Can we create and use social networking algorithms on the Fediverse that serve our own personal goals, such as more and deeper personal relationships, career advancement, and more participative citizenship?
Hey, everyone. Thanks for replying. I would say yes, but I expect a high level of choice (I choose the goals, not someone else), transparency (I know how it works, at least at a high level), and control (I can turn it on and off, I can configure or modify it). I think these have become pretty common principles for Fediverse software in general, so I think that would be likely outcomes.
For example, for me, the main reason I use social software is to deepen my friendships and other relationships. So, an algorithm that favours people I know over celebrities and influencers, that concentrates on intimate conversation or important life moments, would be something that would serve my needs.
@evan I see more potential in algorithmic dicoverability of interesting accounts and posts, but with all the controls and protections you mention. Regarding friends, if you spend the time tagging accounts to weight the algorithm for a friendship heavy feed, how long will it take to become more useful than an existing personal Mastodon list of friends? Might it not be more work to toggle the algorithm on and off to turn your friend weighted feed to a professional interest weighted feed?
Evan Prodromou
Josh