In the digital age, social proof increasingly comes from summaries like ratings, views, and downloads. We rely on these more because we have less time, more options, and technology makes these summaries easy to access, while getting advice from trusted peers is harder—schedules don’t line up, life moves faster, and trust is lower. As a result, we put more weight on these signals. But they have pitfalls: early bias can lock in and compound over time. Instead of reflecting collective wisdom, these systems often magnify noise and create inequalities.
My Notes on the Pragmatic Programmer 2nd Edition.