[juicy-fruit]

Can someone explain to me why police scanners are so popular? I recently came across some guy (https://www.reddit.com/user/regoapps) who made millions off of making a police scanner app. Is the demand really that high? What's the appeal?

Edit: Why am I being downvoted? It's a genuine question... I see listening to police scanners is a popular thing and I just want to understand why

[grzm]

I think the downvotes might be because it seems you haven't explored possible motivations on your own and it comes off as dismissive. While it may not be appealing to you, it pays to spend a bit of time thinking about what might be appealing to others. That's not to say you haven't done this; sharing what you had thought about may have staved off downvotes.

[juicy-fruit]

Okay I understand. I see from this thread and a thread from a couple of years ago that some people are using this as a background noise. I tried doing this but it's too sporadic and the talking is distracting for me to focus on programming. It also makes me feel a little anxious for some reason.

I didn't mean to offend anyone's interest, I just wanted someone to maybe show me a side I'm not seeing. I should word my questions with more thought and empathy in the future.

[GeorgeTirebiter]

J-F, I would generally ignore the downvoters. Because you have to 'read the tea leaves' to try to know why somebody downvoted you, and you can only 'make stuff up' as to the potential reason. THAT means there is no objective feedback mechanism to learn how to avoid downvoting; or, in particular, why your specific contribution was downvoted.

In my world, posting a well-reasoned on-target opinion on a website is not isomorphic with a video game, where I need to score XP or some other adolescent incentive.

So, given the lack of specific feedback, I suggest you ignore the downvoters, and do what I do, which is to imagine them as ignorant youngsters who actually think anybody cares what they think. They lack power in their own lives, and so they get the illusion of power over others with their downvote button. We should feel sorry for such creatures.

Perhaps one could try Buddhism? ;-)

[proc0]

Lol people sensitive af, it's just a question

[blantonl]

Because it is entertainment for a lot of folks.

See how many are listening on Broadcastify as we speak:

http://www.broadcastify.com

[sndean]

My parents listen to a small county's sheriff dispatch on Broadcastify when my brother is working his shift. I sometimes listen, too. It's mostly mundane stuff, and lots of domestic disputes, making it seem odd that hundreds are listening to a small town's dispatch. But sporadically you'll hear something interesting (e.g., needing backup to help apprehend a 300lbs guy who's huffing propane), which I guess explains it. Or, there are simply that many family members listening.