Jason GormanMay 4, 2025
We're 2.5 years into this gold rush, and I still haven't seen any gold. I've seen people selling picks & shovels. I've seen "gold experts" selling maps to the gold. I've seen CEOs announce they're going "gold-first". I've seen people selling land where they claim there's gold. But no actual gold.
Show threadJason Gorman

Somehow, it always seems to be over the *next* hill.

I'm beginning to wonder if what they're actually selling is hills.

May 4, 2025 at 7:40amWeb
Show threadMichael SimonsMay 4, 2025

@jasongorman yes. Web3, Metaverse, Crypto.

A fool who not sees the pattern.

Show threadMunicipal AdhesivesMay 4, 2025
@rotnroll666 @jasongorman And all these not-sees are fools.
Show threadCiourte PiailleMay 4, 2025
@jasongorman They dug some shiny ore out and are refining it. It's not gold and there's no gold in it, but it will soon become gold!
It's basically the same, anyway, if you squint your eyes and don't try to use it for anything meaningful.
They just have to dig deeper and refine more for that to happen.
Why would you try to stop them? Don't you want gold!?
Show threadJason GormanMay 4, 2025
@ciourte It's alchemy for the computer age!
Show threadWulfy—Speaker to the machinesMay 5, 2025

@jasongorman @ciourte

Alchemy became biotech, industrial chemistry and big pharma. Each one a trillion dollars industry...

...be patient and drink your mercury potion!

Show threadStarkRGMay 4, 2025
@ciourte @jasongorman It's actually shit, but maybe if they polish it enough it'll become a nice, shiny shit.
Show threadPteryx the Puzzle SecretaryMay 4, 2025
@ciourte @jasongorman
Ignore how angular that shiny ore is. Surely that's not indicative of anything! And don't you *dare* suggest that gold is soft and malleable; jewelry isn't like that, after all!
Show threadspangheroMay 4, 2025
@jasongorman More renting paths over the hills!
Show threadbit 🏳️‍🌈 (he/him)May 4, 2025
@jasongorman
Nvidia certainly doesn't mind being in the hill business
Show threadmajickMay 5, 2025
@jasongorman What they're selling is promises about the next hill, not even the hill itself.
Show threadrakooMay 5, 2025
@jasongorman

Very relevant article:

> Google doesn't necessarily believe that you will ever want to use AI, but they must convince investors that their AI offerings are "getting traction."

https://pluralistic.net/2025/05/02/kpis-off/
Pluralistic: AI and the fatfinger economy (02 May 2025) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow

Show threadSteve HoldenMay 5, 2025
@jasongorman No, what they are actually selling is fantasies.