Don't Leave

One of the interesting things with the rise of so many websites employing an AI chat bot who follows you around the site offering to help, even though typing up your question is not often faster than just clicking through the pages, is they attempt to mimic sounding human. They attempt it by being overly polite and friendly. Imagine if you entered a store and a store employee offered to help and you said no I'm fine, and then you turned the corner around an aisle and there they were again. It would be weird. You would consider leaving the store without your items. 

I also once asked the chat bot to help and it told me my question required a human, which it then offered to summon for me. That summoning took so long the chat session timed out and kicked me off the site. 

One of my friends has bemoaned the ride of every site on earth asking you if you forgot something when most times you knew you hadn't checked out. Had intentionally not checked out.

Today I woke up to an email with the subject line, Don't leave. First, it was weird because it was a website I had not logged into. Of course I know they track you more ways than that, but I had hoped the social fabric was such that we could pretend they don't know who I am. Second, I found the answer to my question. I left because I was done. I'm not mad at anyone or anything, but our interaction has come to an end. But apparently now the clingy chat bot will follow you off the site to, to beg you to come back. 

I really hope stores start to re-evaluate how obnoxious and hard they've made using their sites for anything. Full disclosure, the site that followed me was my vet's site. A site I am usually not required to make any transactions on, short of arranging a vet appointment. 

Modern day shopping. Full of chat bots coded to be clingy and annoying. 

Went to See Some Trees

I know the popular saying is: Touch grass. But I, allergic to grass pollen, tend to enjoy going to see some trees. (Okay, fine, I'm allergic to tree pollen too. But I don't touch the trees. I just admire them.)

The beauty of a three day weekend is you have time to get some chores done, get some baking done, watch an absolute crapton of sports (tennis, and a dash of soccer), and also go for a long walk. We should do these all the time. I know there's a country in Europe trying it, and I am all for it. 

I read a study that looking at trees lowers stress levels, and I'm sure that's partly because we keep the trees outside so to look at them you are likely stilling outside a bit. 

But I love going for a stroll and seeing what there is to see. How blue is the sky today? What colors are the trees? Are there flowers? Construction? Signs? 

We are mid-election here and there's a ballot initiative about recycling and seeing where the pro and con signs are is a fun exercise. 

Of course a walk can just be a walk. It doesn't need a goal or a checklist. But I like going to see some trees.