8 ms·
The purpose of the algorithmic feed (vs. chronological) is to decouple the surfaced content from clear and present attributes of the content like its creation t
by niftich 8y ago
The purpose of the algorithmic feed (vs. chronological) is to decouple the surfaced content from clear and present attributes of the content like its creation time and author, such that the feed is a neverending, if mostly pleasing smattering of content from the accounts you follow. Platforms like it because they can opaquely tune the feed for a particular end:
- help users who follow few accounts, or follow low-volume accounts, seem like they have more content to look at; this helps retention
- lift viral content higher, to reward users producing popular content, and expose it to other users assuming wisdom of the crowds
- expose a different set of content on successive views; this helps engagement
- put ads in your feed with higher frequency, whose perceived density would be much more jarring given the reference points provided by the unchanged ordering of a chronological feed
In many cases, these changes disadvantage the most the sort of people the platform cares to retain the least.
- mikewhy 8y ago> ... seem like they have more content to look at; this helps retention Instagram added this a little while ago[1], which flies in the face of these "never-ending feed" complaints. [1]: https://imgur.com/B3gOVA2 https://imgur.com/B3gOVA2
- woolvalley 8y agoI find the opposite. Things often repeat with the algorithmic feed when I open the app again, things from days or weeks ago, while there is already fresh content that was posted minutes ago. But since it's not in time order, I miss the new things.
- code_duck 8y agoI agree. I often am presented with posts from 2-4 days ago, even when the people involved have posted newer content. This is awful when I'm going to an event or convention and trying to see what people are posting about it. And also, run out of content on IG and FB and it starts repeating posts, even though I follow thousands of people and obviously there is a huge amount of new content available which FB is not presenting. It seems like they select content from a rotating pool of 20-30 people at any time.