Chaos & Amazement #2504 Social Media’s TikTokification, OpenAI’s Operator, and Grand Theft Hamlet
This week’s news cycle was so bizarre that, for the first time in my life, I found myself wishing we’re living in a simulation—so I’ve put together an extra-big batch of the weird and wonderful! 🤯✨🌀
Tech News
Cory Doctorow, the Canadian-British blogger, coined the term enshittification to describe how online platforms eventually turn to shit, mainly because they lack competition and accountability. And the problem will only get worse. https://pluralistic.net/2025/01/20/capitalist-unrealism/
Gary Vaynerchuk on the other hand points to social media’s TikTokification, and now even Bluesky has entered the race for vertical video dominance. Their new "Custom Feeds" feature puts them in direct competition with X and others scrambling to attract users in a potentially TikTok-less future. https://warc.com/content/feed/bluesky-adds-vertical-video-as-tiktok-vacuum-beckons/en-GB/10233
If you’re on Bluesky, the custom feed can be found here https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:z72i7hdynmk6r22z27h6tvur/feed/thevids
Fresh AI
2025 is the year of Agents: OpenAI’s Operator can now browse the web, click, type, and get stuff done for you—like booking tickets or ordering food—all on its own. https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/23/24350395/openai-chatgpt-operator-agent-control-computer
Here’s what I don’t understand: Siri was launched on October 4, 2011 but it is still incredibly stupid - even with the new AI capabilities. Paul Kafakis of the One Foot Tsunami blog asked her some simple questions about the Super Bowl and the results were… baffling. https://onefoottsunami.com/2025/01/23/not-so-super-apple/
From my blog
Quiietjay's Prince - A Zooliminological Marvel https://bnox.be/2025/01/quiietjays-prince-zooliminological.html
Weird and Wonderful
This week I learnt about Desire Paths. “The path is only there because someone keeps going.” https://www.are.na/editorial/desire-paths
Two London actors used Grand Theft Auto Online to stage Hamlet during lockdown, leading to the surreal Grand Theft Hamlet. It mixes Shakespearean drama with rocket launchers and galaxy-print onesies—like *Second Life*'s machinima, but wilder. Here’s a clip:
Little Big World 2025: A time-lapse, tilt-shift and aerial video compilation by Joerg Daiber.
Fascinating: Orkestra Obsolete's rendition of New Order's "Blue Monday" using 1930s instruments.
BionicandtheWires created a mind-blowing instrument where mushrooms control a keyboard using their electrical signals. The result sounds, well, organic.
The making of a smartphone case with built-in marble machine. Because why not.
Turkeys make a muskrat their leader. You tell me who’s the smart one here.
