u/ChemicalNo9880

LOW feels like how Darknet Diaries sounds - and that's not good.

I'm a long time listener to the podcast. My favourite episode is Black Duck Eggs. I recommend the podcast to anyone who I think would enjoy the sort of stuff Jack covers, techy or not.

My biggest barrier to getting people to listen is the name Darknet Diaries. It sounds like a series on YouTube where the channel just makes up stories about 3am murder streams or darknet hacker hitmen for hire. Even the tag line "From the dark side of the internet" is really reductive to the scope and depth of the topics Jack covers.

But I understand at this point the branding is quite deeply embedded and perhaps the show is so well regarded that it isn't tainted by this preconception.

I paid for premium because I heard how excited and proud Jack was of LOW but having listened to it I'm very disappointed. The second Jack prefaced the series with "I can't verify any of this but..." I knew it was going to go left, but I didn't expect it to be completely unverified.

The about page for Darknet diaries says "The total service should be trustworthy, enhance intellectual development, expand knowledge, deepen aural enjoyment, increase the awareness of living in a highly technical society, and result in a service to listeners which makes them more responsive, informed citizens of their digital lives." None of that is present in this series, there is nothing for me to take away from this. Perhaps if something was verified, then maybe I could stretch my imagination to find some meaning, but really the whole story feels like a DeviantArt creative writing piece about how fucked up and dark my characters backstory is

However Im not disappointed I paid money for this, or that I spent time listening to it, I'm just disappointed in the context of what Darknet Diaries is meant to be. The mobman situation was a blip and amended, there's no way to amend this. I know Jack has spent a lot of time on this, and the production and the glimpses into Jack's perspective through his monologues were great, and if that's the case Jack, and youre reading this, I'd encourage you to pursue this as a separate endeavour

>!There are things inside the series that could have been fact checked, like a body being found in an alleyway with dumpster - but then that would require us to first believe this story, and the fact a 16 year old stabbed this older fat ass man to death mid rape attempt and the lugged his body into a dumpster and walked away scott free!<

This is a personal message for those who feel apathetic about the jobs market and don't push themselves to apply. Just do it. Sacrifice your free time; it's a lose lose situation if you don't.

I am an apathetic person. I was at a job where I was constantly bored and underpaid. Neither of these things were enough to drive me to get a new job. I'd think about it sometimes, look at job postings, read job search related subreddits and see the constant doom and gloom posts about how everything is fucked and decide not to try. I am someone who deals badly with rejection, so it felt safer to not try than to try and fail.

I don't know what made me finally commit to applying but had I not I'd have 200 hours on some video game or a few series watched instead and be in the same position. It sucks, its really boring and rejections pile up and feel crushing. Yes your parents had an easier time finding a job, yes there are ghost jobs, and a lack of jobs, and AI is taking your job eventually, but these are all things you have no control over. All you have control over is actually trying.

I did this across 6 months, 4 months refining my approach and 2 months actively applying. I had to sacrifice my free time and 'lock in' and it sucked. I was very unhappy during the process, but at the end of it I landed a new job which doubled my salary and I enjoy much more.

If you are someone who is applying, this post isn't for you. It sucks, but it will work out. Only advice I'd say is if you have a >3% screening rate, you need to refine your approach. During the last 2 months I had a <10% screening rate with a 50% screening to interview/task. If you are posting 100s of applications with no response or low returns, spend some time working out why that is. I promise you its not because of the aforementioned reasons beyond your control, you are doing something wrong. In the first 4 months I would do 1 month of applications, review, refine, repeat until I was confident in my approach.