Post #2001057

2025-07-30 14:22 UTC

billions of dollars poured into data centers doing unspeakable things to our planet, and all modern recommendation algorithms still basically amount to &gt; YOU ENGAGED WITH PICTURE OF: CAT &gt; HERE IS FOUR MILLION MORE PICTURE OF: CAT

Replies (15)

@woe2you@toot.wales 2025-07-30 14:24

@beep@follow.ethanmarcotte.com The Internet is for PICTURE OF: CAT, I see no problem with this.

Open ##2696052
@yvonnezlam@mastodon.social 2025-07-30 14:25

@beep@follow.ethanmarcotte.com I would like it if, when I said, "I would like more cat pictures, please," they took that seriously.

Open ##2696053
@fedward@distraction.party 2025-07-30 14:33

@beep@follow.ethanmarcotte.com LinkedIn keeps suggesting I follow AI companies despite me constantly clicking the “show less like this” button. It has also twice suggested I follow the CIA. Cat pictures would be a huge improvement.

Open ##2696058
@DavidDarnes@mastodon.design 2025-07-30 14:44

@beep@follow.ethanmarcotte.com turning a big dial taht says "Cats" on it and constantly looking back at the audience for approval like a contestant on the price is right

Open ##2696060
@jessamyn@glammr.us 2025-07-30 15:38

@beep@follow.ethanmarcotte.com "You purchased a washing machine. Would you like seven more washing machines?"

Open ##2696061
@dhwthompson@mastodon.social 2025-07-30 16:27

@beep@follow.ethanmarcotte.com It is still wild to me how many things seem to boil down to “this thing is so wasteful and has such awful side effects that it *must* be a good idea, because otherwise we would all have stopped”.

Open ##2696069
@numist@xoxo.zone 2025-07-30 16:38

@beep@follow.ethanmarcotte.com @jef@mastodon.social adtech has us sorted into a million different demographic stereotypes, meanwhile: > PLEASE ENTER YOUR BIRTHDAY [date entry field: defaults to today]

Open ##2696070
@rozeboosje@masto.ai 2025-07-30 18:34

@beep@follow.ethanmarcotte.com gawd I wish someone finally figured out how to implement a preference for "tell me / show me / stream something I don't know already. Like... surprise me. I like to be exposed to Something New, not More Of The Same"

Open ##2696073
@gabrielesvelto@mas.to 2025-07-30 19:20

@beep@follow.ethanmarcotte.com you bought a dishwasher? So you like dishwashers, here's to four months of non-stop dishwasher ads

Open ##2696074
@metagrrrl@mastodon.social 2025-07-30 20:41

@beep@follow.ethanmarcotte.com Or "You have a question? Here is answer that is clearly in the first search result if you type in that box instead." sigh.

Open ##2696075
@abosio@fosstodon.org 2025-07-30 21:28

@beep@follow.ethanmarcotte.com I always think about the Netflix contest for improving their algorithm. They spent way too much money and effort on that.

Open ##2696076
@lispi314@udongein.xyz 2025-07-30 21:45

@beep@follow.ethanmarcotte.com @becomethewaifu@tech.lgbt The "funny" thing is that it's all very feasible without the datacenters, it just cuts out the profiteering the corposcum are interested in.

Open ##2696077
@jack@status.sexyferret.science 2025-07-30 22:41

@beep@follow.ethanmarcotte.com now draw the rest of the social criticism

Open ##2696078
@cazabon@mindly.social 2025-07-30 22:45

@beep@follow.ethanmarcotte.com A++ Don't forget the closely related "YESTERDAY YOU PURCHASED . SO HERE ARE 400 MORE TYPES OF SAME GOOD YOU MAY WANT".

Open ##2696079
@memdmp@catgirl.center 2025-07-30 23:39

@beep@follow.ethanmarcotte.com its all still fundamentally just markov chains and nothing more

Open ##2696080