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

(www.newscientist.com)
190 points amichail | 1 comments | 20 Nov 24 12:59 UTC | HN request time: 0.301s | source
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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?

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dfabulich ◴[20 Nov 24 16:25 UTC] No.42195484[source]▶
Social media apps need users, and they need users to return and re-engage. The data is clear that even very basic algorithmic feeds get better engagement, presumably by showing users better stuff than whatever happens to be newest.

You can't possibly do anything to "put an end to this."

Twitter and Bluesky both allow you to see a chronological feed, though you have to jump through some hoops to get to it. Just use that.

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1. 015a ◴[20 Nov 24 16:52 UTC] No.42195812[source]▶
Meth producers need users, and they need users to return and re-engage. The data is clear that even a small amount of meth introduced into a community generates higher return on investment, presumably by giving its users a high that's better than not being high.

You can't possibly do anything to "put an end to this".