Hi,

Welcome to the Procrastilearning Newsletter, where your time is well spent even though you should probably be doing something else.

3 things worth procrastilearning over

1. The entire history of the Internet may get deleted

The Wayback Machine, an incredibly useful tool created by the Internet Archive, has been keeping records of billions of websites since 1996.

Personally, you might think ‘Well nobody wants to see my old Myspace page, so whatever bro.’ But for investigative journalists and others needing a reliable record of digital history, the service is remarkable and irreplaceable.

Recently, a group of hackers (who insist they are not teenagers) has been trying to break the site and render it useless. Sure, nobody likes everything posted about them online, but if you’re going to go out of your way to destroy all trace of the entire Internet's past, you probably have something really nasty you’re trying to hide - the idea that a group would do this just for fun seems unlikely.

The Wayback Machine is part of the Internet Archive which itself is being sued for millions by major music labels. So it seems both establishment and nefarious entities want this organisation ruined - to me that just implies how valuable and worth keeping it is.

2. Product placement in books is getting bigger

Sometimes, product placement is jarring.

In a recent episode of The Bear, a drama centred around elite restaurants, I noticed product placement for Stella Artois, which felt completely out of place due to its infamous reputation as "Wife Beater" in the UK. I guess Americans find the lager classy... 🤷‍♂️

But sometimes product placement does feel natural because it fits what's happening in the show or film. In James Bond films, the product placement has even become a jokey tradition and part of the buzz about each new instalment.

But why doesn't product placement happen more often in books, a medium where underpaid writers could probably do with a commercial bonus? It turns out people are trying to make it more common, even though readers tend to notice it and really don’t like it.

If you want some dystopian stuff to look forward to, there is a so-far untested (I think) concept that e-books could change the products mentioned in their pages every so often for the highest bidder. So when Stephen King enthuses about a character using an Apple MacBook, it can suddenly become a Windows Surface if Microsoft give him enough money. Great 🤦‍♂️

3. Gen Z only really likes Netflix & YouTube

The 26-year-old YouTube megastar Mr Beast recently had his employee guidebook leaked for all to see. It tells you a lot about how top YouTube accounts work, but also shows how in the modern age many creative and ambitious people are happily making the attention economy even more seductive.

This concentration of energy on creating media that is often a waste of time is taking its toll on young people. In a recent Harris Poll of 1,006 Gen Z adults, many said they wished most social media platforms didn't exist, and it seems only YouTube (Mr Beast's home) and Netflix are acceptable to them.

You can read the full survey here. And for a full analysis of all this and Mr Beast, check out this great article by Kyla Scanlon:

2 quotes to keep in mind

1 simple tip to figure out an exercise routine

Use MuscleWiki.com.

Does some part of your body nag you? Like you have strong thighs, but for some reason your calves are weak. Or your back can’t take picking up your toddler every 5 minutes? You’ve probably realised a need to target those areas to tackle imbalances in your body and to ensure you have a solid body overall.

Muscle Wiki makes this really easy. You pick the area you need to exercise, be it a muscle or a joint, select what equipment you might have or not have, and it will show you precise video demonstrations by a personal trainer of how to exercise those parts. And these features are all free. It even has a Workout Generator which will help you put a routine together: https://musclewiki.com/workout-generator

That's all for today. Many thanks for reading. Here's a photo of a manatee ordering drinks.

Adam

Adam Zulawski
Procrastilearning on Beehiiv / More stuff
Currently reading: Quarks, Elephants & Pierogi: Poland in 100 Words (proofing a new edition 😁)

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