If we pretend that the only options are:

1) Chronological feed
2) Algorithmic feed where a company chooses the algorithm and objective function

And we pretend that "Share of time is a perfect metric for happiness," then this might make sense.

But... time spent isn't a perfect metric for happiness, and there is another option: 3) Algorithmic feed where the user has more control of the algorithm and objective function.

Eg, chronological *is* an algorithmic feed!🙂🙃

https://www.wired.com/story/meta-just-proved-people-hate-chronological-feeds/

Fantastic accomplishment!♥️👍🏿

https://19thnews.org/2023/07/chanda-prescod-weinstein-physicist-tenure-rare-feat/

And when she tried to join the Fediverse, she was greeted with a barrage of hate, sexism, racism, and anti-semitism that should have never been allowed to happen.

So now no one on Fediverse gets to interact with her directly about her work on here. Our loss. 😢

Which is why we'll make it so that this type of terrible welcome is unlikely to happen again. Allowing it to happen to her was a choice. We will make better ones.

#BlackMastodon

Dr James Barry (circa 1789-1865) was a renowned military surgeon who is probably better known for the speculation about his gender than his illustrious career. So let's set the record straight about the work of this brilliant healer.

Photo of Barry (centre), his dog and John, his servant, circa 1862, courtesy of Wellcome Images

“If you make a decision to leave [our community], that’s your choice, and maybe you’ll come back. You’re welcome, even as a non-member, to talk to us about what the issue is. But for people within the community, they’re like, ‘The goal is that nobody leaves.’ To me, that’s like saying the goal is that nobody dies.” -@jessamyn

▶️https://www.communitysignal.com/closing-your-community-right/

#OnlineCommunities #CommunityManagement #CMGR #CommunityManager #MetaFilter

I watched the youtube clip where Scott Adams did his racist star turn, and another where he "explained" himself.

It seemed clear that he knew he would lose the strip. He was quite deliberate about it.

More like a career move than an outburst. Planned cancelling.

Not the quiet part said out loud, but the loud part delivered quietly and calmly.

https://www.npr.org/2023/02/28/1159605012/dilbert-cartoonist-scott-adams-rant-rebuke

A reminder that the New York Times coverage of Section 230 has been dishonest for a long time.

The "paper of record" relentlessly frames this a Congressional favor for tech giants. In fact, the law protects freedom of expression -- yours and mine -- on the sites where we share, and the ones we own. It also protects our right to edit.

This is about money, and control. Traditional media have less of both due to the Internet. They want it back.