I can't imagine no thoughts. Literally, I can not conceive of that. I spend some time every morning with my first cup of coffee willing my brain to zero or near zero, just to reset.
It's why I can't seem to write 'stream of conciseness' very often because my stream is interrupted by other streams and bridges and random things. When I write I try to convey a thought, and generally it takes several other thoughts until one I can actually use comes along. I don't go blank, I go jumbled.
I have often said that I have ideas like popping corn. One and a pause and then another, then two, then a pause and soon I have more thoughts than I can sort. If I'm working on something I'll have a notebook and write notes (generally a word or two) before they are lost in the volume, or even worse, I eat them or feed them to the dog.
Can I be led by a clever algorithm? Of course I can. But I will also guarantee that I fool them, too. The problem with the algorithm is that it has no consideration. It doesn't care that I fool it, it just keeps mindlessly trying to lead me.
I can't imagine it either - which is why I think that perhaps people who don't think much might not have much of an imagination.
For me, the stream of consciousness is the way I write, as I seem to be able to "reject" thoughts for later or that do not fit the current stream.
I think this is a misconception, as they profile every little act - including random acts and users who do not fit the average user profiles. It is incredible how granular they get and, how much they can target what people think is random behavior.
It is interesting and bloody scary.
But they are not perfect. This summer I read a book by a friend because I promised her a review. It is a romance. I get PAGES of Romance possibilities from Amazon. Not my genre at all.
But, you might not be paying attention to the inserts around that genre that you are interested in. While you see the magicians trick in one area, there is sleight of hand in another.
Early on, Target realized that targeting too obviously didn't work, so they surrounded what they were aiming to sell with stuff that they wouldn't. We think we see behind the curtain, without realizing there are 1000 layers.
Oh, yeah. I get it. And in truth, when we are talking about genres of books or music I'm fine with it.
I'm not fine with the subtle political messaging at all.
!ENGAGE 20
ENGAGEtokens.