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 I think there are tight limits to how much #algorithm #choice will help because the vast majority of people rarely configure or change any settings on the apps they use, never mind algorithms. In fact a choice approach could become a way to individualize the problem and skirt #accountability.
Perhaps the algorithms aren’t the enemy, but in that case, we need to address the people who choose to engineer and deploy default algorithms implementing harmful but profitable #incentives.
Arvind Narayanan
Andrew Hundt