erock's bloghttps://erock.prose.sh2022-06-29T00:10:06ZTechnical writings by Eric Bowererockinternet points2022-07-13T01:54:15Zhttps://erock.prose.sh/internet-points<p>I've spent the past decade chasing internet points on Reddit, Github, and
Twitter. I've found that focusing on internet points doesn't actually yield
favorable results. I spent so much time trying to figure out what other people
want to see that I've lost sight of what I want to see.</p>
<p>In the early days of reddit I used to spend hours constructing well thought out
and cited posts. I wanted to get karma because it somehow validated how smart I
am. Whenever I would get downvoted or receive a confrontational response, I
would feel deflated. Negative responses would scare me. It got to the point
where I would feel an intense amount of anxiety whenever I opened my inbox. What
are they going to say about my post? Was it well received? I would obsess over
the points I had accrued over time. I justified that this was a training process
to figure out how to construct well written posts. To some extent I think that's
true, but the reality is my focus on internet points ultimately led to an
unfavorable result. I was merely trying to please people while sacrificing my
own thoughts, ambitions, or desire to express my mind.</p>
<p>Then along came Github. Github stars are a seductive drug. The more stars you
have the more internet clout you have as a developer. The issue is compounded by
the fact that popular projects open doors for you as a software developer. I've
spent years chasing stars only to slowly realize yet again that internet points
mean nothing. They say nothing about you or the project you are working on
besides a popularity contest. Why do I want to be popular so badly? If I ever
get what I secretly desire, will it bring me happiness?</p>
<p>Recently I've come to the realization that social networking sites are
reinforcing this need to be popular and now that I've put a name to the concept
I've been trying to recuse myself of it entirely. It's tough because it feels
like you can't create software projects without being on Github. Sourcehut has
been a great outlet for me lately. The whole philosophy behind Sourcehut really
resonates as I lash out against all things social networking.</p>
<p>Who knows, maybe this is just an ad-hoc rationalization for why my projects
never seem to gain any traction.</p>
<p>Even if that is true, I know that focusing on internet points is
counter-productive. From now on I'm only going to build projects or products
that I want to use.</p>
<p>Have a comment? Start a discussion by sending an email to
<a href="mailto:~erock/public-inbox@lists.sr.ht" rel="nofollow">my public inbox</a>.</p>
internet points are a distractionOn github as a social network2022-07-05T13:45:05Zhttps://erock.prose.sh/github-as-social-network<p>Ever since I became jaded by social networks, I've been examining the sites I
visit and why I continue to visit them. We all know the addictive behavior
driving social networking "engagement." Ever since I first discovered facebook I
have been fighting against the constant drip of accumulating social currency.
Slowly I began to realize that these social networking sites were echo-chambers
that really didn't mean much at all. When you talk to people in person, there's
a sense of restraint. In person, people have manners, can read the room, and
understand what they should vocalize to their listeners. Perhaps most important
of all, they know when to keep thoughts to themselves.</p>
<p>It was only on these social networking sites, where people have a podium, that I
noticed quite a change in discourse. All of a sudden, you could read family and
friends' thoughts on all types of subjects that are never uttered in person.
Through these sites, I learned that some things are best left unsaid. And so I
left.</p>
<p>However, there's still a few social networking sites that I use. There's one in
particular, that is cloaked under the guise of productivity. Hidden behind both
my personal and professional life. It's one of the first pages I open during the
day, and one of the last ones to be closed before bed. Notifications from this
site are important because they could be a ping from a colleague who needs me to
review what they wrote. Or it could be a new question raised on one of my
projects. Github is the worst kind of social networking site. Like a virus, it
has infected my mind and is constantly getting me to engage with it. It's a
social networking site that I have to use for work. Software engineers stand no
chance against github. How did a site with such good intentions turn into one
that preys so easily upon our weaknesses?</p>
<p>"Github is the software engineer's resume, it will help you get a job" That's
what I have convinced myself is true. Is it actually true, though? I imagine
it's true for the people who have accumulated a lot of social currency. However,
it has been my experience that many companies do not even look at your resume.
No, these companies have a rigid process for potential employees and they rarely
deviate from the norm.</p>
<p>Now, with github sponsors, it's easier than ever to become popular and get paid
to work on open source projects. Popular, being the operative word. There's even
more reason to use github because the platform could help suppliment your
income.</p>
<p>Why do I get so excited when I receive stars on my projects hosted on github? I
am constantly trying to come up with new projects to build, but do I actually
want to build them? Or do I just want social currency? I'm not sure I can tell
the difference anymore.</p>
<p>Github isn't just a code repository, it's a social networking site. The network
effect makes it really hard to host other open source projects anywhere else. I
catch myself typing in a somewhat generic phrase, looking for a OSS project, and
append the search with "github." Ultimately, github makes it easier for people
to discover your work. People that want to share their work and have people use
it gravitate towards github. No other code repository site has as much mindshare
as github and it's all thanks to the human desire to accumulate and compare with
peers. Humans yearn for social clout and recognition.</p>
<p>Why was my judgment so clouded?</p>
<p>I really like <a href="https://sr.ht" rel="nofollow">sourcehut</a> and will be moving everything there.
There are no "engagement" features like stars or trending projects. Drew, more
than anyone, has made me realize that you don't have to participate in social
networking in order to have people use your projects.</p>
<p>For now, I'm going to maintain a mirror on github of my popular code
repositories, but I think I need to start distancing myself from the most
addictive social network in my life.</p>
<p>Have a comment? Start a discussion by sending an email to
<a href="mailto:~erock/public-inbox@lists.sr.ht" rel="nofollow">my public inbox</a>.</p>
A shining star, fades behind the clouds