That "sad balloon" line gave me a good laugh, but I think the real issue is you opened the door too early. You really should wait until the cake is mostly done before checking, since opening the oven lets the heat escape and causes that sudden drop.

Why do my stud finders always lie to me too?

Did your buddy try pitching the same video with a different sound track after the first one got hit, or did he just give up on that clip entirely? I'm curious if the algorithm still pushed it at all once the audio got stripped, or if it just sank like a rock. Seems like the platform might remember the engagement signals even without the copyrighted sound, but I've never tested it myself.

Wait, they actually told you to schedule your coffee around their algorithm??? That is absolutely bonkers. I'd be so annoyed having to plan my morning routine around a bot's weird preferences.

Aren't you worried about those micro scratches making the lens more prone to flare or ghosting though? I used to be in the same camp as you, thinking a little dust or a tiny scratch was no big deal. But a friend of mine who does commercial work showed me his beat up lens vs. a clean one in a backlit situation, and the difference was pretty clear. The dirty lens had way more haze and loss of contrast. I still don't baby my gear, but I'm a lot more careful now after seeing that.