modifier

I am a people pleaser who is not immune to flattery. Tread carefully.

I'm not sure how long you've been here - not assuming how long you've been lurking, or that this is your first account, but I think it really is easier not to care here. All kidding aside, try it. You don't have this whole upvote/award dopamine cycle here, and in many cases, anyone can see the number of downvotes a comment has vs upvotes - something that reddit long ago "fuzzed" along with actual vote counts.

For instance, the comment I'm replying to has 3 upvotes (one of them mine), and 1 downvote as of right now. This ratio may stay the same, but I wouldn't be surprised if you got more downvotes, because your comment was a kind of dismissive reply to a comment that probably represents what a lot of folks who've been here a while feel, which also came from a user that is very active and generally well liked. I could not begin to tell you their upvote count (can't even see my own) as a proof of their popularity, so I just have to go by what I observe in my day to day, and this place is still small enough that you see familiar usernames in a variety of communities.

This is still kind of a small town, and you may come to see this bug as a feature in time. I did.

Isn't gold softer than iron with a lower melting point?

Many props to you. I feel like reddit doesn't count as social media, but I couldn't energetically defend that position. They are certainly engaging in social media tech bro behavior, so the distinction probably doesn't matter at this point, but it felt different than social media before it went to shit. Now, obviously when it "went to shit" is a point in time that is highly relative to the observer, but always sometime after the observer joined. That's just the nature of enshittification.

yeah and I gobble that shit up like candy.

I am not immune, and I don't find all algorithms predatory - for example, I log on knowing that steam is selling me a product, but I am not the product. I just said in many ways I am successfully avoiding "the algorithm", though the scare quotes immediately following a run down of social media networks was meant to indicate a specific type of algorithm that is meant to induce engagement or enragement (both are profitable) and change my behavior because I am the product.

I still have plenty of time for algorithms that serve me up games for that crucial 15% of my library that I bought but haven't played yet.

One thing at a time Maxxie.

Found a way!

You kid but, at least in the US, we’re going to be perpetually a week away from returning to that time for the next 3 years and change - best case scenario.

I am not a citizen of New Mexico, but I cannot begin to tell you how fulfilled I would feel to learn that my high was lifting others up somehow.

This is me but with my wife. Mention you like something? I will continually surprise you with it until you get sick of it and cry uncle.

Slight quibble. Airlines are pushing to upgrade the technology that we use to manage our air space so that we can get more throughput on the runways safely.

They don’t worry quite so much about bloodying your nose, killing your dog, or destroying your guitar but they do not fuck around with capital S Safety (see Valujet) and you can only consolidate so much before your main competition for takeoffs is you, and the limitations of the system you are working in.

Cynical? Yes. Does our air traffic technology still need a massive upgrade even to maintain the status quo? Also yes.

That’s my fantasy too except I skip to the part where all work and social engagements are canceled.

Will that really make it better? When they can saunter?