I’m not familiar with how they work or what kinds of data they track and return. Would they be useful to track things like plant feeder changes, cpap cleaning schedules, ant farm maintenance…

Can you think useful alternative applications and life hacks for these apps?

edit: I know that there are alternative scheduling apps for virtually any need. That’s not the point. I like finding new and useful ways to use existing things.

  • solrize@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    Don’t, just don’t, or maybe do. A lot of those apps phone home with your period info to help marketers and the secret police infer when you might be pregnant. So if you’re going to use such an app at all, use it for anything except actual period tracking. That should at least confuse them.

  • Björn Tantau@swg-empire.de
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    2 days ago

    I don’t think period trackers can be used for that because schedules and such are supposed to alert you to something. But with period trackers you tell them when something happened. Specifically when the first blood and the last blood appeared. I don’t think any of them give you a message of “expect to feel awful today”.

    But maybe they can be used to track natural occuring cycles like when a fast growing plant is ready for harvest maybe.

    Edit: I often use Did I take my meds as a flexible scheduler.

    • Today@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      Period expected in 2 days can mean it’s time to change your water filter or clean out your fridge or whatever. And the symptoms can be used to mean something else

  • Vanth@reddthat.com
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    2 days ago

    I’m not familiar with how they work or what kinds of data they track and return.

    Uh, they track menstrual cycles. So unless you have a thing that runs on a roughly 21-35 day cycle, there’s not much dual use to get from a period tracking app.

    Are you trying to think of an alternative use for when cops try to use the app data to prosecute a woman when she miscarries? There are probably some plants that need to be watered ~monthly. Like a cactus or succulent.

  • Cethin@lemmy.zip
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    2 days ago

    I hope you get some alternative uses just so that people can claim that’d what they were tracking when the police come knocking. If it’s a criminal trial, they need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, and providing other uses would absolutely provide reasonable doubt for that information at least.

  • Bassman1805@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    Useful alternative app: Google calendar. Or any of a hundred other calendar apps.

    There are specialized scheduling apps for most things as well. I know for sure there are a ton of gardening apps.

  • Mac@mander.xyz
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    2 days ago

    Track your workouts, runs, oil changes, migraine, poops, payments, house air filter changes, etc