Teach A Reader To Fish.

Hana and I were driving towards lunch.
Sushi train, a longing come true.

“Hey, I heard you also like ramen now! Back in Melbourne, I’m known as something of a ramen expert myself,” I leaned my elbow on the window, channeling Willem Dafoe.

“Why?” She asked.

“I don’t know why. They “trust” me,” I said.

“Dumb fucks,” the spirit of Mark Zuckerberg whispered in my ear.

Source: Business Insider, 2010. Or Google.

They weren’t dumb.

In the context of 2006, bots, malware, and the true value of personal data were, let’s say not on top of everyone’s mind. Whoever started a website and coded a ‘social network’ must be educated, rich, resourceful, and trustworthy. Especially if it’s within the Ivy League social circle.

It shows that even a whole campus of peak-IQ individuals, who grew up with the best private education around the world, the absolute Roman pillars of society, could not resist handing over personal information in exchange for hype, new tech, and exclusivity.

Phlebs like us, never stood a chance.
So please, don’t expect too much of the general public.

Fast forward twenty years later, we have billions, who are willing to write ramen reviews for free, in exchange for bragging rights. Sometimes, just to vent¹.

I don’t know why they trust me, Hana, maybe because you and mum are Japanese.

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In my last post, I wrote about using Tabelog to suss out ramen restaurants.