←back to thread

Bluesky is ushering in a pick-your-own algorithm era of social media

(www.newscientist.com)
190 points amichail | 2 comments | 20 Nov 24 12:59 UTC | HN request time: 0.43s | source
Show context
grishka ◴[20 Nov 24 16:09 UTC] No.42195272[source]▶
> The use of algorithms to filter information has become the norm because chronologically presenting information from followers creates a confusing morass for the average user to process.

Can't disagree more. Call me old-fashioned but I hate any algorithms at all meddling with what I see. If I follow someone, I want to see their posts, all of them, without exceptions. If I don't follow someone, I only want to see their posts if they were knowingly reposted by someone who I do follow. If I want some posts filtered from my feed, I'll set up word filters myself, thank you very much.

It's a recurring theme in the modern IT industry that "the average user" can't be trusted to take their own responsibility. It's sometimes taken as an indisputable truth, even. Why does this keep happening? What can I do to put an end to this?

replies(15): >>42195452 #>>42195484 #>>42195500 #>>42195534 #>>42195550 #>>42195552 #>>42195629 #>>42195648 #>>42195715 #>>42195785 #>>42195811 #>>42195814 #>>42196019 #>>42198305 #>>42198449 #
1. nerdjon ◴[20 Nov 24 16:36 UTC] No.42195629[source]▶
I think the problem with social media is there is just a lot of noise, and generally had a discoverability issue. I would like to be recommended people that I want to follow (and have what I put out be recommended to people).

I mean do we really need to remember the Facebook posts that people were making 10ish years ago that really was pointless?

That being said, that's the power of having some choice in the matter. If you don't want it, you don't need to use it. Both can be perfectly valid ways to consume social media content.

replies(1): >>42205216 #
2. timbit42 ◴[21 Nov 24 15:26 UTC] No.42205216[source]▶
With Mastodon you can also follow hashtags. This way I see any post with a hashtag I'm following and no posts without them. This gives a much higher signal to noise ratio than following people who post on a variety of topics, when I'm probably only interested in one of the many topics they post on.