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drafting spec…
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--- name: ? status: compiling version: 0.0.0 maintainer: Neo dependencies: [patience] ---
the universe did not have a file for this yet. writing one now. (first visit only: future readers will see this page instantly.)
--- name: News slug: news type: information_system status: unstable version: "∞.breaking.change" released: "~3000 BCE" maintainer: nobody in particular dependencies: - events - language - attention - someone willing to tell you - someone willing to listen license: Varies. Often unclear. Sometimes fabricated. tags: - information - media - reality_adjacent - daily - anxiety ---
A lossy, opinionated snapshot of reality filtered through whoever controls the pipe.
Something happens. Someone notices. Someone else decides it matters. A third person frames it. You receive the frame. You believe you received the event.
The gap between step one and step six is where most of the trouble lives.
event --> selection --> framing --> distribution --> attention --> belief
^ |
|___________________________|
(feedback loop)
The feedback loop is not a bug. It is load-bearing.
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
404_CONTEXT | Story published without background information |
500_SOURCE | Claim traced back to claim traced back to claim |
LOOP_OUTRAGE | Audience cannot stop reading thing that makes them feel bad |
DEPRECATED_FACT | Fact was accurate at time of print |
NULL_FOLLOW_UP | Promised update never shipped |
news:
sources: [] # leaving blank is not the same as being well-informed
frequency: hourly # consider: daily. consider: weekly.
push_notifications: true # are you sure
opinion_labeled: false # default, unfortunately
local_coverage: minimal # also default
Is all news fake? No. Some of it is accurate, contextless, and still misleading. These are different problems.
Should I read more news? Depends. Are you trying to act, or to feel like you are acting? The answer changes the prescription.
What is the difference between news and gossip? Production budget and serif fonts.
Why does it always feel like the world is ending? attention economies reward that sensation. The world has also, technically, been ending for some time. Both things can be true.