I saw this project, which aims to bring algorithmic feeds to Mastodon: https://github.com/fediway/fediway
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I saw this project, which aims to bring algorithmic feeds to Mastodon: https://github.com/fediway/fediway
It argues that “without efficient content-distribution, the "trending" page becomes dominated by mainstream content, while niche creators struggle to reach their audience”.
This is a terrible idea for myriad reasons, which I won’t enumerate now, but the most worrying is the foundational logic of “efficiency” that the people working on the project have internalised.
Even conventional business theorists like Henry Mintzberg have criticised efficiency as a framing that relegates social costs to the status of externalities and fails to engage with quality: https://mintzberg.org/blog/what-could-possibly-be-wrong-“efficiency”-plenty
This is precisely the wrong idea at an even worse time. We need to decide what we see. We need to slow down. We need to rediscover the creativity that only exists in inefficiency.
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I saw this project, which aims to bring algorithmic feeds to Mastodon: https://github.com/fediway/fediway
It argues that “without efficient content-distribution, the "trending" page becomes dominated by mainstream content, while niche creators struggle to reach their audience”.
This is a terrible idea for myriad reasons, which I won’t enumerate now, but the most worrying is the foundational logic of “efficiency” that the people working on the project have internalised.
Even conventional business theorists like Henry Mintzberg have criticised efficiency as a framing that relegates social costs to the status of externalities and fails to engage with quality: https://mintzberg.org/blog/what-could-possibly-be-wrong-“efficiency”-plenty
This is precisely the wrong idea at an even worse time. We need to decide what we see. We need to slow down. We need to rediscover the creativity that only exists in inefficiency.
@ben_hr A big part of the appeal of Mastodon and the Fediverse is that you only see posts from people you follow. The people who you follow *are* your feed.
Algorithmic social media feeds are a contributing factor to many of the problems in the world.
The lack of algorithmic feeds are a *major feature*, not a *bug*, for myself and many other people here.
We don't need far-right conspiracy theorist, misogynist, and transphobic rabbit holes on the Fediverse.
This is a horrible idea.
It fundamentally fails to understand what's great about the Fediverse.
There are many things that could be improved on the Fedi. A lack of algorithmic feeds is not one of them. -
@ben_hr A big part of the appeal of Mastodon and the Fediverse is that you only see posts from people you follow. The people who you follow *are* your feed.
Algorithmic social media feeds are a contributing factor to many of the problems in the world.
The lack of algorithmic feeds are a *major feature*, not a *bug*, for myself and many other people here.
We don't need far-right conspiracy theorist, misogynist, and transphobic rabbit holes on the Fediverse.
This is a horrible idea.
It fundamentally fails to understand what's great about the Fediverse.
There are many things that could be improved on the Fedi. A lack of algorithmic feeds is not one of them.@aj @ben_hr It's been said before that while the original idea of the internet was that it would "expand our circle of compassion" to people far from our own lives, what we've actually found is that we as a society (on average) have gotten less compassionate, in ways that seem to be related to how we interact with the internet and social media.
Algorithms being used as a stand-in for community has something to do with this.
@mcc occasionally toots about the algorithmically-driven ecosystem going on over at Bluesky. Specifically this one really conveys the point to me: https://mastodon.social/@mcc/115727488742907850
It's that your reliance on algorithms, rather than on community (following people, seeing their posts + boosts) turns you into a nobody and a nomad. You are not connected to a *people*, you're connected to a *nervous system*. And that nervous system is, of course, a *system* which is subject to change. It's fragile, and even when it's not being centrally controlled, the thing still accidentally can alienate you when it changes.
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@aj @ben_hr It's been said before that while the original idea of the internet was that it would "expand our circle of compassion" to people far from our own lives, what we've actually found is that we as a society (on average) have gotten less compassionate, in ways that seem to be related to how we interact with the internet and social media.
Algorithms being used as a stand-in for community has something to do with this.
@mcc occasionally toots about the algorithmically-driven ecosystem going on over at Bluesky. Specifically this one really conveys the point to me: https://mastodon.social/@mcc/115727488742907850
It's that your reliance on algorithms, rather than on community (following people, seeing their posts + boosts) turns you into a nobody and a nomad. You are not connected to a *people*, you're connected to a *nervous system*. And that nervous system is, of course, a *system* which is subject to change. It's fragile, and even when it's not being centrally controlled, the thing still accidentally can alienate you when it changes.
@aj @ben_hr @mcc Like hell, think about the way we listen to music now. I'm guilty of this and I've been thinking about how I'm going to adjust soon.
Prior to streaming apps, we used to listen to songs on the radio, remember the good artist names, and then buy their albums at the record store.
I mean, even in the iTunes days, it was still the same general idea. You hear a good song somewhere, then you remember a name, and search out the album or song to buy.
Today, you discover music through streaming apps (usually Spotify or YouTube). You click "start radio" and it gives you songs similar. The radio is good enough and consistent enough that you don't really need to think too hard about it. You rely on the system they've provided. Maybe you save playlists, but you aren't really discovering *artists* so much as *songs*.
I know that I'm definitely not listening to full albums that the songs I like came from. I think I'm missing out on something by doing that, though.
Social media recommendation is the same thing. You discover *posts* but not *people*. Everything is out of context. Everything is of pure utility, with no slower nuance and appreciation.
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