The Freds 2023
Jan 2024 - The Freds 2023
As promised, and as a low(ish) effort way to get back into the habit of doing these monthly, I thought I would share some of my favourite things from last year. As in years past (2022, 2023), I have been keeping a record for my own awards show based upon RadioLab's Robert Krulwich’s ‘The Bobbys'.
The basic rules are as follows: The awards don’t have to go to stuff that came out this year, just things that you enjoyed this year. Not all categories need winners each year. You can invent a new category each year. Throughout the year write down your shortlist for each category. Around Dec/Jan, underline your winners (while trying really hard not to fall victim to recency basis).
This year had 14 Winners and 20 Shortlistees, but today I thought I would share just 4 with you.
Best Non-Fiction
Computer Power and Human Reasoning by Joseph Weizenbaum
“Computers can make judicial decisions, computers can make psychiatric judgments. They can flip coins in much more sophisticated ways than can the most patient human being. The point is that they ought not be given such tasks. They may even be able to arrive at ‘correct’ decisions in some cases-but always and necessarily on bases no human being should be willing to accept.”
Anyone who has spent any time with me this year will probably be bored sick of how much I reference this book. However, in what promises to be another year of AI hysteria, I truly believe that this rambly book from the 70s is more insightful about the realities and implications of AI than 1000 blue-checked Twitter threads.
Best Fiction
Essays and Fiction by Brad Philips
“I always feared that some obscure, private experience of mine would repulse you. But were our roles reversed, I'd be thrilled to learn anything new about you.”
I am a big sucker for any work that blurs the lines between reality and fiction, and the effecting honesty that can emerge from that surreal in-between. This collection of both beautiful and gross short stories hit that sweet spot for me. When reading it coming home from a trip, it made me laugh out loud at the gate, feel uncomfortable on the terminal bus and hide my tears on the plane.
Best Essay
The 'Enshittification' of TikTok by Cory Doctorow
“Here is how platforms die: first, they are good to their users; then they abuse their users to make things better for their business customers; finally, they abuse those business customers to claw back all the value for themselves. Then, they die.”
Enshittification seems to be the word that has taken over my corner of Twitter this year. I don't think it's the novelist idea in the world but as anyone who has been to therapy will tell you, naming things is important. Enshittification, as explained by Doctorow, is one of those things that once learnt you will see everywhere. From the uselessness of Google to the price of Ubers, and soon we will see how it manifests in the plethora of new AI products.
Best Work
The Hypermarket of Information by Me
“If emailing your family has to be made more efficient, like a task to moved to 'done' section on a Kanban board, what's next? Replying to your friends' messages with AI? Calling your Granny using AI? Attending your wedding with AI?”
This year work-wise has been a bit all over the shop with some successes, some flops, and some projects barely disturbing the grass. However, the year started with me having big ambitions of writing more and this essay is the longest and most complete thing I have written since uni (it probably shows). Although hyperbolic in parts, I still think it contains a lot of personal and theoretical truth, and I'm proud of myself for getting all those down on paper.
That’s it for this month, and I just wanted to say thank you so much for the support this year. I know I have been a bit lax, but that might change this year, no promises to you or myself.
Fred
My Website: https://www.fredwordie.com
My Book: https://www.bigdatagirl.com
My VC: https://ventually.xyz