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Comment by cvoss | Hacker News Reader

> The biggest problem at many parties is an endless escalation of volume. If you know how to fix this, let me know.

Ideally, a guest breaks a cheap glass. The sound is heard across the house. The helpers immediately spring into action, leaving their conversations behind, looking for towels and a dustpan. The people nearby go mute with sympathetic embarrassment. Much ado is made of finding every shard. Meanwhile you are laboring over a replacement drink for the guest, which you graciously present in protest to their apologies. The party resumes at 70% volume.

Also happened with a lamp on one occasion.

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This is ingenious. If I ever host a house party, I might consider stocking on some cheap glassware just in case (and figure out which friend I can trust to do the dirty work)...

Haha, my first thought too; I'm sure you can also just find some spots where someone is bound to bump one over. It might just get suspicious the fourth time around, though then again, that might make the party memorable.

I have been at a party where (as I later found out) the host had hired an actor to be one of the waiters, and she paid him to trip and fall and spill a tray of food.

It made the night memorable and got everyone talking and working together to help clean up!

So now we are to wonder if accidents are faked?

The host did harm here.

Oh, come on… so quick to judgment (and so bizarrely sure of yourself) for something you didn’t even see.

It worked. There was no “harm” done.

Here I think that’s more likely to result in shouts of

“Weeeeey!”

And

“Sack the juggler!”

Or just do not serve alcohol. When people are sober, they tend to keep their voices in check. But then again is it fun?

Even though I drink some alcohol as well, it think kind of sad that it has such a reverse association with not having fun. I am sure almost all people would have an awesome time regardless. It's very deeply ingrained in our culture and just the default behaviour when meeting in the evening.

I had the exact same idea, buy a honk thing and play it when noise gets too loud. Gets everyone to reset noise volume.

Tbh the noise volume issue is only smthg that exists in american parties

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