Good morning John I'm not sure if I like...the Internet?

That's not true, I love the internet I, I lo-, I just don't like all these algorithms, y'know?

That's also a lie, I love the algorithms. I like to create in collaboration with audiences, but also with algorithms. I understand it. It's fun.

And I love it when the algorithms reward me with numbers that I put inside of the hole inside of me that can fit an infinite number of numbers.

Weirdly I also really like it when the algorithms reward me with failure, and outrage; or at least I act like I like that because my finger will hover over the tweet button knowing that pushing the button will bring me nothing but misery and then...I'll push it. (exaggerated shrug)

The algorithmically recommended internet is obviously a slot machine for users but it is even more of a slot machine for creators. The rewards are obviously potentially huge but the threats can feel, like, existential. Like, all I really have, in a very real way, is my reputation. And yet I go out every day and I put it on the line. In ways that I don't really even have to.

And John, I have to emphasize this: I frigging' love it.

Just leanin' out over that cliff, and then...I jump! In my wingsuit, and I fly around through some of the most treacherous terrain in the history of human communication and I love it. Hell yeah. Strap me in.

John I wish I could say that I only loved the good parts. I do love them. I love the Good Store and the Project for Awesome and Crash Course and SciShow and Dear Hank and John. I love the good parts, I really do. But I don't just love the good parts.

I also love the slot machine. I love the slot machine. I love it.

And I think there really are some advantages to having given away human curation largely to extraordinarily intelligent machines that make more recommendations in a day than humanity did in its first 200,000 years.

But I don't think that we realize what we were giving away when we did that. And...I think that there were bad parts.

So little of what I do when I strap on my wingsuit is good for me and I...I know that.

And I'm trying to figure out what it is about these systems that's compelling to me because I know that when I read human-curated stuff...I like it. I'm like 'People are better at this than computers'. But, there's something that the computers are doing that's better at keeping my attention.

I can't stop asking myself: 'Why, when I know that people do curation better than these algorithms, do I stick around with these algorithms?' and I think I know why.

It's because they are not designed to make me happy. They are not designed to be what I want. They are designed to keep me on the website for as long as possible. Which are similar goals, but they do diverge, and eventually it seems like they diverge in some really big ways.

So, John, with all of that in mind: We're gonna be launching a new thing. Or, really, re-launching it, ahh, the Nerdfighteria newsletter which we've had for over a decade now is going to be relaunched as a new newsletter. It's actually going to be more of a newsletter. It's going to be called "We're Here".

Once every week you'll get a recommendation of some of the best stuff that the internet has to offer; whether it has anything to do with you or I or Nerdfighteria or not.

(cyclist, off-screen) "Yo, how's it going?"
Good, how are you?
(cyclist, cycling past) "Pretty good, I love your TikToks"
Oh thank you so much!

Maybe she'll sign up. It's not a super revolutionary thing but I think the vibe that we're going for is somewhat unusual.

I've been thinking of trying to capture this sort of wistful consignment to being part of this flawed but beautiful thing that is humanity.

LIke, one thing that everybody who reads this newsletter has in common: they're here.

Why? Who knows. But it is kind of an amazing place to get to be.

It's not gonna be like a "good news" newsletter, uh but it's also not gonna be a "Here's your daily round of fresh horrors" newsletter. It's more of a "You're in a bizarre world. Might as well be in it" newsletter.

That's the kind of thing we'll be picking out to share, along with some art and articles from people who we think are great on social media, but who we don't necessarily sort of want to sort of wade through all of what the algorithm has to offer in order to find it.

Those things that we hope will like deepen your relationship with and understanding of the world and of the people who you share it with.

If you're not sure if you're signed up for the newsletter already, it doesn't hurt to sign up twice, there's really no reason not to. We really desperately want another way to communicate and to make stuff and I hope that you join us. At 'We're Here'. There's a link in the description. Just - do it! I mean, right now, literally, just go down there and do it right now.

Ooh, a sand dollar.

First issue's gonna go out next week - John, I'll see you on Tuesday.