Think about tabletop RPG's; the game feels more immersive when you have a GM that will let your character die rather than a game where the GM intervenes to always lets your character live. Without stakes, the game feels hollow.

I think it's because the addiction (speaking from a personal standpoint, not an expert lol) is in part self destructive. Knowing that you are hurting yourself when you lose is part of the appeal I think.

I'd say no, debate is meant for the audience and charisma plays a big part in it. It's like the refrigerator test with movies, a movie just needs to convince you until you have some time to process it. A debate does the same thing very intentionally I think.

+

+

I feel this on a personal level lol it's weird for my fandoms to be in my other fandoms (weird in an amazing way)

I was out for one of the protests too! No Kings!

+

I also don't see the connection, it feels like ad revenue was an effective strategy in the last century but we're squeezing every last drop out of it now. I don't think it's that far away when we reach the plateau where almost everyone is aware of the big brands that buy these $million ads

I use mine for creative writing all the time (nothing I publish just world building and RPGs for friends) and it's incredibly useful for brainstorming ideas. It's starting to make its way into all of my hobbies.

When I use it to find an answer I know I need to check the sources.

/2 I am personally fascinated with the idea of an algorithm that exists locally on my PC that I can have complete control over how it works. A lot of the criticisms I see about the current algorithms is how vulnerable it makes you to outside influence, not necessarily how useful they can be.

I like the automation of the unpleasant parts of the internet. I grapple with algorithms that are externally influenced, but I would bet I'll never hear my favorite song of 2024 because there's just too much media. I only hear what is successful or curated by 'someone' with a bias.

+

"futuristic society blots out the stars so thoroughly they begin mistaking glimpses of them for alien attacks" is the kind of hamfisted Industry Bad moral that I'd consider it embarassingly unsubtle as the finale to a star trek TOS episode -R