/r/OnlyInTheory
A place to point out & discuss seemingly awesome ideas and/or products that on second thought are actually only cool in theory.
Only In Theory
Where we point out & discuss initially awesome-seeming ideas and/or products that on second thought have some serious drawbacks or deficiencies.
Huge bonus points for things that went viral as great ideas & a title properly explaining exactly what's faulty with it.
Post Title Format
The easiest format to submit your OIT if you're comin' up short:
"<insert awesome item!>... except <insert reason why it's not so awesome on second thought>"
Related Subreddits
- /r/wheredidthesodago
- /r/humorousreviews
- /r/ideas
- /r/ReviewsOfAnything
- /r/valuableideas
- /r/crazystairs
- /r/Architecture
- /r/Lightbulb
- /r/Whatcouldgowrong
Suggested websites for content
/r/OnlyInTheory
3,646 Subscribers
The rarely seen trampoline assisted air ball
12:31 UTC
Vodka, meet smoke.
13:25 UTC
The Centaur class starship from Star Trek Loos really cool. Until you realise it's two totally different ships glued together...
18:33 UTC
Marmalade beer is now a thing. We were NOT impressed...
19:42 UTC
There is a beer in Scotland made to taste like a weird lumpy pudding boiled in a dishcloth. And I drank it.
04:00 UTC
Camden Town Brewery sent a thank you box to my pub for stocking their beer. We don't stock their beer...
00:55 UTC
Uber Tesla / Uber ONE launches in Dubai
08:55 UTC
Water Bottle Bazooka
23:40 UTC
This sub, apparently
05:05 UTC
A kit that lets diabetics make their own insulin
I'm the creator of this kit that lets people create their own GMOs by playing with DNA. And then I thought, what if i could promote my kit for diabetics or make a kit specifically for it? But I think i'll get my ass sued from people getting infections using unsafe syringes and injecting something that isn't insulin into their blood :S
(https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/glowgene/glowgene-create-new-lifeforms-by-mixing-up-dna/)
14:06 UTC
Sounds fun: a helicopter with 54 drone rotors spinning at neck-height...
15:32 UTC
Well, it's eye catching and it shows how the product works, but....
03:03 UTC
I can only imagine how much crap builds up from falling into the holes for the analog sticks
15:49 UTC
Bacon alarm clock - wake up to the smell of bacon cooking!... except leaving slices of raw bacon overnight for six+ hours & you're gonna have a bad time
23:32 UTC
Saving a sheep stuck in a fence! Yeah!... except the steep slope behind you! (x-post /r/yesyesyesyesno)
23:48 UTC
Ass cheek tanner (xpost from Funny)
02:33 UTC
Man Sack Fanny Pack - what a hoot! Have fun lewdly reaching in/around your fannypack balls for loose change & getting mocked by your buds with as many innuendos they can possibly think of
01:12 UTC
Smell-based alarm clock - "wake up to a delightful scent – and not an incessant beeping alarm – with this smell based alarm clock"... but considering smell is actually tertiary to the senses of sight & sound AND these scents are considered relaxing & pleasant, this just won't work as an ALARM clock.
04:20 UTC
Glass vibrator urn. Let's sidestep the obvious necrophilia comments & just go with "wait... a hollow glass vibrator?!?!?!"
23:04 UTC
Email headlines like "Intelligent people have this in common"
All the intelligent people go, "wait a minute, this is probably bullshit."
07:24 UTC
A USB power station that's SUPPOSED to get wedged between the couch cushions. What're the odds after an hour or two of moving around on your couch that thing'll slip under & get lost in the depths just like everything else?
22:50 UTC
A gruesome-yet-hilarious final destination scene just waiting to happen with these ninja star coat hooks
01:13 UTC
Toilet bowl coffee mug: hilarious in theory, instinctively repulsive in practice
18:43 UTC
"Enjoy a quick smoke break during a marathon study session by discreetly toking on these Hilighter pipes - minimize the risk of getting caught!" ...but wouldn't putting a smoking neon highlighter up to your mouth attract MORE attention?
05:30 UTC