Showerthoughts

29864 readers

604 users here now

A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. A showerthought should offer a unique perspective on an ordinary part of life.

Rules

All posts must be showerthoughts
The entire showerthought must be in the title
Avoid politics
- 3.1) NEW RULE as of 5 Nov 2024, trying it out
- 3.2) Political posts often end up being circle jerks (not offering unique perspective) or enflaming (too much work for mods).
- 3.3) Try c/politicaldiscussion, volunteer as a mod here, or start your own community.
Posts must be original/unique
Adhere to Lemmy's Code of Conduct

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

270

Algorithm-based social media "recommendations" has normalized us putting up with blatant SPAM (packmates.org)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by [email protected] to c/showerthoughts

13 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Algorithm-based social media "recommendations" has normalized us putting up with blatant SPAM

Imagine if gmail or outlook were to place emails by 'creators and brands you might like' in your inbox!?

Following the process of enshittification, the algorithm on many social media platforms is becoming an excuse to push blatant amounts of SPAM to users. It starts as a feature that is genuinely useful, but becomes a tool to show you ads, content from paying users or to keep you hooked with rage-bait content as social media platforms seek to extract more value out of its users.

Algorithm-based social media has its benefits, but looking forward it is becoming increasingly necessary that such an algorithm runs client-side and is owned by the user.

cc: @showerthoughts

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] GracchiBros 14 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I don't use much social media and have things set up to block most ads. So maybe I just don't get how bad it is out there. But in my experience with Youtube I've thought it generally does a decent job at recommending me videos based on what I've watched and who I'm subbed to. For example, if I stumble across some documentary about an aircraft accident, I'm not upset when it starts recommending me other similar videos from that channel or videos from other channels and their similar documentaries. I've found good videos I'd never have seen that way.

It can get frustrating if you accidentally end up watching a video about something you normally don't want to see, but the newer recommendations seem to fade away after a few days of not watching them. And I can certainly see how such a system can be gamed in nefarious ways. I never liked when I saw Reddit sub recommendations, but I mostly thought that was because their system didn't recommend me things I had any interest in.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I dare you to accidentally click on a Joe rogan created or related video and watch your feed descend into conspiracy, nationalism, pseudoscience, and other insane recommendations.

I use libretube now.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

The difference is that youtube have a subscribed tab where your subscriptions are displayed on chronological order. You don't have "reccomend" videos polluting the subscription tab.