection in real life never happens by itself!

“In computer science, garbage collection (GC) is a form of automatic memory management. The garbage collector, or just collector, attempts to reclaim garbage, or memory used by objects that are no longer in use by the application“

[Wikipedia]

However, we can draw parallels to computer science as with most things in our life. After all, computer science is just a simple mind-map of trivial things we like to think we understand. Simple things we often believe is just as useful to a computer program as it is to us in real life.

Anyways, my thoughts on this subject actually got started the day before as I realized that my youngest daughter was chewing on some tobacco some fool had dropped on the street. Disgusted by the smell of the wet tabacco I struggled to get out of her cheerful face, I cursed those who smoked … many of whom I consider good friends However, the day passed and I thought no more about the incident … before today!

As I stepped of the bus on my way to work this morning I got a near deja-vu experience about the tobacco as some “other fool” dropped his cigarette before he stepped onto the bus … In my mind I cursed him for many things, but most of all for littering just in front of me, and because it – in his mind – probably was the most natural thing in the world to just throw away a still burning cigarette on the walk-way where I and many others had to step.

Still thinking about the bloody tobacco I realized that everywhere I walked I could see hundreds of cigarette stubs and I cannot say I liked the sight of it at all! Getting myself to work I started thinking about more trivial tasks such as contributing to Vizrt’s success. The day went on, and it was soon lunch time as I came to remember that I had forgot to buy lunch before coming to work this morning. “Eager” to get some work done I headed over to the local grocery store to pick up something to eat.

Just outside the store I passed this youngster who had just come out. He was eagerly opening his chocolate muffin, and in the process he dropped the plastic wrapper … damn! Already in the mood I could not resist but to comment it as I passed him that it would be a good idea to pick it what he left drifting across the street … Pretty spooked by the fact that someone talked to him, while he was in chocolate muffin heaven … closing in on nirvana, he of course answered what any scared kid would do if someone older than you corrected you. Therefore, coming out again, I was “kind of surprised” that he had not picked it up, but also left behind, on the pavement, the remains of the muffin and the cup that held it … crumbled as in pure resistance to my grown-up behavior. Even more interesting to note was that he was literally standing next to the bloody waste bin by two arm-lengths. Can you believe the ignorance in that?!

Getting back to work I of course told my colleagues of the incident, and we had a laugh over it, and of course reminded ourselves that we were more mature and responsible … by all means, we are at least averaging 30+ … Not wanting to let the topic go I also told my wife, and after getting home I came to think of a smart thing … Garbage Collection! Why are we not doing garbage collection! Now you think; we are doing garbage collection. The municipality of Bergen is already investing heavily in garbage collecton and renovation as it is; however, this is where computer geeks meet everyday needs, and not just wishful needs such as iPhone (aka iPhawn).

We need an iRobot for really large living rooms!