Thread by @david_perell

New Post: "The Algorithmic Trap"

It's about TRAVELING in the internet age.

Themes:

1. Travel as a method of learning

2. A theory of human recommendations

3. Why travel is like the Louvre

4. Go to dirty restaurants

5. Should we use algorithms?

✈️

perell.com/blog/the-algor…

I tied multiple ideas together in this post:

1. @tylercowen's book: "An Economist Gets Lunch"

2. @chaykak's essay on "Airspace"

3. @VitalikButerin's observations on travel

4. @danwwang's observations from travels in China

I also defined my own rules for travel.

Enjoy!

Ultimately, my philosophy of travel boils down to this:

1. When possible, avoid algorithms.

2. Meet passionate locals who can communicate their passions well.

3. Then, follow their lead.

4. Do what they do and go where they go.

5. Ask lots and lots of questions.

🌍

Algorithms in action...

Before the internet, speakeasies were HARD to find.

They were hidden behind secret doors.

Now, speakeasies are EASY to find.

"The same traits that would have made a place obscure in the 1980s make it a popular, line-out-the-door draw in 2018."

🍸

Oooo... @kevin2kelly has a name for this:

"The Banana Pancake Kingdom!"

"The Pancake Kingdom is a very thin line of semi-comfort, but its advantage is that it is very easy to step outside it."

In the Kingdom, things are quick, easy, and accessible.

🍌

hitotoki.org/moments/144i0i…

Cities are Instagram bait.

"In urban space, our desire to photograph and share virtually everything has spawned a new genre of urban pleasure grounds."

Excellent article.

evenmagazine.com/the-price-of-s…