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Kneeling Bus explores the intersection of the digital world and physical environments, examining how the internet shapes perceptions of reality, urbanism, social media, and architecture. It addresses themes like the impact of technology on society, digital clutter, urban development, and the influence of online platforms on physical spaces and vice versa.

Internet and Society Urbanism and Architecture Social Media Dynamics Technology's Impact on Living Spaces Digital Aesthetics and Design

The hottest Substack posts of Kneeling Bus

And their main takeaways

How to Win at Gambling and in Life

185 implied HN points • 28 Feb 25
🎾 Sports Betting Media Culture Analytics Technology
  1. Courtsiding is when someone at a game places bets based on what they see in real time, taking advantage of the delay in betting apps. This shows how technology can create new opportunities to win in gambling.
  2. Sports betting is changing the way we consume sports media, with odds and spreads becoming more common on screens. This shift reflects a deeper trend where everything is becoming about numbers and predictions.
  3. As gambling expands into everyday life, people might start betting on personal actions. This can create new ways to have agency, suggesting that even if traditional success seems difficult, there are still ways to find success in unexpected places.

In Praise of Slow Motion

224 implied HN points • 15 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Automotive Market Trends Consumer behavior Real Estate Finance
  1. People are using rental cars for more than just driving, like napping or storing things. This shows a strange need for flexible space that traditional buildings don't meet.
  2. Many people spend a lot of time in parked cars, which might be surprising. It highlights a mismatch between what people need and what's available.
  3. Cheap money in the past allowed tech products to be offered at low prices, but it made basic needs like housing more expensive. This creates a gap between luxuries and essential needs.

Falling Asleep with the TV On

264 implied HN points • 24 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Television Media Entertainment Streaming Comedy
  1. TV often has small moments that stick with us but might never be found again. These moments can shape our memories even if they seem unimportant.
  2. Norm Macdonald showed how viewers might not actually be watching shows, making their success numbers look inflated. This makes it hard to trust viewer ratings.
  3. Platforms like Netflix gain more from having lots of content rather than focusing on individual shows or movies. This means many films just get lost in the shuffle and are easy to forget.

Ghost Exits

352 implied HN points • 11 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Social media Streaming services Digital Culture
  1. If TikTok disappeared, people might find new activities to fill their time, but likely, other platforms would just take its place. This shows how dependent we are on social media.
  2. We need stronger institutions instead of just relying on platforms like TikTok and Spotify for our connection and content. Better structures could provide more value to users without the downsides.
  3. Spotify makes us feel like we have endless music options, but it often benefits ghost artists instead of real musicians. This highlights how platforms can exploit users while pretending to offer abundance.

The Amazonification of Public Space

322 implied HN points • 20 Dec 24
🎭️ Culture Urban life Consumer behavior Digital Transformation
  1. Hanging out in public spaces is becoming more of a luxury, making it harder for people to find affordable options to socialize. Places like bars and coffee shops are either getting more expensive or are overcrowded.
  2. The pandemic changed how we use physical spaces, shifting more focus to online services, which has made in-person experiences feel less necessary. This change creates a cycle where fewer people engage in real-life activities, affecting the quality of those interactions.
  3. Many brick-and-mortar stores are now designed more for delivery and logistics than for customer enjoyment. This makes shopping and dining out less appealing, pushing people to stay home instead.
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The Meme Fossil Record

381 implied HN points • 06 Dec 24
🎭️ Culture Memes Internet Social media Cultural Commentary
  1. Memes can live on longer than expected, like Hawk Tuah, which has become a part of our culture even as social media changes. People may not forget them easily, showing how our online history keeps coming back.
  2. The blending of natural and manmade elements, like plastiglomerate, reflects how our digital content also mixes elements from the past and present. This process creates a new kind of cultural landscape shaped by everything that has come before.
  3. As we interact more with AI and technology, we might feel like we're stuck in a loop of consuming the same content repeatedly. This could impact how we express ourselves and might lead to a feeling of overload from the internet.

Downward Is Heavenward

254 implied HN points • 21 Nov 24
🎭️ Culture Art Internet Media Politics Social Dynamics Reality
  1. Putting down your phone and going outside is a way to escape from the overwhelming digital world, but even nature can have its own issues. We need to realize that our sense of reality is always changing and influenced by what we see online.
  2. The idea of escaping into filter bubbles has become irrelevant because now our entire experience is made up of different realities. We are so intertwined with digital life that leaving a social media platform feels like moving away in real life.
  3. People today are finding connection in shared interests, like movies or trending topics, despite the chaos online. This new culture may seem bland compared to the past but helps pull us together when real meaning feels scarce.

Ruins in Reverse

176 implied HN points • 01 Nov 24
🎭️ Culture Media Art Society History Architecture
  1. Redbox kiosks were once popular but are now abandoned after the company's bankruptcy, marking a shift in media consumption. These kiosks symbolize a moment in time from when DVDs were still relevant.
  2. In today's disposable culture, we often ignore waste and discarded items, but abandoned Redbox kiosks visibly remind us of past failures and what we leave behind.
  3. Empty shopping spaces like dead malls and abandoned kiosks reflect a kind of 'creative destruction' in our environment. They serve as reminders of previous use and potential for future change.

NPCs in the Slop Mines

205 implied HN points • 12 Oct 24
🎭️ Culture Social Behavior Urban Studies Digital Culture
  1. Waiting in long lines has become common, and many people don't even know why they're waiting. This reflects a tendency to follow trends and social media hype without questioning it.
  2. People can develop habits that make them behave like non-player characters (NPCs) in their daily lives. We all have routines, but it's important to be aware of how societal pressures shape our behavior.
  3. AI and the internet produce a lot of low-quality content, similar to how people can act predictably or unimaginatively. Recognizing this can push us to engage more thoughtfully and creatively in both online and offline spaces.

All My Apes Are Going to Be Strangers

224 implied HN points • 09 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Internet Sports Technology Social media Digital Content
  1. The future of the internet may involve a personalized experience with content made just for us, but ultimately, human connection remains a fundamental desire.
  2. Despite the push towards connectivity online, there are also strong forces leading to isolation and individualization in the digital age.
  3. Sports betting apps represent a shift towards solitary engagement even in traditionally communal activities like watching sports, altering how one engages with content and the overall experience.

Jackals, False Grails

215 implied HN points • 16 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture
  1. The distinction between material and immaterial is blurring, with physical objects being infused with digital information, like Shein creating clothes based on online data.
  2. Branding has become crucial in the commoditization of physical objects, with companies like Anbernic using minimal branding elements to make products easily discoverable online.
  3. In a world where information is key, the value of materiality diminishes, showcasing how data and mobility reign supreme.

Margaritas at the Mall

215 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Exercise Internet culture Urban life Evolution Consumer behavior
  1. The concept of exercise is portrayed as peculiar and counterintuitive in modern society, with emphasis on the trend towards optimizing the self.
  2. The digital age has paradoxically renewed focus on physical appearance and maintenance, despite the technological liberation that was once presumed.
  3. There is a critique on contemporary gym culture, illustrating a disconnect between the adapted physical ideals and the practical lifestyle in today's society.

Inertia Creeps

185 implied HN points • 23 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Transportation Self-driving cars Mobile technology
  1. Driving in Los Angeles is time-consuming and inconvenient for everyone, regardless of wealth.
  2. Transport options like ridesharing apps have transformed urban travel and made distant places more accessible, albeit at a higher cost.
  3. Advancements in transportation technology suggest a future where travel becomes a space of its own, separate from the physical world we traverse.

Speak No Evil

244 implied HN points • 04 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Internet AI Digital Media SEO Algorithm
  1. Internet platforms are becoming visually chaotic and cluttered with junk, impacting user experience.
  2. The messy aesthetics of the internet reveal a shift towards desperate monetization strategies.
  3. AI may help clean up the internet's clutter by automating processes and reducing visual chaos.

Bugman Ratrace

78 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
🎭️ Culture Digital Platforms
  1. Enshittification describes the gradual degradation of digital platforms.
  2. Platforms deteriorate by prioritizing business needs over user experience.
  3. Enshittification also affects physical products through quality declines and market consolidation.

Heaven Is a Truck

176 implied HN points • 12 May 23
🎭️ Culture Architecture Urbanism Media Literature Technology
  1. Twitter urbanism discourse often reflects a dissatisfaction with the physical environment.
  2. The contemporary city has vast voids that shape our frustration with the built environment.
  3. Rethinking traditional urbanist theories is crucial to understanding our evolving cities.

Big City (Everybody I Know Can Be Found Here)

146 implied HN points • 02 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Social media Fame Urban life Aesthetics Digital Nomads
  1. In the age of social media, everyone has the potential for some level of fame, even if it's just to a small group of people.
  2. Social media platforms encourage constant engagement by transforming real estate in people's minds into smaller, more frequent units.
  3. Attention on social media is securitized to keep content flowing, blurring the lines between creators and consumers.

Ex Lion Tamer

166 implied HN points • 24 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI Social media Search Music Internet
  1. Spotify is incorporating AI and TikTok features to improve user experience.
  2. AI and TikTok are revolutionizing the traditional concept of internet search.
  3. The integration of AI and human elements is crucial for creating engaging content.

Dub Housing

156 implied HN points • 17 Feb 23
🎭️ Culture Housing Urbanization Luxury goods Globalization
  1. Housing shortages are common in desirable areas like Lake Tahoe due to a surplus of people and limited housing supply.
  2. The demand for housing in luxury tourist destinations can outstrip supply, turning basic human needs into luxury goods.
  3. There is a growing need to balance market forces with regulatory incentives to ensure fair resource allocation in areas like Lake Tahoe.

The Museum of Sauce

117 implied HN points • 24 May 23
🎭️ Culture Social media Aesthetics TikTok Instagram Pop culture
  1. TikTok has become a powerful force in shaping aesthetics and design in contrast to Instagram's influence.
  2. TikTok's native aesthetic is described as baroque, tactile, kinetic, and loud, setting it apart from other platforms.
  3. TikTok's impact extends beyond the digital realm, influencing physical environments and incentivizing creativity in a way that differs from Instagram.

Manhattan Hotel Futurism

136 implied HN points • 14 Mar 23
🎭️ Culture Nostalgia City Planning Architecture Cultural Preservation
  1. Cities are facing an existential crisis as urban activities move online, disconnecting from physical spaces.
  2. New York is clinging to past eras due to powerful nostalgia, which hinders progress and adaptation to emergent forces like technology.
  3. The future city may resemble suburbs more than traditional urban areas, with less inertia to hold onto the past and more openness to embrace technological advancements.