myrmepropagandistDec 28, 2022

I've been creeping around looking at a lot of people's accounts (I'm doing a survey) Noticed that people with very few followers have one thing in common: they have not boosted the posts of other people often if at all.

(When I see posts like this encouraging boosting I always think "well that person just wants boosts, whatever") That's not it. On twitter it was important to only boost exceptional content -- boost here to invite more people to join in talking about something. #mastodonhowto

Show threadScott WillseyDec 28, 2022

@futurebird

Some people I'm friends with have other people's boosts turned off, which is strange to me (why follow someone who annoys you at all?) but then sometimes boost stuff themselves... 🤦‍♂️

That seems hypocritical to me, sorry friends. 😂

Show threadmyrmepropagandistDec 28, 2022

@scottaw

I can understand having boosts turned off for some people.

If you just want to see their original top level posts, if they are super active ... (uh like I am) it could be annoying.

I don't think it's ... like a block.

Show threadJohn Lusk

@futurebird @scottaw
I just want a "don't show me stuff I've already seen" feature in whatever app (or the desktop). Boosts I've never seen from people I follow: perfectly fine. The same post boosted five times in two days, multiplied by 100 other equally scintillating posts: less fine.

I'm on board with that "we're the algorithm" thing, but I think there's room for improvement.

Re follower counts: participation ==> moar followers, just by virtue of getting under people's noses.

Dec 28, 2022 at 9:48pmWeb
Show threadInfrapink (he/his/him)Dec 28, 2022
@tarheel
YES. THIS! ALL OF THE YES!
@futurebird @scottaw
Show threadTamar YellinDec 28, 2022
@tarheel @futurebird @scottaw Do you have this setting checked?
Show threadJohn LuskDec 28, 2022
@TamarYellin
I do.
@futurebird @scottaw
Show threadTamar YellinDec 28, 2022
@tarheel @futurebird @scottaw Hmm. I do miss parts of the algorithm, but even on Twitter I would see popular RTs several times in a day.
Show threadEllenInEdmonton Dec 29, 2022
@TamarYellin I have that checked but I still get a lot of duplication unless I hide boosts from the folks who do a lot of boosting.
Show threadMatt McIrvinDec 31, 2022
@TamarYellin @tarheel @futurebird @scottaw I read somewhere that in the Mastodon code that setting has a hard limit for how recent counts as "recently boosted", like, within the last N posts... and the number N is probably set too small for Mastodon as it currently exists, resulting in a lot of repetitive boosts appearing if there is heavy traffic.
Show threadKarsten™️Dec 29, 2022
@tarheel @futurebird @scottaw I like to boost posts, but I almost never re-boost things because I also don't really like seeing the same posts over and over, and don't want to potentially subject people to the same.