Where has all the Magic Gone? The Diminishing Returns of Magic
The explanation is never as good as the trick.
HumanityThe algorithm knows what you've liked. The video store knew what you were ready for.
The unplanned, context-rich process of finding something you didn't know you were looking for. Video stores, bookshops, and record stores were machines for ambient discovery: a film's cover, its shelf neighbours, and a stranger's expression all contributed. Algorithms optimize for what you already like. Ambient discovery gives you what you didn't know you needed.
Finding something valuable through unstructured browsing in a physical or curated environment, as opposed to algorithmic recommendation.
