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Discovery is a challenge for sure. I just wonder how far a service could get with an entirely user-driven discovery, follows, search, etc. Platforms get into t
by _heimdall 3y ago
Discovery is a challenge for sure. I just wonder how far a service could get with an entirely user-driven discovery, follows, search, etc.
Platforms get into the business of censorship when they attempt to currate content (handpicked or algorithmic). Engagement is obviously much lower if you aren't running an algorithm designed to hook everyone on doom scrolling, but plenty of people still happily use an RSS reader and just go away when their list of new posts is empty.
- acdha 3y agoBut where did those people go away to? My memory is that we moved from web rings and blog rolls to social media sites which increasingly made certain that you’d never lack for new content. Even if you’re not doomscrolling, this feels like humanity’s equivalent to moths chasing the brightest light around.
- _heimdall 3y agoThat's my recollection as well, and I take the same lesson from it with regards to human nature. There is still a comparatively small bit active community of webrings, blog rolls, etc today. What I'm less certain of is whether the driver really consumers chasing the brightest light or platforms taking advantage of basic psych tricks to drive addictive behavior (or both).
- acdha 3y agoI’d definitely say both. The social networks combined easier / more polished experiences to get a lot of people over but then they really ramped up the social tricks to get people to stay longer and look at more ads.