Chris TrottierDec 2, 2022

I agree with @shengokai here, but some observations:

1. How social media data is organized primarily reflects the concerns of the people who develop it
2. Because of this, social organization of social media actors reflects how the data of social media thereof is organized

So yes, social media requires actors.

Developers are actors.

https://zirk.us/@shengokai/109440785817783239

Dr. Johnathan Flowers (@[email protected])

This is why I'm teaching the course: social media doesn't "allow" a thing to happen. Social media enables things to happen through how it is used by different actors. The distinction is in the attribution of agency. To say that social media "allows" something to happen is to say that it gives permission, that it operates without the influence of a human agent, that it could have stopped someone or something cold. https://mastodon.social/@CStamp/109440729612829813

zirkus
Show threadChris Trottier

@shengokai By the way, I'm going to stop using the term "social media users" because it's inaccurate.

Indeed, the better term is actors.

This is also consistent with the Fediverse's own terminology.

Dec 2, 2022 at 4:28amWeb
Show threadAdam DallianceDec 2, 2022
@atomicpoet @shengokai all of fedi is but a stage, and the people merely actors.