People don't read because most authors can't write as well. Most of longreads I come across could be summed up in a single paragraph, so nowadays I usually read the HN comments first to figure out if the text itself is worth it.

I had a great time reading the essay.

The information and concept density of this essay is higher, and reading this essay reminded me of reading a good book. I think the author advertised their book honestly in the sense that the essay likely reflects the reading experience of their book, but it's probably too honest if their goal was improving sales.

About the actual content: I resonated with the concerns of games becoming work, as it matches what I've heard from most of the YouTube creators I follow. YouTubers having to create strategies that maximize engagement makes video creation more work and less "game"/fun than it used to be. I agree that a lot of the web can be seen to be following this trend.

It's impossible for me not to think of this (Idiocracy, 90s, 2 clips): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py37IFuKxYw

I'm just here for the karma points.