Welcome to Human in the Loop

Is it still possible to have genuine one-on-one conversations about different topics without worrying about likes and shares?

I have been trying to figure out a way to connect with people without involving 'social media’. You know, the way we used to keep friendships alive before Zuck and Musk and other people got involved to monetise the hell out of it?

Then I had a Eureka moment.

I have been writing down short notes about anything that made me pause and think for a few years. This exercise made me more mindful of what I see and read every day.

Then a thought struck me: Other people might find these scribbles useful - ideas curated by a human rather than an algorithm. A collection of notes about interesting people, amazing ideas, hacks I am trying out, and, honestly, anything that catches my fancy.

Ideas curated by a human instead of an algorithm

I invited 20 friends to join me in this personal experiment. 15 people said yes, and I started sending them a WhatsApp message every 2 weeks with short (10 sentences or less) summaries of stories, thoughts, and life-hacks that I have tried out.

I call it Human in the Loop - personal keep list of knowledge I have collected while wading through information curated by machines for profit.

What do I expect in return? A reply.

Only if they have found any of the information useful, or it has sparked a new thought, or reminded them of something they have read, seen or heard.

That way I can have a conversation with someone about a topic that both of us find interesting or intriguing or fun.

Here you will find every ‘issue’ I have ever sent out. The same rules apply. If you have something to share about the topic in the issue, or generally about Human in the Loop, please leave a comment.

PS. This is not another newsletter 😅