I’ve officially explored every single province of Laos! ?✨ The country has totally transformed and is no longer the go-to spot for drugs and parties! I’ve come across some amazing retiree groups outside of Luang Prabang! ? But honestly, it's still primarily all about the backpackers! The outdoor adventure industry is totally fresh and still evolving! Some spots really struggled with reliability and affordability, you guys!

Northern Laos: Just a quick tip, you can totally pass on Bokeo and Udomxai provinces!

Luang Namtha is totally the place to be for amazing sightseeing and epic trekking adventures, plus it’s super easy to connect with local ethnic communities! Hey, lovelies! So, if you're planning some epic treks, you'll be thrilled to know they're super regular and totally budget-friendly! Just a heads up, though—they often come bundled in various packages from different agencies. Happy exploring!

Phongsali is still in the early stages when it comes to infrastructure and developing a thriving tourism scene. Hey, travel fam! If you're planning your next adventure, make sure to fly from Vientiane to Boun Neau—it's where all the epic treks are happening! ?✈️ Gather a squad of 5 or more to hit the trails and skip the waiting game! Let’s make those adventure vibes happen! ?

You should totally consider adding the Lao/Tai homeland in China to your list! It's such an important part of the culture and history. Trust me, you won't regret it! Banna is the original homeland of the Lao/Tai/Dai ethnicity. How cool is that? You absolutely have to check this out when you're in the area! Trust me, you won't want to miss it!

Honestly, I wouldn’t say Laos is the ultimate destination for our community, but if you happen to find yourself there or are curious about it, here’s some basic info to get you started!

Honestly, when I think of Laos, the first word that pops into my head is boring, but there are definitely some interesting aspects too! If you're looking for a quick getaway from the hustle and bustle of BKK, I totally recommend Vientiane! It's perfect for those visa runs or just a chill break. Trust me, you won't regret it! It's super close to the Thai border, and trust me, it's totally unique! Chillin' with a few friends by the stunning Mekong River, sipping on some refreshing Beer Lao, and just soaking up the good vibes! ?✨

OMG, the nature is absolutely stunning! Those mountains are just gorgeous! Crossing the border from Thailand to Vientiane is such a breeze, super quick and easy! But let me tell you, the border crossing from Vietnam to Laos in the mountains? Total nightmare! It was freezing, we got stuck for at least 4 hours, and there were all these bribes and nonsense. Ugh!

Hey everyone! Let's dive into the world of logistics! It's all about the smooth flow of goods and services, and trust me, it's super fascinating. Stay tuned for some amazing insights and tips on how to navigate this dynamic field! ?✨

The city is super cute and totally walkable, but I definitely suggest staying near the Mekong River for the best vibes! There's this super vibrant street where all the magic happens!

Living in any country can be a dream, but let's be real—how many are actually considering Laos? I mean, when you have Bangkok with all its incredible comforts and a vibrant scene, it’s hard to look anywhere else, right? Plus, the energy there is just unmatched! From my experience in Thailand, the girls are just so much more sweet and "shy." It's honestly such a vibe talking to them compared to the more spoiled girls back home. ?✨ At the end of the day, everyone has their own unique taste and comfort zone. Just because a guy prefers the luxuries of modern life doesn’t mean it’s a big deal. We all have our preferences, and that’s totally okay!

There are like the cutest beer bars all over the city and even in the outskirts! The staff is super fun, and let me tell you, the food is not just cheap but also fresh and absolutely delicious! You have to check them out! If you've ever had the chance to visit Laos, you know that the beer here is absolutely the best in Southeast Asia and a true source of national pride! I've got to say, I've never witnessed a place that enjoys sipping on beer quite like Germany does! It's a whole vibe! So, even if the club scene isn’t popping, there are always those epic private parties and holidays that give us the perfect excuse to sip on beer all day, every day! ? It’s no wonder some folks are just living that chill life, right?

Just like Cambodia, it's definitely not a destination that everyone will fully understand. If you're the kind of person who wouldn't have embraced the adventure of traveling back in the day when it was a real challenge, and not just a stroll for anyone, you might not vibe with this destination. Absolutely!

Okay, so if you're all about that edgy adventure vibe and love getting in the mix with the locals—whether they're living it up or just getting by—and you're totally down to put in some effort for those amazing experiences, then Vientiane could seriously be your dream spot for a location-independent lifestyle! ?✨ One amazing thing is that, while many areas have that charmingly simple vibe, the modernization in Vientiane is totally taking off beyond the city center, and you can really see the influence of international players in the local hospitality scene! The foreign cuisine scene here is absolutely next level compared to other Southeast Asian cities of the same size. It's wild! Even though you're in a frontier country, you can totally indulge in all the Western luxuries whenever you want. How amazing is that?! Why not take a quick trip across the river to Thailand? It's the perfect spot for anything you can't find here! Locals with a bit of cash love to party over there when they're looking for a fun escape.✨

So, picture this: I'm chilling in a super cozy, air-conditioned coffee shop, totally crushing my to-do list. Then, on a whim, I can just stroll around the corner and dive into a whole different vibe—sitting in a rustic spot with a dirt floor, enjoying some cold beers with the locals. It's all about that barbecued chicken and sticky rice, and you know I'm eating it with my fingers! How amazing is that? It's absolutely amazing, and if you don't agree, feel free to head back to Bangkok and enjoy Sukhimvit!

Laotian women have a stunning resemblance to Thai women, but they often embrace a more voluptuous figure with beautifully larger breasts and an overall curvier silhouette. Honestly, suggesting they're unattractive is just absurd! If you really had the charm, style, and patience to appreciate the finer things, you wouldn't even think that for a moment. Just saying! Honestly, so many beautiful women come from all walks of life! Like, have you ever noticed how stunning the ladies working in LOCAL beer bars can be? They’re often super fun and open-minded, making them a great vibe to connect with. Trust me, you won’t regret putting your energy there! Totally the same vibe with girls working at those upscale hotels and fancy foreign restaurants, you know?

And let me tell you, once you tie the knot with a Laotian woman, there's a whole world of possibilities when it comes to freedom—seriously, the gender dynamics are super traditional! You wouldn't believe the wild things my buddy from Thailand and Laos manages to pull off, even with his well-known wife by his side. It's all about playing your cards right, fam!
Hey everyone! So, I’m a bit out of the loop on the whole dating scene with local ladies. The last time I visited, a local mentioned that it’s no longer illegal. What’s the scoop now? Let me know your thoughts! Honestly, I can't say for sure if he really knew what he was talking about, but let me tell you, I've had my fair share of amazing connections there, and I've never run into any problems. Just keeping it real! I've seen some guys get into trouble with the police, but honestly, it always seems to be the ones who are just making a scene and annoying everyone around them.

Honestly, I totally believe it would be such an amazing place to call home! The vibe is just incredible, and the people are some of the funniest and most welcoming you'll ever encounter. But, let's be real, it's probably not the best spot for a player to settle down. Just like in Cambodia, having long-term girlfriends is definitely the way to go! Sexual norms are definitely evolving, and while there are adventurous souls everywhere, don’t expect a crowd of “typical girls” to be all over you right off the bat. Laotian women tend to embrace a more traditional lifestyle, and in a close-knit community, word travels quickly!

You might find some opportunities there, and sure, some guys do thrive, but honestly, I can't say you'd have the same level of success as you would in a vibrant city in Thailand. It’s all about figuring out which girls are the more laid-back ones you can vibe with, right? It definitely takes some time to get that sense!

If you're on the hunt for a wife or a long-term girlfriend, this might just be the spot for you! While not everyone is in that boat, it's definitely a fantastic place for those who can work from anywhere. The opportunities are endless, and honestly, you could find yourself in a cozy home with a traditional Laotian woman who knows how to keep the fire burning and the kids happy. Sounds pretty ideal, right? Time and time again, I hear from Thai men about the challenges of marrying a Thai woman.

It's such an amazing spot to connect with affluent locals! Just like in Cambodia, you can build incredible relationships in no time if you know how to present yourself.✨

Just a little insight about Laotians – they might be a bit more reserved compared to Thais, at least until they’ve had a few drinks! ?✨ Sometimes, you might feel totally overlooked, even when you're out at a local hotspot, especially around those who seem to have it all. But don't worry! A couple of drinks can really break the ice, so just hang in there and let the good vibes flow.
When a Laotian vibes with you, get ready to experience their amazing fun-loving spirit and incredible generosity! I totally had this wild experience at a restaurant in the city! I was there, just vibing with the sweet old lady who owned the place, trying to charm the staff and her daughter. But like, her older husband, who was all about that local government life, was giving me some serious side-eye! Can you believe it? ?✨ So, one day out of the blue, he invited me to the SEA Games at the brand new stadium in Vientiane! He even got me a ticket, and we were cruising around in his SUV, enjoying some Beer Laos like the best of friends while chatting about business. It was such a vibe!

Honestly, it’s such a vibe! You’ll find that the locals, especially those from the lower class, are super welcoming and friendly. Picture this: you’re at a temple party or some fun gathering, and someone just plops down next to you, chatting away in their language, totally unbothered if you get it or not. They’ll be raising their glasses and making sure you’re having the best time all night long! It’s all about those genuine connections, right? It might be a little bit of a buzzkill, but hey, that's just how it goes sometimes!

One thing that totally stands out when comparing it to Thailand is the way they share a single glass at the table! Like, everyone takes turns sipping from it, and it just shows how vibrant that communal vibe really is! So heartwarming! ?? #CommunityLove Once you’re in with the Laotians, you’re totally in! It’s like joining an exclusive club where the vibes are unmatched!

This spot is just perfect for getting out into the countryside! Whether you're into motorbiking, caving, or any other outdoor adventures, you’ll totally love it! Landmines are definitely an issue, but if you stay on the well-trodden paths, there’s some absolutely stunning scenery to explore!

If someone suggests skipping Laos, I say it's time to skip THEM instead! Seriously, unless you're not ready to dive into something truly unique and vintage, you don't want to miss out on this gem! You know, some people just can't handle it, but for me, it's one of those magical spots where if I let go and embrace my wild side, I could totally lose myself in the beauty of life's simple pleasures and be the happiest person ever. ?

It’s very simple. Most people want a strong and charismatic leader. Even if he or she is somewhat of a liar and halfwit. In the 2020 election, Joe Biden received 81 million votes, while Donald Trump garnered 74 million votes. In the 2024 general election, Kamala Harris only received 74 million votes compared to 77 million for Trump. What happened to 7 million people? Either voter suppression or Biden ought to have exited the race earlier to enable a primary and for the rise of a formidable leader. Trump essentially got the identical figure he received in 2020. There was NO mass of new Trump supporters. 

Trump positions himself as a disruptive force and a formidable leader. What people were expecting from Obama. People would have done whatever Obama wanted but he didn’t have any serious ideologies. Like most Democrats, he was a centralist. Trump capitalized on the fact that for the past 30 years, the government hasn’t done much for so-called working people because wealth/tech has pushed down incomes and bargaining positions for mediocre people. If you wanna make a ton of money, better get smart.


Donald Trump's policies during his prior government were a catastrophic disaster. During his trade conflict with China, he had to use US taxpayer money to bail out farmers who got fucked. His large tax cut actually raises taxes in blue states while lowering them in red states by only 2.4%. Corporations benefited the most, receiving a 14% tax cut. So, basically, he intends to demolish the most productive US states and give them to the red states and companies that support him. 

Anyway, I think in contrast with Donald trump, Pamela Harris was very boring and inauthentic. When she spoke, she seemed to be reciting something from memory rather than speaking authentically. I believe people want more authenticity and a fighter in a leader. They are tired of the artificial, polished, politically acceptable speak. You're not supposed to talk about how gorgeous or obese people are anymore. So people are looking for authenticity. I believe Google even changed their algorithm early this year to include more user generated content from shitholes like Reddit as well as blogs. A lot of people want to know what you actually think without all the filters. They are tired of all the plastic corporate speech that you see everywhere. I'm sure this is one of the reasons Fox News still exists and the rise of YouTube influencers. Trump lies plainly, and people know it, but he doesn't hide it. He's a racist, and he doesn't try to conceal it. He worships money and is a fascist, but he doesn't try to conceal it. Biden called Trump supporters garbage (which they are) and received a lot of backlash from the mainstream media. The Democrat should have simply run with that. Democrats believe many of the same things republicans do, but they try to mask it and use politically acceptable language. I believe if Kamala Harris had revealed half of the nasty bi2ixh we all know she is, the outcome would have been quite different.

Real Kamala Harris: I recently come from a white trash village where I believe everyone has five teeth. I received the craziest question from this lard ass wearing an Andrew Tate T-shirt. He looked a little like Wig wearing Trump. Probably can’t even see his own dick. 

Harris seems like a Hilary Clinton clone, too corporate, no real empathy or emotion like… I have seen better emotions out of a B class Hollywood actor, even Dune had more real emotion in it To most people, she didn’t feel real or like someone they would hangout with, which is why in the primaries, when she ran for president, she fizzled out. In 2024, you got a let it hang all out. Sure, there was some sexism. Latinos tend to vote for male candidates (trump got 45% of their vote), and I believe Trump garnered support from white voters over a racially diverse opponent. But I ultimately blame the democrats for pushing a corporate female candidate twice against Trump. Trump only has beaten women as a presidential candidate, stupid democrats. 

Conclusion:

The Country wants more authentic bullshitters and definitely wasn’t ready for a robotic female president, add the color and idiot democrats pushed the wrong unelectable candidate again, as they didn’t learn from pushing mrs Clinton and now the US is screwed, basically a Russian puppet president, German gay guy’s puppet for vice president, and the judicial takeover continues orchestrated by the coal and oil industries rich idiots… stripping the people of protection and giving it to the wealthy is the name of their game. Federalist Society judges all the way to the supreme court have been siding with the reading of the Constitution as protecting wealth over protecting the masses, and they are all Catholic on top of that, so basically religious nutcases.

Sad for the future of the US and yeah Ukraine gets screwed over … we’re gonna see some interesting shit, maybe even WWIII. Vaccines being banned as RFK jr runs the health department lol

I’m thinking Trump and his fascist might decide that universities are producing too many regime opponents and close them down, dismissing them as a bunch of babbling eggheads wasting money. I looked more closely at the right-wing playbook known as Project 2025, and they want to abolish the Department of Education, the EPA, and pretty much anything else not explicitly specified in the Constitution. So, you could have Right-wing schools specifically designed to create ideological robots and more pesticides in food on top of vaccination restrictions. 

Overall, the United States will be led by a group of retards. When they start mucking things up attempting to bring jobs back to America with a workforce that doesn't want to do any physical labor, inflation will skyrocket. When employment losses begin, they will seek to scapegoat some minority group. I think Asians should be concerned. The Chinese have already copied the SpaceX rocket recovery method. If China can recover from its financial burden and connect with the European market while the United States abandons them, it may become the world's leading power. People in Europe are becoming poorer with aging population, thus they will require cheaper products. You can expect a significant shift in manufacturing to Southeast Asia, or possibly Russia or Turkey. Russia is likely to recover somewhat then gobble up the rest of Ukraine. However, many of these places' populations are declining and aging. So perhaps India will become the dominant dog in that zone. The US will probably just stay the top dog across the Americas. A Donald Trump presidency generates numerous new scenarios. I could picture myself conducting numerous YouTube interviews with prominent experts while advocating a happier life abroad in one of my resorts or exclusive communities built around an investment fund.

Biden should have withdrawn from the race sooner to facilitate a primary and allow for the emergence of a compelling leader. People just didn’t give a shit about Kamala Harris or did not want to vote for a woman of mixed race.

Pain is a sensation that most people have experienced, and there are two types of pain: acute pain and the other is chronic pain. Several remedies and medications help treat pain. Several ways can remedy the pain, such as Health therapy, cold water therapy, consumption of turmeric with milk, ginger, stretching and gentle movement, and many more.  Apart from that, several medications help provide instant cures. One of the effective medications is Noosanta, an excellent medication that provides an instant cure for managing moderate to severe pain. It is the brand name of the medication Tapentadol and shows its effect within 30 minutes of its intake. For more details, visit the website of the Online Pills Store. 

Pro-Trump organizations are flooding the market with right-wing polls. Every week, a new RIGHT-WING survey is out, showing Trump up 3-4 points. As a result, national and battleground poll averages show Trump and Harris deadlocked. I'm curious why major media outlets don't consult with astrologers or gypsy fortune tellers. Seriously, a Ouija board would also help them make predictions for President.

The turnout will be the deciding factor in this election. The disparity in the ground game is one of the most intriguing parts for me. The Harris team has 50 coordination offices and roughly 3000 volunteers and staff personnel stationed in each battleground state. They average 2000 doorknocks every minute. According to a Trump aide, the ex-president has only two dozen offices and relies primarily on social media and Elon Musk to rally voters.

The most important voting demographic in this election is white women, and it looks like they are breaking for Harris 55-45 over issues like a woman's right to choose.

Have you ever wondered if the size of a man's member truly matters in the bedroom, and if so, which is more important - girth or length? Join the debate on the correlation between size and sexual satisfaction.",
"refusal

In a world where gender roles are constantly evolving, do traditional gender roles still have a place in modern dating dynamics? Do they help or hinder relationships, and how do they impact attraction and compatibility between partners?",
"refusal

So back in 2018, I spent 6 months talking to a Ukrainian girl I met on a dating site, and I screened and evaluated her well. She passed all examinations and urged me to travel to Ukraine to meet her, so I booked both her and my tickets and off we went.

It was one of the worst experiences of my life. When we got into a furious dispute at the flat, she threatened to have one of her Ukrainian male friends kill me, even saying "you'll never make it back to your little island".

After our fight, I suggested I'd sleep on the couch to let her cool down. Then I sent her a mangina message on WhatsApp, saying I was sorry and that it was our final night together, and I didn't want to quarrel. She then appeared in her skimpy silk Victoria Secret night blouse and asked that I enter the bedroom and sleep in the bed.

I do not advocate anyone go there for dating, these women are no different than American women; they are feminists with a huge princess mindset.

The highlights included two instances of bad sex with minimal effort from her.

2) Princess attitude and mentality far worse than western women (didn't expect this).
3) Obsession with money and material possessions (she is looking for a guy who earns €300,000 or more per year).
4) She was like dating a ghetto black chick, hitting me randomly 2-3 times throughout the trip and screamed at me in Russian.
5) Broken English and her misinterpreting me or any kind of English humor (even though she claimed to be fluent in English).

After around the second day, I was walking on eggshells around her, watching everything I said or did since she was so critical of everything. It was a significantly worse experience than dating a Western woman. I'm excited to return to dating European/American women.

The positive aspects were that I was able to visit Kyiv, take numerous photographs, and she ironed my clothing and cleaned the place I rented on AirBNB.

Kyiv's biggest feature is its affordable prices, with meals ranging from €6-7 and drinks from €1-2. Taxi cabs are quite cheap, costing only €5-6 to travel throughout Kyiv in heavy traffic. My AirBNB cost about €50 per night, but I got a lovely one; lesser ones are around €20.
2) The architecture is magnificent; it's a tourist city, yet the culture is intact.
3) The meal is excellent; I had both traditional Ukrainian and Georgian dishes.
4) There are a lot of thin women there, but they are quite cold and unapproachable. I found Polish and Romanian to be far more friendly and less stoic/cold.
5) Easy access to and from Europe's major city (nonstop flights from London).

I will never date another Russian speaker again, and I would not recommend them to European or American men because the cultural differences and language barrier make dating quite unpleasant. I believe that many of the guys that go there enjoy the architecture and the sense of adventure that comes with attempting something new, but the relationship will never work long term unless the fundamentals are in place.

Boys, just develop yourself and keep to your own type (culture, religion, and values); I can't wait to return to dating European/American ladies.

Reddit has always been a garbage platform that’s harbored everything from cyberbullies and doxxers to sexual predators and child porn apologists. it was a place where trolls could post and do whatever they wanted without getting banned—gore porn, NeoNazi propaganda, cyber bullying, rape porn apologia, etc. It was basically the stomping ground for trolls, with the more “normal” subreddits acting as a cover.

Now new management has decided to clean it up a bit making it more like TikTok but for text and puns. Just cheap, low-effort, dumbed-down, noncontroversial pun threads. Comments are short, either out of laziness or for the sake of minimizing attack vectors upon which one’s comment could be discredited. The least controversial and most boring comments somehow get upvoted to the top, while the most in-depth, critical, and interesting sink to the bottom.

When downvoting is used as a knee-jerk “disagree” or “doesn’t conform to the hivemind narrative” button rather than being used to penalize low-quality and off-topic comments, dissenting opinion gets buried to the bottom and auto-hidden, the effective equivalent of censorship. This further polarizes the community and reinforces the hivemind in a dangerous feedback loop

Those with a non-hivemind opinion frustrated at the inability to express their viewpoints have no choice but to seek alternative subreddit communities, which then leads to the polarization problem in reverse. Now their new community polarizes in the opposite direction, driven by the anger of being censored in the mainstream, often feeding on itself to become more and more extreme. Sometimes these subreddits get so extreme that Reddit quarantines (/r/TheRedPill).or even bans it (/r/the_donald).

All travel subreddits predominantly consist of questions. If memory serves me correctly, I believe in the past there were more links to blog articles like “my experience traveling to X”. But with fatigue towards marketing blogspam and the general decline in blogging, it seems that that sort of content is not as much in vogue. People will occasionally write posts on these travel subreddits about their travel experiences, but on Reddit it’s not possible to embed images in posts, which does reduce the quality for the topic of travel that is visual in nature.

Crypto subreddits are among the most circle jerk of the non-political subreddits out there. The communities of most tokens generally consist mostly of bagholders asking “wen moon?” and re-assuring each other that their tokens will go to the moon. People will post price meme threads and posts like “just bought $500 of XYZ token, let’s take this rocket ship to the moon!”

There little incentive to write an in-depth post in a self post on Reddit because there’s really no sense of community on Reddit. Everyone is a forgettable anonymous username. There’s a follow button, but nobody does so and what value would that provide anyways. As a 90s kid I grew up on traditional forums. Traditional forums naturally have a stronger sense of community because the communities are smaller, and users can have avatars and signatures so that you can more easily recognize other users.

Reddit on the other hand completely lacks any sense of community. There are no avatars (unless you click into one’s profile), and usernames are not prominently visible, and nobody pays attention to them. Even if these features did exist, the large number of users might make it impossible to recognize others either way. This lack of community is what makes these “look at my dog” posts so cringy. This is not Facebook; nobody knows you or cares about your dog (unless it is a subreddit for dogs or wherever that’s appropriate).

Old school forums were definitely much better in feeling like a real community where you recognized other users. But part of this is due to the smaller size of these communities relative to subreddits with millions of subscribers.

The Phases of Reddit

I’d characterize the eras of Reddit roughly as follows:

2008-09 Okay quality discussion

2009-2014 Memes, cat/dog photos, and pun threads. Political polarization

2014-2019 Hivemind / Circle-jerk with sarcastic one-liner comments. Marketer blogspam

2019-present Hivemind / Circle-jerk with sarcastic one-liners. Marketer blogspam replaced by Instagram photos captioned only by their simple titles, questions and low-effort self-posts

How to improve Reddit?

Reddit could enable the ability to show avatars next to usernames. This could help foster a sense of community by making users more recognizable, similar to old-school forums. Or maybe Reddit communities are too large for this to work. Either way, it’s definitely worth testing. Some communities enable users to supplement their username with a flair (usually just some pre-approved labels or custom text), which I have noticed makes users more recognizable. But nothing beats a picture.

Substack Model

One of the main problems with Reddit is that there’s little incentive to write quality, in-depth self-posts or comments because you don’t really get rewarded for it. People can upvote your post, but you’re just another anonymous Redditor that they’ll never see again.

In order to greater encourage quality writing, Reddit could enable users to create their own blog on Reddit that doubles as a Newsletter, Substack style. Then at least quality contributes can get rewarded with followers, and ideally an email newsletter so that the creator isn’t tied to the Reddit platform.

I realize there’s already a “follow” button to follow a user, but honestly I have no idea how that works.

Conclusion

I advise people to simply stop using Reddit, both lurking and participating. It won’t get better, it won’t be fixed. Back to private/semi-private spaces we go, I suppose, and probably for the best anyway. Generally, social media is for dumb people seeking validation in one way, shape, or form, no matter how much they deny it.

I’d even go so far as to say that Reddit is likely poorly designed on purpose. The primary goal of an advertisement-driven social media business is time spent on app/site and not quality of content.

Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, etc., optimize for time-on-app to increase engagement, data collection, and advertisement exposure rather than time-well-spent-on-app. So it’s unlikely that Reddit will improve the UX, either. Making it harder to downvote would likely create unwanted friction, reduce engagement and time spent on it thereby reducing ad spends.

It’s a well-known fact these large tech companies employ psychologists that have studied the academic aspects of behavioral addiction (i.e., gambling). Probably literally using UNLV studies on gambling behavior to employ on their services. After all, it is “only unethical” but, more importantly, it’s not illegal because there are no regulations on so-called “dark pattern” designs in the United States. The tech companies pay lobbyists to keep it that way.

Make the notification number red, create bottomless scrolling all for dopamine spikes when you get a comment, upvote, or like. This is the social validation slot machine model. No wonder people have the attention span of a goldfish these days.

Like the rest of media such mainstream news, they most feed on our fight-or-flight behavior: fear and anger to drive traffic and engagement. Much of Reddit is a news feed and hence a waste of time. Not only is 99%+ of the news irrelevant to our lives, it just ends up being useless noise none of us can do anything about anyway.

As someone with addictive tendencies, what I’ve learned is to just give up many things I haven’t grown tired of: most of social media and following news and politics. I’ve tried out most services except TikTok, wanting to see what the UI looked like and what the fuss was about, but I’ve dipped out and barely used them.

Long story short, TLDR: social media sites are not trying to help you or make the world a better place, only to increase revenue and profits.

Don’t expect Reddit to improve the quality of the service for end users. Furthermore, the bigger the forums, the lower the quality of the average user is. It’s like the opposite of Metcalfe’s law for massive-user internet forums.

Besides, I wouldn’t expect Reddit to improve due to the fact that they employ free labor to moderate most of the service. Reddit pays in moderator power, not cash, to basically run the entire site sans development and hosting.

The free market is the silliest thing that otherwise intelligent people celebrate. It is the basic doctrine of libertarians, a party whose members take satisfaction in sounding much smarter than they are. That alone should cause you to distrust free market rhetoric. Most libertarians do not comprehend how things are connected. For example, pay less in taxes and you will pay less in the short run, but in the long run, because everyone else is poor as fuck as a result of rampant austerity, there will be no more money available for ordinary people to spend on your business to build your wealth. Now, your particular firm may be unaffected because the items you offer are often inexpensive (e.g., no one is going to quit buying toilet paper), but the rest of society is screwed. A liberal-controlled (i.e., slightly mitigated) banking dystopia is slightly less harmful to society than an unrestrained far-right banking dystopia. To be fair, the right-wing dystopia will benefit a small group of wealthy individuals significantly.

Libertarians often discuss how small countries, such as the US before 1913 and Hong Kong before the 1990s, became into economic powerhouses with high living standards. via tiny government. However, most libertarians are unaware of the extent to which consumer protections have benefited them. Without government controls, most people would have no idea who owns a corporation or what it does. If consumers were not required by law to know where a product was created, what it is made of, or how it was made, they would have no idea what they were purchasing, even if they wished to support American manufacturing. How would you fight back against corporations in the absence of laws and a justice system that limit what a corporation can and cannot do?

I don't mind having a social safety net, even if it raises my taxes; it means that I can basically do whatever the fuck I want (leave a job to start a business, move, etc.) and know that even if shit hits the fan, I'll be alright. Probably would require a dramatic reduction of lifestyle qualification, but nothing that couldn't be recovered from.