Stenograph’s new machine is out. It has some interesting features. Details inside. Sorry, SG, don’t want to do too much marketing for you. You still never came out and denounced the STTI even though you had the good sense to distance from it as it defaulted on its lawsuit (slight exaggeration).

To understand why I wrote the title that way, let’s just say that we stenographers used to shame each other when people didn’t buy the newest machine or purchase the support because we needed to “support our vendors, stay on top of our game, and use the latest technology.”

I’d know. I was laughed at because I never went keyless.

This is basically a cognitive dissonance, peer pressure thing. If everybody believes the thing, and you don’t believe the thing, you feel pressure to change “your truth” to match the truth that everyone else confidently supports. Because all those people can’t be wrong, right? But in truth the group can just be stuck in groupthink mode and resistant to novel ideas. This is why the testimony of one witness is sufficient to convict in this country. Logical people understand that no matter the quantity of witnesses, it is the quality of evidence that controls.

Said another way: If no one understands you, it might be a “you” issue. If no one takes the time to understand you, it might be a “them” issue, no matter how smugly they enjoy their own ignorance.

I’m not a big fan of changing machine models every time a new one is dreamed up. They know some of you do just that. In the video game business, you are what’s referred to as a whale. You are a high-value customer to the company because you will spend your money on them unimpeded by the critical thinking stage of “do I really need this?”

There’s nothing wrong with that. Buy products if they’re useful to you. But remember that if they’re not, the companies will be happy to sell them to you anyway.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Then they’ll take your money and use it to start a product line for the workforce that the STTI Bloc wants to replace you with.

Business is a strange game. Sometimes, for the consumer or buyer, the only winning move is not to play.

P.S.

Website Update:

Added some new disclaimers at the bottom of the Stenonymous.com front page. Maybe they were long overdue. Maybe they’re useless. Guess only time will tell.

Love advice, more geared to lonely young men:

We celebrate our marriage tomorrow. I don’t expect to post. My side of the aisle is stenographer city though. Her side of the aisle is the best family I could’ve found. If there’s anybody reading that struggles in the whole dating, love arena, just know that things can get pretty dark before you find your person. You may face the extreme loneliness that turns young men into incels, mocking and derision that shakes your sense of self, or the abuse that turns the abused into the abuser. You must resist. Carry on being a good person the best you can in the face of adversity. Do not be afraid to let go of toxic relationships.

To some extent, this is all math. Millions and billions of humans. You’ll never meet them all. But if you don’t keep trying, you may never meet the one you’re “meant to.” And if you find yourself on that dark road of hatred or abuse, just remember that you don’t have to keep on that road. It’s dangerous for you and others.

A large percentage of Americans believe in angels. When I found mine, I started to believe too.