*The tyranny of average-optimized choices*
- Why do language learning apps teach you words for exotic animals and travel, but not words for concepts and abstractions?
- Why doesn't Twitter randomise the order of options in polls when it shows them to people?
(1/..)
- Why do language learning apps teach you words for exotic animals and travel, but not words for concepts and abstractions?
- Why doesn't Twitter randomise the order of options in polls when it shows them to people?
(1/..)
- Why do so many apps and websites make it impossible to select text? And why do browsers allow it?
- Why are we being told not to wear masks when they are clearly at least somewhat helpful?
- Why do terms and conditions for everything only have accept/reject?
(2/..)
- Why are we being told not to wear masks when they are clearly at least somewhat helpful?
- Why do terms and conditions for everything only have accept/reject?
(2/..)
- Why are app permissions in Android not granular?
- When you're at school, why can't you skip ahead to work on interesting and complex stuff as soon as you're ready?
- Why is there only one sort of legally binding marriage contract that you can sign?
(3/..)
- When you're at school, why can't you skip ahead to work on interesting and complex stuff as soon as you're ready?
- Why is there only one sort of legally binding marriage contract that you can sign?
(3/..)
- Why is every f****ing service asking me for my phone number as a security factor, when I know that it's vulnerable to SIMjacking and I really don't want to provide it, and I'd much rather have a dedicated second factor that's actually secure?
(4/..)
(4/..)
The answer to all of these questions, and many others, is that the options you are given are options that are appropriate for the average person.
Many things that we use are only possible at massive scale, and at that scale only the needs of the average person matter.
Many things that we use are only possible at massive scale, and at that scale only the needs of the average person matter.
The average person is only averagely intelligent and averagely knowledgeable about any given subject.
Which, from the perspective of someone reading this tweet, means that everything you ever touch will look like it's designed for an idiot.
Which, from the perspective of someone reading this tweet, means that everything you ever touch will look like it's designed for an idiot.
Some areas of life actually get worse over time because of this effect.
Software has gotten a lot dumber over my (brief) adult life because the number of people using it has expanded hugely. The move from Windows 7 to Windows 8 was particularly egregious.
Software has gotten a lot dumber over my (brief) adult life because the number of people using it has expanded hugely. The move from Windows 7 to Windows 8 was particularly egregious.
But in general everything to do with smartphones is just super dumbed down and the quality of the experience that we get is terrible because it's optimized for the average person.
Twitter is thankfully a ray of light breaking through the clouds, because your experience is so strongly determined by who you follow and are followed by. It could still be a lot better though, for example with more powerful controls over how the algorithm works.
