mastodon - Link to source

RE: mastodon.social/@dansup/115758…

The people who dislike The Algorithm™ are either consumers who basically just want an RSS feed reader (nothing wrong with that) or people who brought audiences over from other platforms.

If you’re trying to create something and find an audience for it on the #Fediverse, you need some sort of recommendation algorithm. Otherwise, you’re just posting into the void.

#ActivityPub #Mastodon

dansup (@dansup@mastodon.social)

Friendly reminder, a reverse chronological feed like Mastodon and Pixelfed use are technically algorithms.
Mastodon
#activitypub #fediverse #Mastodon
in reply to Daniel Gultsch

mastodon - Link to source

cake-duke

@dansup

People who say they dislike "the algorithm" mean they dislike the combination of A) algorithms engineered to optimize for "engagement" (read: addiction), B) societal pressure to belong to these platforms in various forms (e.g. gov announcements only thru said platforms).

Of course *SOME* algorithm is needed, people aren't opposing algorithms as a concept.

@dansup
This entry was edited (1 week ago)
in reply to Daniel Gultsch

mastodon - Link to source

Marcus Adams

I think people get upset at "bad" algorithms. I remember it wasn't long after Muskrat took over Twitter that my feed basically became a sea of hate-filled rhetoric deriding all the "libtards", fat people, gay people or any other group that the conservatives there deemed "other" enough to be worth hating on. I would have posts "recommended" to me that were nothing but hate and divisiveness. Kinda like how Facebook "recommends" AI slop constantly now over your actual friends' posts.
in reply to Daniel Gultsch

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senesens

I do get the need but it's the method that I disagree with I guess. Sort of the wrong place to elaborate my point but the thing is, I'm confused by all of these efforts that are trying to re-create the "big platforms" point for point but just "open-source" and run by a" non-profit" and "federated servers" or something like that. I'm not at all convinced that will solve their ills.

A noble effort, true, and I could understand how someone might just like the big platforms more than what the fedi offers today BUT... I think there's something to said about the culture and insular nature that's found on Fedi today.

Maybe Fedi is not just "trauma reaction" to the big platforms? The pains of federation, slow discovery, the whole "old-forum" dynamic that's going on...I personally find these "bugs" to actually be "features". Because ultimately, I suspect that when you cater to "brands" or anyone who wants to "~milk~grow an audience", it'll be at the expense of "people" that will have to share the space with them.

I'm not saying it's impossible to create a great middle ground that will work and I'd love to see Fedi take over the world but yes, my brows are furrowed at any attempts to reduce this friction that keeps this place sane.

in reply to senesens

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Daniel Gultsch

@senesens I don't think that wanting to find an audience is inherently bad. Obviously there is *a lot* of slop on social media platforms. But there is also a lot of good content. And generally speaking the fact that anyone theoretically can be discovered through social media algorithms has been a great equalizer if you compare that to what we had before where a creator had to convince a traditional publisher or broadcaster.
@senesens
in reply to Daniel Gultsch

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pixelschubsi

@senesens
I don't think "the algorithm" needs to be baked into the protocol or even clients. In the end, what we have in ActivityPub is a stream of events. The algorithm can just be provided as a server or bot that provides a stream of boosts for a given user. Because everything you do is public, the bot can just monitor what posts you like or interact with to personalize your experience. And it's completely up to you to follow such bot to have additional things in your timeline.
@senesens
in reply to Daniel Gultsch

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kundu 🌱🔻🐧

in my opinion a chronological feed and impulses is a good method for the audience to find you and sort of recreates what happens in the real world, where you get to know people, organizations or businesses that people talk about, or that you find on the street.
An algorithm that goes beyond that is kind of cheating as far as I am concerned, and it is an open door for future bad practices.
I think the fedi is ok as it is right now. 🤷‍♂️
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