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I'd be fine with bringing back most of these banned accounts if the algorithm also died. Without an engagement-maximizing algorithm that promotes the most divi

by api 5y ago

I'd be fine with bringing back most of these banned accounts if the algorithm also died. Without an engagement-maximizing algorithm that promotes the most divisive content, those accounts would just be preaching to their own choirs. Meanwhile other people could pop in and see just how unhinged and ridiculous they are. Maximizing engagement means maximizing dishonest trolling, hate, fear, controversy for the sake of controversy, and catchy tabloid bullshit. The most engaging content is basically an adversarial attack on higher human cognition. It typically works by bypassing the rational mind and shooting for the amygdala. Make it a simple timeline again. Nix recommendations in favor of search. Make it just a forum, not an inherently biased Skinner box that sucks out peoples' brains. I'd support that regardless of who he lets back on the platform, because algorithmic social media is the real problem. Algorithmic social media is what got Donald Trump into the presidency, among many other things.

mirceal 5y ago
isn’t it convenient to blame everything on the algorithm? why spend time actually educating people and giving them the tool of critical thinking when you can create a cesspool that enables and amplifies xenophobia, racism, sexism, you name it. why call out certain behaviors that are horrendous when you can normalize them and pretend this is part of the normal public forum?
- api 5y ago
  Person A walks past you and smiles. Person B walks past and punches you in the face. Which maximizes engagement? Person A tells you about a new discovery at NASA. Person B tells you the Earth is flat and bombards you with "irrefutable" proof. Which maximizes engagement? I really do think engagement maximizing algorithms explain much (but not all) of our collective descent into insanity since about 2010-2012 when they became popular.
  - mirceal 5y ago
    the algo amplifies nasty things. that’s for sure. i guess my point is that those nasty things exist independently and have backing (and we should not normalize them).
    - api 5y ago
      It's the algorithm that has helped normalize them by promoting them to a wider audience because they maximize engagement.

by api 5y ago

mirceal 5y ago

isn’t it convenient to blame everything on the algorithm? why spend time actually educating people and giving them the tool of critical thinking when you can create a cesspool that enables and amplifies xenophobia, racism, sexism, you name it. why call out certain behaviors that are horrendous when you can normalize them and pretend this is part of the normal public forum?

api 5y ago
Person A walks past you and smiles. Person B walks past and punches you in the face. Which maximizes engagement? Person A tells you about a new discovery at NASA. Person B tells you the Earth is flat and bombards you with "irrefutable" proof. Which maximizes engagement? I really do think engagement maximizing algorithms explain much (but not all) of our collective descent into insanity since about 2010-2012 when they became popular.
- mirceal 5y ago
  the algo amplifies nasty things. that’s for sure. i guess my point is that those nasty things exist independently and have backing (and we should not normalize them).
  - api 5y ago
    It's the algorithm that has helped normalize them by promoting them to a wider audience because they maximize engagement.