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Soda Machines for Geeks?

Posted by Cliff on from the what's-your-poison dept.

PhaseBurn writes "In all my findings, I've yet to see things like Bawls or Jolt in a soda machine. Even bottled water is hard to come by... Working in a call center for an ISP, we don't have to worry too much about what's popular with the rest of the world, and so, I'm tasked with finding a vending machine replete for geeks. While Jolt can come out of any normal soda machine that supports plastic bottles, the glass Bawls bottles woultn't fare so well. Do they make a soda machine that would work for this? What's around your office... And what's popular among the geeks today, as I want it to appeal to the vast majority of our staff?" Why use a vending machine when a community cooler would work just as well. With that aside, what kind of beverages would you like to see more of in vending machines?

8 of 145 comments (clear)

  1. Special Geek Beverages by recursiv · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I'm a geek, but I don't need to have my special geek beverages just to prove it. And as far as water goes, the water fountain (bubbler if you prefer) suits me fine.

    --
    I used to bulls-eye womp-rats in my pants
    1. Re:Special Geek Beverages by TheRedHorse · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I agree. I don't think any true geek needs a special drink or sticker or t-shirt or anything to prove that he or she is a geek.

      But if you want drinks like Bawls here's what you need to do:

      1. Buy a large fridge

      2. Buy Bawls online at thinkgeek

      3. Set up repeat shipments using Scheduled Delivery

      4. Plug Fridge into power outlet somewhere near work area, keep stocked with Bawls.

      That's it, you can choose when to start your shipments, how often to send shipments, etc. Everything will work as long as you keep you shipping and billing info current.

    2. Re:Special Geek Beverages by pheonix · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Excellent point... I'm getting sick of the stupidity that plagues the ask slashdot questions recently... I mean, what beverages are geeky enough for geeks? Which pets are geeky enough? Which laptops are geeky enough? Even how do you be geeky enough with a SO? Come on people, if you don't have a real question, don't bother sending it. If you need to know how to handle your girlfriend, ask Ann Landers. If you want to know what car to buy, go to Car and Driver. Oh well... maybe it's just me being tired, but it seems a bit ridiculous that so many people are suddenly asking themselves, AM I GEEKY ENOUGH? Buy an identity...

    3. Re:Special Geek Beverages by RevAaron · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Indeed. Pretty much everyone likes to feel like they belong. Some of us are lame enough to work towards being a part of a very inclusive group like the "geeks" that they have to make sure to get "geeky" shit. Whatever, whatever splits your bananna.

      It's called High School Clique syndrome. You know, the punks, goths, and raver kids that champion individuality, make fun of all the "preps" who "try so hard to fit it" and at the same time, put so much effort into fitting in with their little club.

      Not saying it's bad, it's just what humans do, I suppose.

      --

      Working toward a usable PDA environment in the spirit of Newton OS: Dynapad
    4. Re:Special Geek Beverages by willfe · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Well then, I guess we'd better just shut down Ask Slashdot, since no question of late can pass muster with you.

      Better that people keep questions to themselves, and just conform, than to dare ask what others in their peer group think or feel about something.

      You're completely right; you should never ask which notebooks run your alternative OS of choice -- better to just keep the economy churning along by buying whichever one looks the coolest and hoping its equipment works with your stuff. Don't ask or even wonder how to conduct your geeky self with a significant other -- if you don't "just know," your relationship is doomed anyway. Never solicit opinions about pets that are pleasant to be around yet are easy to maintain -- that should be painfully obvious! Just buy a [insert your favorite pet here and argue with anyone who disagrees]!

      Really, fuck off. It's clear you're remarkably tired, or just intolerant of anyone musing aloud about topics you think you've mastered yourself. Have you got a perfect pet, a perfect laptop, a perfect relationship with your SO, and a perfect stock of beverages in your refrigerator/cooler/vending machine/drink dispenser of choice? (For the clueless, that's rhetorical; I'm sure I'll get responses to this question anyway :)

      I'm getting sick of every single fucking Ask Slashdot question having more replies of "Dur, this is a stoopid question!" and "What are j00, some kind of moron?" rather than an actual exchange of information.

      Maybe people don't want to google for random sites that might have real or bogus information. Maybe people don't want to write to that tightwad wench Ann Landers for a dose of conservative drivel. Maybe people don't want to read a magazine sponsored by the same companies they're supposed to be objectively reviewing to figure out which car to buy.

      Gasp -- Maybe people just want to hear what others in their peer group have to say about different topics.

      Then again, looking at your response, maybe people will just get sick of folks like you and stop feeding trolls like I'm doing now ;)

      As I've always said about "offensive" television and radio shows, magazine and newspaper articles, books, and web sites, articles, and posts, if it offends you, quit reading it, and move on to the next topic. There's plenty of kinder, gentler content on Slashdot or even Disney's site if these mind-bending questions twist your soul into painful shapes.

      --
      Read my stuff.
    5. Re:Special Geek Beverages by Wakko+Warner · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I'm getting sick of every single fucking Ask Slashdot question having more replies of "Dur, this is a stoopid question!" and "What are j00, some kind of moron?" rather than an actual exchange of information.

      Have you ever stopped to consider that perhaps the reason that no meaningful exchange of information occurs in this section of slashdot is because the questions being asked here of late are completely inane?

      Ask slashdot used to be good. The questions used to be intriguing and required a little more thought thank simply linking to a fucking Google search. Nowadays, they're just Slashdot-Retarded, thoughtless ponderances with as much conversation potential as a pile of dogshit. "What kind of electric dork cars are there?" USE GOOGLE. "What kind of laptops have good linux driver support?" USE GOOGLE. "Where can I get good geek shit for my right hand^W^Wgirlfriend?" SHUT UP, ASK A REAL FUCKING QUESTION, AND USE GOOGLE!

      It's hard to engender any sort of worthwhile conversation when the only answers you can really give are pointers to websites. There hasn't been a thought-provoking question on Ask Slashdot in months.

      - A.P.

      --
      "Remember when the U.S. had a drug problem, and then we declared a War On Drugs, and now you can't buy drugs anymore?"
  2. Why not a community cooler? by eNonymous+Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    >Why use a vending machine when a community cooler would work just as well.

    Because the day after you set up the community cooler, it's going to be empty, and believe me there won't be any quarters inside.

    Been there, done that. At my previous job (non tech related) they brought in a full-sized refrigerator and installed it in the break room. For a few days, the fridge was actually stocked on the company's dime with soda, fruit juices, and even iced coffee. I think they underestimated what people would drink. By the end of the week they'd already announced that they would no longer be stocking it, there was a memo hanging on the fridge door that said they'd spent over $600 in beverages just in the first few days.

    So, no biggie, everyone can bring in their own drinks, right? Yeah, right! You show up for work, pop a few Mountain Dews or Frulatte's in the fridge, and by the time you go to grab one they're all gone. Even if you wrote your name on them, someone else would swipe them. Unless you have a very small office where everyone can view the fridge at all times, community coolers/fridges aren't going to work, cause the community is gonna nab your drinks.

    The fridge was still there when I left, but nobody really used it. It was more a rite of passage than a utility. New hires would think "hey cool, a fridge" and quickly learn that it was a magic fridge, which made anything you put into it disappear.

    Go with a vending machine. If people start stealing out of that, you can prosecute!

  3. H2O!!! by EvlG · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I don't know why more people don't go for the old standby, water.

    I used to be a heavy soda drinker, consuming at least 5 every work day. One day, I didn't have enough change to buy sodas, and I drank water all day.

    I can not adequately describe how much better I felt, and how much more productive I was. I felt like my whole body was just flushed out, especially my brain.

    Ever since, I have only gone for a soda when I need a really quick rush of sugar or calories. This is usually true in the last hour or two before I head home to eat dinner.

    Try drinking nothing but water for an entire week at work, and see if you find yourself feeling better and thinking better as I did.