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Social media as we understand it is really algorithmic feeds with ads in between. People genuinely do not seem to be able to conceptualize a different model. T

by rchaud 4y ago

Social media as we understand it is really algorithmic feeds with ads in between. People genuinely do not seem to be able to conceptualize a different model. The reaction to Mastodon's learning curve has been very disappointing. You would have thought that the people that most want to leave the site would welcome an alternative model that is specifically un-Twitter like. And yet the complaints are all "Hey this isn't like Twitter, I can scroll right to the bottom of the page. Where is the randomness?" It is that very randomness that keeps people addicted to scrolling, keeps them viewing more ads, and eventually, has them responding to the quoted tweets of people they don't like to 'dunk' on them, ignorant to the fact that dunking counts as engagement, and boosts the reach of those posts. Mastodon specifically avoids all those things, but most Twitter users can't see that forest for the trees.

goldenchrome 4y ago
At the end of the day, people would like to be entertained with as little effort as possible. That’s how we got to the current system. Largely speaking, people are not sick of Twitter, they’re sick of the current ruler. If Mastodon can reduce the friction and be more engaging then it might have a chance. If it’s not possible to do that without becoming everything that’s wrong with Twitter then it may be true that we have the best system already. This is similar to how some people want a new economic system because they’re sick of capitalism but it turns out it’s very difficult to improve on it without causing a great deal more suffering.
lapcat 4y ago
> Social media as we understand it is really algorithmic feeds with ads in between. From the article: > Many people blame "the algorithm" for making Twitter unpleasant. I don't believe it's the algorithm, as I've always used the reverse chronological feed exclusively. I personally used a 3rd party client and an ad blocker in the browser, so I never saw the algorithm or the ads.
jdaw0 4y ago
>You would have thought that the people that most want to leave the site would welcome an alternative model that is specifically un-Twitter like. I don't think this part is right though. Most of the people looking for Twitter alternatives at this particular moment aren't looking because they're unhappy with Twitter the product. They just want Twitter Exactly But With No Elon -- that's why half the word count of this post about social media is a rant about how the author dislikes Elon's version of futurism. You're right about Twitter's addictive design, but that's what the people complaining want: to indulge their Twitter addiction without using Twitter.
- lapcat 4y ago
  > They just want Twitter Exactly But With No Elon -- that's why half the word count of this post about social media is a rant about how the author dislikes Elon This seems like a very strange interpretation of the article, titled "I don't want to go back to social media", where the first half is explaining why I don't want any alternative to Twitter, including Mastodon, and why social media is like an addiction.
- rchaud 4y ago
  The concept of doomscrolling has existed since well before Musk. Twitter like all social media networks amplified divisive content, because anger and fear were empirically found to result in more screen time than the alternative of a chronological and predictable feed. I do agree that people appear to have over-estimated their own appetite for an alternative.

by rchaud 4y ago

goldenchrome 4y ago

At the end of the day, people would like to be entertained with as little effort as possible. That’s how we got to the current system. Largely speaking, people are not sick of Twitter, they’re sick of the current ruler. If Mastodon can reduce the friction and be more engaging then it might have a chance. If it’s not possible to do that without becoming everything that’s wrong with Twitter then it may be true that we have the best system already. This is similar to how some people want a new economic system because they’re sick of capitalism but it turns out it’s very difficult to improve on it without causing a great deal more suffering.

lapcat 4y ago

> Social media as we understand it is really algorithmic feeds with ads in between. From the article: > Many people blame "the algorithm" for making Twitter unpleasant. I don't believe it's the algorithm, as I've always used the reverse chronological feed exclusively. I personally used a 3rd party client and an ad blocker in the browser, so I never saw the algorithm or the ads.

jdaw0 4y ago

>You would have thought that the people that most want to leave the site would welcome an alternative model that is specifically un-Twitter like. I don't think this part is right though. Most of the people looking for Twitter alternatives at this particular moment aren't looking because they're unhappy with Twitter the product. They just want Twitter Exactly But With No Elon -- that's why half the word count of this post about social media is a rant about how the author dislikes Elon's version of futurism. You're right about Twitter's addictive design, but that's what the people complaining want: to indulge their Twitter addiction without using Twitter.

lapcat 4y ago
> They just want Twitter Exactly But With No Elon -- that's why half the word count of this post about social media is a rant about how the author dislikes Elon This seems like a very strange interpretation of the article, titled "I don't want to go back to social media", where the first half is explaining why I don't want any alternative to Twitter, including Mastodon, and why social media is like an addiction.
rchaud 4y ago
The concept of doomscrolling has existed since well before Musk. Twitter like all social media networks amplified divisive content, because anger and fear were empirically found to result in more screen time than the alternative of a chronological and predictable feed. I do agree that people appear to have over-estimated their own appetite for an alternative.