Smartphones; LinkedIn; Too much
Issue #370
💡Think
Hey everyone!
It’s been a while, and that’s because it’s been a wild few weeks for me.
I was in San Francisco 2 weeks ago for work’s annual conference, where we packed 13k people into a conference centre. I then flew directly to Singapore for another conference, only to test positive for Covid the morning after I arrived.
Singapore to me was the inside of a hotel room, I felt a bit like I was in a Sofia Coppola movie. Would not recommend two 16 hour flights to sit in a hotel.
Despite this madness, I was still affirmed that you really cannot replace the feeling of seeing online friends in person. I met people who I’ve known for years on Twitter, but until that moment didn’t really know them.
A 2 minute conversation can spark so many ideas. It’s so easy for people to just be an avatar, a handle, or a reply in a thread.
Have a safe week,
Luis
📷 Look
📖 Read
❶ Before Smartphones, real people were playing Google
I remember this. Back in the 2000s, you could text a phone number (118 118 in the UK) and receive answers to anything. Not only was it a fun late night thing to do with friends, it actually worked. And even funnier is that it was run by real people sitting in call centres, frantically either Googling answers, or using encyclopaedias to get you what you needed.
❷ LinkedIn’s AI career coaches will see you now
LinkedIn is rolling out chatbots and AI features to help you bot your way to success. Firstly, this is horrifying. Secondly, are we surprised? They are owned by Microsoft (cough, OpenAI, cough), and if you’re not AI-ing as a business, what are you even doing? I look forward to the plagiarism.
❸ You’re trying to do too much
This article changed my perspective a little bit. It presents the idea that even well intentioned activities – going to the gym – are extra. What will be reduced in order to fit this into your life? Or will you just stack it on top of everything else, and likely feel less happy, free, and in control as you were before?
🎧 Listen
That other guy
There are three reasons I’ve picked this podcast. Firstly, it opens with a very funny story about NBA star Michael Jordan and his lifelong vendetta against a college teammate who was picked for the team over him first. Secondly, there’s a segment about two men who have an anonymous rivalry via the running app Strava. Third, there’s a very scary section where an AI voice reads its own poetry and it’s the most existential thing I’ve heard all year.
Have a great week,
@disco_lu