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naraburns  nihil supernum  1yr ago (text post)   4040 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for February 17, 2023

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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What's the point of having secret recipes if you are not cooking commercially? The fact people have secret recipes is mundane but it drives me insane as to why.

On the topic, being a programmer has me spoiled, people just open source hundreds of hours of work without thinking twice. Not all hobby groups are as generous on average. I am aware of certain amateur photographers that go to great lengths to obscure the locations of their shots so that others can't get the same photo... for no money!

I usually give away all my secrets, open-source all my code, share all my recipes, and give away my photography locations. However, I do not share details about excellent deals I find in local shops so that I can go and snag more later. That makes sense doing as there is a tangible resource on the line as opposed to only status.

A person experimenting with recipes might have invested dozens or hundreds of hours in it and wants the prestige.

Alternatively, it might be something like it being the literal recipe on the box or in an ad works and there is modest shame in just using Betty Crocker or whatever (Always loved this on reddit- https://old.reddit.com/r/BestofRedditorUpdates/comments/so19qf/cake_maker_doesnt_make_hers_from_scratch_but_lies/ )

Mostly I think of this as a thing grandmothers do because their own memories of childhood are somewhat faded, but their (reconstructed?) memory of their own grandmother telling them a secret recipe at age 9 is sharp, happy and resulted in bonding moment. It's a nonconsequential responsibility you can give to a child.

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