opinion
Opinions in science, science fiction, and fantasy.
at the cutting edge, and bleeding
Enshitification is a process by which the quality of a service or product gradually decays as a result of shifting business interests and values. A business may begin by optimizing their products for their users/customers. The first phase of enshitification is when they shift from a consumer-forward mentality to optimizing the product for business partners such as advertisers or add-ons. From there, it is just a matter of time before the business begins maximizing for short-term profits by cutting support for the product, firing personnel, increasing subscription costs while inundating users with targeted ads, etc.
By Tyler Clark2 months ago in Futurism
Skynet Is Here. Honorable Mention in Already Here Challenge.
Just the other day, I was wandering through my local Kroger. I hadn't a care in the world, apart from trying to remember everything on the grocery list I'd jotted down in my head. My mood was great: the sun was shining, I had Voiceplay blasting through my earbuds, and there was a sale on ice cream.
By Natalie Gray2 months ago in Futurism
The HPV vaccine story. Top Story - September 2026.
Fun fact! There was the exact same number of eight year old girls in Sweden on 1st January 1994 as 9 year old girls on 1st January 1995. Put simply – none of them died that year. They all got to celebrate a 9th birthday. Isn’t that beautiful? It’s a statistical anomaly – and has not happened before or since, but I love this statistic. [1] It holds an optimism about an imagined future. Accidents, negligence, crime and disease will always exist, but sometimes we can outwit them.
By Rachel Robbins2 months ago in Futurism
Tap Tap. Honorable Mention in Already Here Challenge. Top Story - September 2026.
“AZ12,” I said into the intercom. “Perfect, drive through to the next window, thanks!” a girl replied. I received a wave at the first window along with a friendly, “You’re all good; just head to the next window.”
By Aoife’s stories 2 months ago in Futurism
Framing Connection. Runner-Up in Already Here Challenge. Top Story - August 2026.
A shutter man stopped dead, his eyes catching on us on uneven squared stones. Our fingers were clasped, wedged together, then loosened when he approached. A branch brushed the top of his hair; we looked away, shy, unsure, then turned back like a hinge oiled and swung. He was slightly hunched, shifting his posture as the leaves dipped toward him. A tremor crossed his face; the evening light had thinned. His eyes moved from ours to our hands, annoyed by the change he thought he had caused.
By Caitlin Charlton2 months ago in Futurism
