The Top Ten Reasons I Hate Clickbate: Number Four Will Have You Reeling

            Okay, so this isn’t actually a top ten list, not that there is anything wrong with list styled articles, I actually quite enjoy the format when they are well written. Unfortunately, they are rarely well written. They use dastardly tricks to lure you onto their page. Sometimes tantamount to lying. Many an article will feature a photo or snippet in the description which is construed completely differently than in the actual body of the piece, if indeed it is even present at all. And once you get to the page, often times the writing amounts to about one page worth of text spread over a slow loading, sixteen-page slideshow with stock photos that add nothing to the already bland content. So why are we overrun with these types of posts? Because ad revenue is based off of website traffic, and forcing clicks creates the illusion of more traffic, rather than just producing quality material that would result in returning readers. So yes, the content is usually worthless, yes, the authors probably know that, and no, they do not really care. As long as people keep clicking, the website keeps generating traffic, and they keep getting paid.

It really is a metaphor for modern society when you think about it. They took a system; traffic based ad revenue, and they manipulated it to generate profit without actually requiring the effort of building up veteran clientele. Really it is just optimization. It is what we as humans do. We test a system to determine what is the minimum amount of effort we can put into it to get the maximum benefit out. In some cases this is a very good thing. Fuel for instance. Give me the most energy for the least amount of fuel, the most miles for the least amount of gasoline.

In entertainment, however, it just leads to oversaturation of unoriginal ideas and the consumer suffers. It is how you end up with 200 channels and nothing to watch. Music labels for are another culprit, having popular song writing down to a T. There’s a reason seasoned musicians with a wealth of talent, a flurry of fresh ideas, and a couple decades of practice go unknown, overshadowed by the likes of random television actress who can kind of, sort of sing. The labels have professional song writers that know just which three chords will get stuck in your head. They then throw it over a catchy beat and everything else gets fixed in post.

As long as it makes money, it works in their minds. As for me, I just do this for fun. Creativity still shines through, because the will to create can be just as strong as the pull of money. Some lucky talents might even get rich off of their originality. It happens every now and again. For now, however, I have just one request. Please stop with the clicking. If an article takes you ten minutes and thirty-five clicks to read, it’s not worth it, no matter how intriguing that cut-off topic sentence was.

-AMS

Why Can't Good Enough Just Be Good Enough?

            The scenarios: you are told to give a presentation for class; you are being evaluated on your performance at work; you are performing your rendition of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Concerto for Two Violins” that you have personally arranged for one violin.

            The performances: you give a good presentation that effectively communicates your point while engaging your audience; you successfully and professionally complete your work task while utilizing time efficiently; you artistically capture the spirit of two violins playing harmoniously on a single instrument.

            The results: in every case, you are told your performance was good and then are given “constructive criticism” on how it could have been better.

            Don’t get me wrong, constructive criticism is important, particularly when your performance is subpar. Or perhaps, the performer is dissatisfied with their own level of performance and requests your feedback so they can incorporate that into their own, already constructed, plan of improvement. My constructive criticism of our society so obsessed with perfection, is to sometimes leave well enough alone. Say, “hey, that was really good.” Notice the period at the end of that sentence. There is no “comma but.” Why can’t good enough, sometimes just be good enough? I liked your presentation, you may have a seat now, who is next? This constant push for improvement belittles our successes. Not only that, constructive criticism is rarely constructive. You can tell me that my concerto lacked soul, but that is just vagueness packaged as a comment. You can tell me that you think my tempo in the allegro movement of the concerto was inadequate to properly express the intended mood and contrast the previous movement. While such a criticism is indeed specific and workable, it is useless if I happen to find a quicker tempo detrimental to the development of unique timbre.

            Improvement comes with time and practice, and beginners thrive on advice, but there is a shift that comes later. Someone who is already adept at a skill learns through others, not by way of comments, but observation, implementation, and self-correction. If you want someone to give better presentations, don’t tell them they could have used more eye contact. Have them watch renowned presentations; have them give more presentations; have them watch their own presentations. They will see what worked and what can be improved. If you want to give a great presentation next time do it four times before your actual performance. Try your jokes out on a friend and see what flops before you are on stage. You don't need them to tell you if your joke was good, just see if they laugh. Also realize, you will probably never be giving a TED talk, so if you can keep an audience off of their phones for ten minutes, your presentation was probably good enough.

            -AMS