Simon posting tiktok quotes on his blog was not on my 2025 bingo card.

This isn't the first: https://simonwillison.net/2025/Aug/8/pearlmania500/ and https://simonwillison.net/2024/Jul/29/dealing-with-your-ai-o...

Also this fun diversion into Occlupanids: https://simonwillison.net/2024/Dec/8/holotypic-occlupanid-re...

A lot of people complain that the internet isn't as weird and funny as it used to be. The weird and funny stuff is all on TikTok!

▲

andybak 19 hours ago | parent [-]

The mismatch between what people not on it think TikTok is like and what it's actually like (once you get the algo tuned to your taste) is pretty crazy.

But then the "new user" experience is so horrific in terms of the tacky default content it serves you that I'm not surprised so many people don't get past it.

	▲	hunterpayne 12 hours ago \| parent [-]
		This is something I think all short form video platforms struggle with. I think I know why. Its because the difference in the UI. Basically, a user doesn't choose what to see next. On YouTube, you get dozens of next videos recommended on each view. On short form video, you get one. This causes clickbait to work a lot better for short form video. The problem with platforms like TikTok is more about UI than algorithm or the length of the videos.