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No amount of algorithms can improve human behavior on any platform. You can definitely make human behavior worse using an algorithm just by pushing content tha

No amount of algorithms can improve human behavior on any platform. You can definitely make human behavior worse using an algorithm just by pushing content that provokes negative reactions in as many people as possible. I don't see why the opposite wouldn't be true. If the algorithm pushed uncontroversial content into people's timelines and didn't reward hateful crap they might get happier. Maybe Elon will give that a try!

paulusthe 4y ago
They wouldn't use it as much. The profitability of the site would suffer and it would cease to exist. It's not like Twitter set out trying to create an outrage machine. Their algorithms learned what people respond to - because responses, interaction, and time on the site is Twitter's goal - and gave them what they want. People don't want happy, good news. They don't want uncontroversial content. That's the problem, not Twitter, or its algos
bckr 4y ago
With utmost curiosity, how can making people happy get money for investors and SWE salaries?
- bee_rider 4y ago
  It can't, the whole ecosystem needs to collapse and then maybe some of those SWEs can go do something productive with their time.
- abeppu 4y ago
  You get content which makes people happy and optimistic about something which they now want to buy OR you gather information on what actually makes people happy (or at least engaged in something other than arguing), and sell that information. Less culture wars, more aspirational/fitness/self-care/nature-travel/interior design/organic subscription box/hygge content.
  - pjc50 4y ago
    Instagram already exists for the latter.
    - abeppu 4y ago
      Yup. And it both seems to make more money and has less political squabbling than Twitter though it's a little hard to tell when Meta rolls up its stats for the Family of Apps. I'm not sure Instagram users are actually happy, but they at least project an appearance of happiness. It's not like Twitter is committed to being original in all of its concepts. Fleets were clearly chasing Instagram Stories, and Spaces were copying Clubhouse. It clearly understood for a bit that if it wants to grow it needs to do some of the things that attract users to other platforms. The point is, there are technical and product choices that could change Twitter, how people use it, and the tenor of content there. Meeting both of onion2k and bckr's concerns (less hateful recommended content, generating revenue) are achievable for a social network; successful examples exists. What's _not_ proven is whether we can have a space for dialogue over civic issues which doesn't devolve into vitriol.

paulusthe 4y ago

They wouldn't use it as much. The profitability of the site would suffer and it would cease to exist. It's not like Twitter set out trying to create an outrage machine. Their algorithms learned what people respond to - because responses, interaction, and time on the site is Twitter's goal - and gave them what they want. People don't want happy, good news. They don't want uncontroversial content. That's the problem, not Twitter, or its algos

bckr 4y ago

With utmost curiosity, how can making people happy get money for investors and SWE salaries?

bee_rider 4y ago
It can't, the whole ecosystem needs to collapse and then maybe some of those SWEs can go do something productive with their time.
abeppu 4y ago
You get content which makes people happy and optimistic about something which they now want to buy OR you gather information on what actually makes people happy (or at least engaged in something other than arguing), and sell that information. Less culture wars, more aspirational/fitness/self-care/nature-travel/interior design/organic subscription box/hygge content.
- pjc50 4y ago
  Instagram already exists for the latter.
  - abeppu 4y ago
    Yup. And it both seems to make more money and has less political squabbling than Twitter though it's a little hard to tell when Meta rolls up its stats for the Family of Apps. I'm not sure Instagram users are actually happy, but they at least project an appearance of happiness. It's not like Twitter is committed to being original in all of its concepts. Fleets were clearly chasing Instagram Stories, and Spaces were copying Clubhouse. It clearly understood for a bit that if it wants to grow it needs to do some of the things that attract users to other platforms. The point is, there are technical and product choices that could change Twitter, how people use it, and the tenor of content there. Meeting both of onion2k and bckr's concerns (less hateful recommended content, generating revenue) are achievable for a social network; successful examples exists. What's _not_ proven is whether we can have a space for dialogue over civic issues which doesn't devolve into vitriol.