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This is kind of an anti-rec, more of a PSA.
If you havenāt heard of the marketing research company WGSN itās worth a deep dive.
Horrifying to see that years ago, a marketing research company predicted that weād all be into 90s and early 2000s nostalgia, nihilism, and awe/whimsy.
The scarier part, for me, is how companies that work with these firms will prey upon individualsā sincere interests and perspectives. Some unpaid intern from WGSN is def monitoring this app lol.
I wrestle with that competing understandings that a zeitgeist will always exist; that the transmission of preferences/ideas between people is how culture is made, with also not wanting to be unconsciously influenced by a predatory system whose only goal is to make me feel like Iām less than and therefore push me to consume.
Sry Iām super red pilled this morning lol.
Jul 10, 2024
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š°
anyone on pi.fyi will likely feel seen and heard when reading this. it basically accentuates all the redundancies and senseless aspects of social media and how itās disrupted every industry and how we are all dominated by the algorithm and have to be our own hype person. i always feel like an idiot after i finish a record or a book that i'm really excited to share with the world, but then have to think about ācontentā to promote the art itself. obviously pi.fyi feels likes a refreshing beacon of hope because artists can share their work here in a far more simple and wholesome manner. the article also addresses non-creative jobs like accountants and other professions that are all being forced to become an āinfluencerā of some sort or build a brand. itās spooky, yet weāre all feeling the fatigue so hopefully we can see a less algorithmic future soonā¦
Feb 8, 2024
this article really captivated me about 8 years ago when it came out. i was still in college on my sociology bullshit and was extremely interested in the tactile changes the internet was bringing, especially to cities (i was also in the midst of a rust belt obsession so really couldn't have been more tailored to me).
a lot of what is in this article has been discussed to death in the time since, but i re-read it recently after a visit to troy new york (the main subject) and found it a really interesting relic of the 2016 internet landscape AND a worthwhile reflection of what the author was predicting and how much of it came true. and all of it is still very relevant, just swap instagram with tiktok
Nov 12, 2024
(fwiw I think pi.fyi fights the top-down rec structure, democratizes recs, and encourages exploration, but much 2 consider)
āThe pyramid scheme of taste follows the structure of your typical MLM. One person or institution declares somethingāa book, an Italian 90s movie, a type of coffee, the Hainan Chicken Houseāto have value. They then align the Chicken House with a certain desired aesthetic, a sense of prestige or in-group knowledge. The first degree of buy-ins might come from friends, TikTok followers orĀ TimesĀ readers who will then go on to seek out this acclaimed Chicken House. These consumers are not motivated by the desire to fulfill a personal want or need, or by a drive toward personal aesthetic or knowledge or exploration, but by the knowledge that once they've collected this experience they can take a new seat in the pyramid and espouse the merits of the said experience to whoever their own micro-audience happens to beā¦.Ā
Sharing something you truly love to someone who revels in that revelation is sheer pleasure, and being shown a hidden gem you'd never otherwise come across is a true gift. It is not the transmission of recommendation that I object to, but the structure of its dissemination. The joy in sharing tastes comes from the joy of connection and mutual discovery. This is the opposite of the pyramid, which works to blend the joy of discovery with consumerist and elitist tastemakingā¦
Tastes are meant to be formed through experimentation, experiences that test your comfort zone and elicit reactions that inform you of what you truly like.ā
Aug 1, 2024
Top Recs from @gabbaghoul
nothing makes me happier than receiving bespoke reactions from my pals in the group chat
Nov 17, 2024
š°
Everything is cyclical and youāll have your eras when you feel evolved, self-assured, like youāve āfigured it outā and then suddenly everything will feel confusing and uncertain. Then youāll cycle back. And this will happen through most of your life. And itās happening to everyone youāre jealous of.
Your time will come around, just ride the wave bb š šāāļøš¤š¼
Jul 11, 2024
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Most people were doing the best with what they had.
(exceptions for true abusers ofc)
Jun 22, 2024