A Shell

03 Aug, 2024

I have not written much. I do not write much. Writing just doesn't come naturally.

But when I do write, I hope to write well. To write beautifully, concisely, simply -- to give the reader something, a reason to read.
Today, I watched a video on someone critiquing someone else using AI to code. Thinking about it now, I now really believe in their take -- their belief and stance on a specific subject.

I could echo that take to you, but then I'd be a shell. And I don't really like being a shell - one that can only echo and amplify but not create.

Shells have their place. Shells are not inherently bad. Likewise, someone spewing beliefs that may or may not be original onto the internet is and has not been new or detrimental.
But with so many shells echoing and mirroring and simply stating their thoughts, the internet is now simply cluttered.
And sure, those that run and host and essentially shape the internet do bear some blame. Websites have gotten worse, advertisements and endorsements appear constantly, and things just don't work well. Yet at its core, the problem that I'm talking about is unavoidable -- with such a low startup cost to making a blog, combined with so many people bursting with thoughts to express (since friends (especially deep friends that also have a lot of time on their hands) are a rarity), the internet, the pile of blogs and posts and websites, is unavoidably tainted in some way.

I don't really have a solution to this issue¹.
Nevertheless, from the rock that I stand from currently, I proclaim that shells have become a problem. Individuals who simply echo thoughts without adding much value to those existing thoughts are cluttering up the internet, our feeds, and most importantly, our minds.²