Some Slightly Structured Thoughts on Recommendation Algorithms

I’ll admit that it’s a weird feeling to be producing work on a typewriter that discusses some pretty modern deployments of technology. But it’s been on my mind especially because I use a typewriter. I distinctly remember being pretty disgusted with the idea that you might write with a machine in mind. It seemed preposterous to do that!

That was borne out of a brief stint I had where I almost did some contract writing. I applied for and was accepted to a company that acted as a go-between for writers and people (businesses, really) that needed some targeted writing done. The stipulations around SEO and keyword use and whatnot ground at me in just the wrong way. Ultimately, I never accepted any jobs and I think I’ve long since been purged from their system.

That’s not to say I wouldn’t do that kind of work. It pays bills, after all.

It is to say that I wonder about those kinds of weird incentives and what kind of ecosystem they’re creating.

Anyway, you can sidestep a lot of that if you write on a typewriter and just absolutely do not care! I don’t know that I can recommend that to everyone in every position, though.

On a technical note, I’m not pleased by how the top page scanned in. But I’m satisfied enough that I’m not going to fight with it and try it twice. If people accept spelling and spacing errors, I bet they’ll accept a slightly off-kilter scan of a page.


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