ulope
Laurie VossA thing about Mastodon that I didn't realize I'd missed from pre-algorithm Twitter is the sheer randomness of the content. No longer honed to be hyper-engaging (usually by being scary or enraging) I now see weird experiments, fun scientific papers, random shitposts. Of course it's not all exactly in my wheelhouse, but that makes it simultaneously more *interesting* while being less *addictive*. The whole experience feels a lot healthier for my brain.
Robert van Hoesel@seldo Yes, but: The fact the timeline is chronological makes me feel like I need to read it all until my last visit, it inspires a bit of FOMO and inbox-zero'ing behavior.
@robertvh I follow like 3000 people so I've had to let that go.
Patricklee
Ylfingr, 黒い狼
schrotie
LisPi@robertvh @seldo Yeah, that's exactly why I'll need to setup my own sorting & prioritization eventually.
#Usenet-style, yeah.
I'm aware of at least a few people experimenting with that & #Gnus privately.
I might bother to try & make something similar myself, eventually, if nothing adequate releases before I finally find motivation to do it myself.
Andrea Trasatti@seldo the Local timeline is even more random and sometimes super interesting
@atrasatti I am alone on an instance mostly by myself so I don't read my local much :-)
@seldo you're missing out! Join SFba.local instance - you can have multiple accounts on multiple instances
John Minnihan@seldo proudly representing the random shitposts sector
Alec Perkins@seldo it’s so refreshing! I’m realizing how much I was missing once Twitter started bucketing my interests, and how much it was confining my perspective.
Pete Prodoehl 🍕@seldo Right!? Like, here's a recent photo of a tree in winter, with snow on it, taken with a Game Boy Camera.
minto@rasterweb @seldo
@_holger even turned the gameboy camera into an actual webcam. 😎
it's among my favorite nonsense things. 😅
https://mastodon.social/@_holger/109907320997542261
@_holger even turned the gameboy camera into an actual webcam. 😎
it's among my favorite nonsense things. 😅
https://mastodon.social/@_holger/109907320997542261
tiago@rasterweb @seldo and here's a pic of recent photo of a tree winter, with snow on it, taken with a game boy camera, taken with my phone simulating a game boy camera. Right!?
Joel VanderWerf@seldo The one thing I miss about the algo is seeing some things asynchronously.
I'd like an option to show me some posts from, say, 12-24 hours ago, which were in my timeline but which I did not read. Not a recommendation based on likes, follows etc. Just a temporal hiccup, random in other respects.
Michael Olsen@seldo you've articulated something that I've felt but couldn't quite capture in this line:
[Mastodon's content is] "simultaneously more *interesting* while being less *addictive*. The whole experience feels a lot healthier for my brain."
Thank you for that description, I share that exact sentiment!
jlapoutre@seldo this is so true! The lack of algorithmic filtering allows for some serendipity - I learned a lot about so many things outside my horizon already since joining mastodon, just like the old 2007’ish Twitter experience
BadMax@seldo I don't know who you are but it's a pleasure to read you 🤣
Christopher Mims@seldo THIS
mastodon has returned serendipity and weirdness to my internet consumption
Algernon D'Ammassa@seldo Well stated! This is what it’s like for me as well.
BoneHouseWasps🔶🇬🇧🇪🇺@seldo yes, very much this. Plus art, tech, photography, oddly specific details about people's hobbies. The people on here seem happier, too.
Peter Bindels@seldo Similar to youtube... whenever I get too samey recommendations I go to my subscriptions for things that I actually want to see... often finding many things I wish the algorithm recommended but it just doesn't.
Recently I've found the algorithm to be significantly worse than just looking at subscriptions.
Kohane@dascandy42 @seldo Does it happen to you that the main page of YouTube is often filled with videos you already watched & either didn't like or finished & moved on? I happens too often for me, but I wonder if I'm the only one...
@dascandy42 @seldo That's interesting... I have that with Instagram but not with YouTube. Do you use an app or website?
@dascandy42 @seldo Infested is a great image 😂
I don't use apps at all, only the website. But I don't get any ads there, & I do see notifications. Just way too many vids that I already watched & they're recommended... for some reason? I watch vids using iPad or MacBook, not phone. And ofc Ad Blockers. Maybe that make any difference...?
I don't use apps at all, only the website. But I don't get any ads there, & I do see notifications. Just way too many vids that I already watched & they're recommended... for some reason? I watch vids using iPad or MacBook, not phone. And ofc Ad Blockers. Maybe that make any difference...?
ZZ Bottom
Adam ^^@seldo I really enjoy that about less profit oriented social media. It doesn't have that extreme seperation of groups which makes a middle despawn and only leaves hate instead of actual interesting/productive/fun talk.
Michał "rysiek" Woźniak · 🇺🇦@seldo no, see, without the algorithmic recommendations that's simply impossible!
This has to be true, a "social media expert" that tried to join fedi and decided that choosing an instance is too hard told me so! 
Stephen Shankland@seldo I find it's fun to graze, but also much harder to spot stuff that I (as a journalist) find important.
@batyalee 🌿
Zach Keeshin@seldo key word healthier. Now it’s a matter of convincing bird site addicts that healthier is better for everybody
Walter Dunham Ll.B.@seldo
I was struggling to put my mastodon experience in concrete terms and 💥 ... there it is! Thank you for verbalizing my thoughts for me, you have completely captured my sentiments ☺️
I was struggling to put my mastodon experience in concrete terms and 💥 ... there it is! Thank you for verbalizing my thoughts for me, you have completely captured my sentiments ☺️
Michael@seldo @BarrenPlanet I agree on the virtues of randomness!
umbrus@seldo Yes! Absolutely true. It's better in so many ways: I spend less time here, but the time I do spend here is much more rewarding and interesting.
harmi 💙💜💖@seldo that's it!! I like it!
PammyStarr 
✍️@seldo and more fun!
Bethby@seldo me too
Tofu-Eating Wokerati@seldo Exactly this!!! Love it.
Rupert 🇪🇺🏴☠️😾🔭📷🍺🍪🌍🔥@seldo the pleasure of boosting and not being worried if mine are boosted (much)
Aviva Gary@seldo It is life! 😜 Also you are my kind of people.
Wm.sonI learn something new/cool/interesting here every time I log in. I've lost track of a few of the hashtags I originally followed (#Mosstodon #ThickTrunkTuesday) but I've gained many more that are cool.
I stick to my local feed, though. Federated goes way too fast fomr my little brain.
Visions of Napa@Sfwmson I read someplace that there’s a way to go into settings and slow down the speed of a feed.
C. L. Polk@seldo it really feels good to get back to interesting, enthusiastic, and genuine.
Mfon 🫐@seldo 100% agree, these days after going on Twitter I feel like I've just eaten junk food
An itch has been scratched but I don't really feel good about it
Marty 🇨🇦@seldo right!… Yesterday i saw a puppet maker post about why they make the puppets’ cheeks out of softer foam, complete with video of a raw, faceless puppet. I never would have thought I would enjoy it as much as I did😄
Yet Water Was 
@seldo Right? Thanks, John Mastodon!
Timo Hetzel
gofoss
British Tech Guru@seldo I very much agree. I've found interesting stuff to comment on. Sadly the lack of interaction from the OPs indicates that a lot of it is bots posting.
I'm getting way more reaction on my posts which are mostly about my adventures with Arduino and Raspberry Pi. My posts are few and far between because I literally only get a few hours each week to work on projects due to work etc
KFClintonThe daily news from that site and from the RWNJ owner is all reinforcing my decision to dump the bird.
I don't think of Mastodon as a replacement. I think of it as a whole new interesting place to explore. And the best part is there is no guilt for being here and also no tension in my timeline.
NicholasR