thefourthvine

@1001cranes Earthling had a palate expander! It was a JOURNEY

remember how I said the kid was going to need insane orthodontia? IT BEGINS (with a palate expander, ouch)

@birdoneday Omg that sounds AMAZING

It is benchmarking test time! In spring, this test is used to demonstrate his learning, yes, but more importantly to generate a reading list that will engage and challenge him all summer long. And this year, there are some absolute BANGERS, so let's dive in. (xposted from bsky)

@crispcrone Where were YOU the day you realized neither technology nor corporations give a single shit about humans?

@rufus_ I think The Cloister and the World is getting the most "want to read" responses! I hope someone does and reports back. (The earthling is Not It.)

@croissantkatie Unfortunately the algorithm seems singularly incapable of understanding that the same book can be great for some people (in this case, graduate students in the field) and not at all good for other people (ninth graders)

@teliferous The amazing thing about the algorithm is that it can always surprise us!

@thefourthvine At no point did I expect what was going to be suggested next

@rufus_ Now I have to ask: which one?

@tazigo I knooooow. Time is a lie!

@shehulking Oh wow, no. ... damn it, now I'm curious

@shehulking The problem is that I very much do, and I strongly suspect the algorithm has not chosen the best ways of doing that for us, given how bad it is at its primary job

@shehulking I mean, if I had a card that would let me check things out from the UC library system, maybe? But then we run the danger that one of us might actually read something off this list, so. Best not.

@shehulking They're all incredibly expensive, yeah. That's just one more bonus of using The Algorithm (tm)!

@shehulking Eh, fiction. Why would anyone want to read LIES when they could read about *checks notes* the strategy of the Lloyd George Coalition?

@oriharakaoru He was literally JUST BORN. I remember! I was there!

@petal_pants I'm so sorry

@oriharakaoru (Like, it should not be allowed? But somehow time continues to pass despite explicit and detailed instructions not to.)

@oriharakaoru Unfortunately, as you know, time

@1001cranes No, because I do, too! I love seeing what the almighty algorithm thinks is up the earthling's alley.

@thefourthvine is it weird to say i look forward to this every year

@modernlhermione In just a few weeks, he'll be a tenth grader!