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?
Responses to some frequent comments:
* I'm certainly not suggesting that algorithmic feeds should be imposed on everyone! Choice is great. I recognize that many, perhaps most current Mastodon users like chronological feeds.
* "Reverse chronological" is an algorithm, albeit a simple one. It's currently the only option. Chronological feeds are not normatively neutral. There is, unfortunately, no neutral way to design social media. https://mastodon.social/@randomwalker/109308664849924122
* "Mastodon doesn't need to become popular." Sure. But like it or not, it's getting more popular, and many of the newcomers have a different culture and expectations. Eugen Rochko: "People who are arriving now have as much right to be here and bring their own culture as the ones who came before them." https://mastodon.social/@Gargron/109323118267580967
Again, all I'm suggesting is choice, and I thought Mastodon is all about choice.
* What do I mean by chronological feeds don't scale? A few things.
1. There's a lot of social pressure to follow people (especially people you know). Old-timers here are comfortable with following a small set of people, but most newcomers aren't. For those people, pretty soon the feed becomes a firehose.
2. Even in a mostly-chronological feed, some ranking would be really nice. *Not* necessarily by popularity, but if there are 15 posts by the same person I don't want those to be the first 15.
Arvind Narayanan
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