0gravitas's comments

> As with reality TV, it turns out that's where the money was all along. If it doesn't cost anything to produce then you can create endless hours at zero marginal cost. Why people listen to this stuff I honestly have no idea, but they do.

I imagine people listen to that calibre of podcast for similar reasons that people passively listened to the radio in the past: They are lonely, or they enjoy having background noise.

Personally, I'm with you. I'd prefer to listen to a truly well done programme or good music -- but to each his own.

Think about the problem, actively and deeply. Then let it go and sleep on it.

Sometimes, when you can’t come to a solution, it’s best to let the solution come to you.

And, of course, further research is needed…

It's a great strategy for the long game. The AI tech itself (e.g. OpenAI) will just be a low margin, commoditised utility in the long run. The value is at the edges.

QR codes are conducive to dining use cases where automation is desirable. For instance, QR codes would fit in with the old automat model [1]. A more modern example might be Chinese restaurants, where the food (i.e. temperature, taste, price) is more important than the experience (e.g. rude but fast waiters are fine).

In use cases where the experience is an important component, such as the steakhouse example from the article, QR codes can be a net negative. Automation might not be desirable there.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automat

When you’re 20, you care about what everyone thinks about you. When you’re 40, you don’t care about what other people think of you. When you’re 60, you realise that no one was really thinking about you anyway.

Sorry, you’re absolutely right. Let me amend that for you… /s

"What can I do to get you in this car today?"

A takeaway of the article might be: Be beautiful, or employ nifty psychological tricks.

See also:

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo_effect

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_attractiveness_stereo...

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_in_advertising

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirroring

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patter

It's useful for rubberducking.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_duck_debugging

> I asked my boss for a raise today and he rejected it. It's a bit overdue and I'm paid slightly below market.

I'm sorry to hear that.

> I could probably find a new better paid job in a few weeks, but I don't really want to quit, the team is nice, I kinda like this work environment, it's a full remote gig with decent hours.

It sounds like there are real plusses to your current position, yet you are nonplussed. Would you truly be considering interviewing elsewhere if you felt fully satisfied with your current position?

> I've been thinking about interviewing for jobs that I don't plan on getting, just to get a better offer and force my boss hand, does that sound like a decent idea?

Generally, one may not force a superior's hand, at least not without real possibility of resentment and political instability. If you're going to the trouble of interviewing, wouldn't it be worthwhile to consider your options?

> What do you usually do in this kind of situation?

If I were in this situation, I would certainly feel under-appreciated at the very least. I would seriously consider my options, and I would not make any decision in haste. Nor would I take too long to decide. Carpe diem.

What would I have to lose by interviewing? Wouldn't having more options to choose from be advantageous, regardless of which option I were to choose? Optionality is valuable.

Frankly, if I were in your position and I were to have an outside offer in hand, I would not volunteer that information to my boss to elicit a counter offer. I would just leave. After all, he already made it known how much -- or how little -- he thinks I'm worth by rejecting my proposed raise in the first place. Even if he were to match the offer, would he really think that I'm worth it? How might it affect me in the long term if I were to stay, with or without the raise?

Best of luck, and I hope things go as well as they can for you.