metamick on Nostr: Algorithmic social media is a TV with no remote control. A short burst of thoughts ...
Algorithmic social media is a TV with no remote control.
A short burst of thoughts about this, and why I'm bullish on Nostr (and primal (npub12vk…pugg) ) - after a few pints with BlackCoffee (npub1dqe…mmgt) and s4s (npub1fh7…k5kk)
Also, who remembers this ancient instrument?
If you haven't noticed, X and other algos are constantly trying to GUESS what you want to see at that point in time.
They doesn't ask you, they assume they knows you better than you know yourself. And in some ways they do. They study your weaknesses and play them against you.
Nonetheless, by guessing–what you are thinking, feeling etc–they are going to get things wrong.
This is because what it's missing is the context. "What are you feeling RIGHT NOW? What are you in the mood for, RIGHT NOW?"
Flash back. For the young ones, the image above is called a remote control. It let's you change between TV channels.
With a remote control one can switch between different stations based on their, yes, FREE WILL: "I want to watch the nature channel," or "I feel like sports", or "let's read the news and see what's going on".
The TV does't just know or assume it knows what we want to watch at any time.
In the algorithmic social media of today, all platforms are trying to stochastically guess what you want and feel like at the moment >> in such a way as to maximise your time on the platform. << This is Important.
Ironcally, in so doing they do a terrible job - actually.
I could be spending most of my time on Twitter, if i was optimizing my time for what I WANT to be doing at THAT TIME.
For example:
1. FAMILY: I have a kid, I want to learn how others are raising their families
2. WORK: I'm a design, so i want to see what the best designers are cooking up
3. HOBBY: I'm into archaeology, i want to learn the latest discoveries.
4. PROJECT: What are people fundraising on Geyser saying about it?
In short, I WANT to have control over what I'm seeing. And if I could have that control, I'd likely be spending a LOT more time on that platform. Because it provides so much AMPLIFIED value.
To not be given control is a waste of time, detrimental to our well being and will power. It's also bad for X and other mono-algolpatforms, because it's a destructive model that is not productive.
A company out there (maybe primal (npub12vk…pugg)) with this single power of the control, may be able to take eat lunch.
It's powerful giving users control over their lives. There is no price to this.
An AI-powered feed that I have control over may be taking social media from a single channel to a multi-channel world. A world we can control.
cc: miljan (npub16c0…6nvr), jack (npub1sg6…f63m), max (npub18lz…ugm3)
A short burst of thoughts about this, and why I'm bullish on Nostr (and primal (npub12vk…pugg) ) - after a few pints with BlackCoffee (npub1dqe…mmgt) and s4s (npub1fh7…k5kk)
Also, who remembers this ancient instrument?
If you haven't noticed, X and other algos are constantly trying to GUESS what you want to see at that point in time.
They doesn't ask you, they assume they knows you better than you know yourself. And in some ways they do. They study your weaknesses and play them against you.
Nonetheless, by guessing–what you are thinking, feeling etc–they are going to get things wrong.
This is because what it's missing is the context. "What are you feeling RIGHT NOW? What are you in the mood for, RIGHT NOW?"
Flash back. For the young ones, the image above is called a remote control. It let's you change between TV channels.
With a remote control one can switch between different stations based on their, yes, FREE WILL: "I want to watch the nature channel," or "I feel like sports", or "let's read the news and see what's going on".
The TV does't just know or assume it knows what we want to watch at any time.
In the algorithmic social media of today, all platforms are trying to stochastically guess what you want and feel like at the moment >> in such a way as to maximise your time on the platform. << This is Important.
Ironcally, in so doing they do a terrible job - actually.
I could be spending most of my time on Twitter, if i was optimizing my time for what I WANT to be doing at THAT TIME.
For example:
1. FAMILY: I have a kid, I want to learn how others are raising their families
2. WORK: I'm a design, so i want to see what the best designers are cooking up
3. HOBBY: I'm into archaeology, i want to learn the latest discoveries.
4. PROJECT: What are people fundraising on Geyser saying about it?
In short, I WANT to have control over what I'm seeing. And if I could have that control, I'd likely be spending a LOT more time on that platform. Because it provides so much AMPLIFIED value.
To not be given control is a waste of time, detrimental to our well being and will power. It's also bad for X and other mono-algolpatforms, because it's a destructive model that is not productive.
A company out there (maybe primal (npub12vk…pugg)) with this single power of the control, may be able to take eat lunch.
It's powerful giving users control over their lives. There is no price to this.
An AI-powered feed that I have control over may be taking social media from a single channel to a multi-channel world. A world we can control.
cc: miljan (npub16c0…6nvr), jack (npub1sg6…f63m), max (npub18lz…ugm3)