A note from the Spring of '26

OK, so let's just get into it, shall we?~

Since my last post here in the "X" Files, (A note from the Summer of '25 - HERE), nearly 9 months have passed by without any new postings, and I feel a bit obligated to eXplain why. I have tried and TRIED AGAIN to write something to post here, but I just don't have the enthusiasm to get it done.

Today though, I have decided to FORCE myself to get it done, and to tell you and anyone else willing to read it, WHY my enthusiasm for the Deep Dream Generator has diminished to the point that I can no longer even write about it.

Over the years of creating at DDG, I have done my best to promote it to others. It was easy, as I LOVE the website and its capabilities, and writing about it was, (for the most part), done with GLEE and HAPPINESS. But when DDG introduced the TRY button years ago, my enthusiasm for the site was crushed, and it has continued to be  crushed to the point that my desire to post images at the site is practically nil, AND promoting DDG here at MisterX.ca is at an even lower bar!

I was curious to see when the TRY button was first introduced to the site, so I turned to these "X" Files to view my posts to figure that out. To my surprise, I learned that the VERY FIRST "X" FILE I wrote here was about this very subject, and that was just 2 months shy of THREE YEARS AGO! (HERE)

Right from the get-go, I knew they had made a BIG mistake with how they introduced this new feature, and let's just face it, over these years since, the BIG DECLINING NUMBERS in publicly published images at the site have PROVED I was right!

Now let me just set the record straight here. I have NEVER been against the TRY button and people sharing prompts with each other at DDG. What I HAVE been against is DDG's insistence that users MUST share their prompts, or they will be heavily PENALIZED in the popularity algorithm.

You see, DDG didn't just introduce a new TRY feature. They introduced the new feature AND made that new feature a major part of the ranking system for the artwork published there. Gone were the days of artwork solely being ranked by the likes it got and how quickly it got them. Now the artwork ALSO had to get TRY clicks, or the algorithm would unfairly push the artwork further down the trending pages as time passed, to places where the artwork was no longer easily viewed and wouldn't get more likes.

I have always found this UNFAIR, because people like me who don't want to share their written prompts with others cannot compete with those that do.  I work HARD writing my prompts, eXperimenting with the AI to see the results my written words produce, spending my HARD EARNED MONEY while doing so, seeing the ORIGINAL ART I am capable of producing with my words that make it 'stand out' in the crowd of endless AI images. My prompts are MINE, and being penalized for keeping them MINE is the PROBLEM at DDG!

One would think that after ALL THIS TIME, the DDG gods themselves would have figured this out. All they'd have to do is look at their own website stats to see that, ever since they changed the popularity algorithm to incorporate the TRY clicks, user engagement has been on a downward trend ever since.

I know that I, and many others, have discussed this with them, but they INSIST that they are on the right path, even though the numbers don't agree with their assessment.

Frankly, after all this time, I am just OVER IT when it comes to this subject. I have written about it here several times, I have discussed it with the DDG gods several times, and I shall never mention it here at MisterX.ca again. But THIS is the reason I have no enthusiasm to talk about DDG anymore, and THIS is the reason I seldom publish images publicly at DDG anymore.

Now let's just think about that for a moment. I once published things here at MisterX.ca that promoted the Deep Dream Generator and hailed its accomplishments and capabilities. Now though, I don't even want to publish my pictures at the site because it frustrates me. I don't want to publish my pictures at a site that I PAY TO USE. Do we see a problem here?!

Also, I guess I should mention that the numbers of users and the publicly published images at DDG are literally PATHETIC to what they once were BEFORE the TRY button and the change to the algorithm were introduced almost 3 years ago. Of course I don't need to mention that to the users who have been around to view it.

In my previous "X" File posting, I mentioned how my last correspondence with DDG ended with them asking if I had any suggestions with how they could fiX the current situation, and how I never answered them. I never answered them because I thought it was SO OBVIOUS, but since this is my LAST ENTRY on this subject EVER, let me, (once again), give them the answer(s)...

The FiXes~

KEEP THE TRY BUTTON:

Obviously, people like to just click on the TRY button to make images, and other people like getting TRY clicks which give them energy points to create with. LEAVE THIS POPULAR OPTION AS IS!

REMOVE 100% OF TRY BUTTON WEIGHT FROM THE ALGORITHM:

TRY clicks DO NOT belong in the popularity algorithm, (and never did). Remove ALL weight of TRY clicks from the algorithm. Don't just adjust the weight, REMOVE IT! Return to the original popularity algorithm, the one that was loved and appreciated.

GIVE USERS AN "OPT-OUT" OPTION ON THE TRY BUTTON:

Not all users want to be FORCED to share their hard-worked-on prompts with the entire world! Give these users, (what's left of them), the option to opt out of having a TRY button on their artwork.

QUIT PENALIZING USERS THAT DON'T SHARE THEIR PROMPTS:

Just do the above things and then EVERYONE will be able to publish their work on a level playing field, (once again and FINALLY). User numbers will once again begin to INCREASE instead of DECREASE!

In Conclusion~

OK, so there you have it. I actually managed to get this article done, after months of trying. I'm FED UP with this subject, and I PROMISE not to mention it again, (well, unless it one day actually changes, but obviously we shouldn't hold our breath for that to happen)!

I have sadly come to the conclusion that if DDG doesn't care what is happening to their website, why the heck should I care?! And when one feels this way, one does NOT really feel like talking about it. THIS is why you haven't heard from me in a while here.

Anyway, it's SPRINGTIME, and there are lots of things to be happy about! I think I shall go outside and marvel at the blossoms on my cherry tree!

Until neXt time, (whenever that might be),

"X"

13/04/26