Algorithms aren't the enemy. Chronological feeds don't scale and the signal-to-noise ratio will plummet if this ever gets popular. The real problems with today's algorithmic feeds are non-transparency, lack of choice, and optimizing for engagement instead of healthy discourse.

Open-source is a perfect opportunity to fix all this. Have there been any efforts to create a Mastodon instance with a (community governed) ranking algorithm? Is that technically feasible? Or is the idea simply anathema?

@randomwalker But wouldn't the loudest & most frequent speakers then control the WHOLE conversation? If someone is on here all the time, always tooting and always ranking, they would have significantly more impact on what everyone's feed looks like than the person that comes on once a day or so.

Just create some lists with your favorite posters. Mute over-posters. There are plenty of ways to customize your individual feed's signal-to-noise ratio without pushing algorithms on everyone.