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Seriously, stop blaming the network/platform/software/protocol if you are not seeing the content you want to see, or seeing content you don't want to see. (c.im)

submitted 1 month ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Seriously, stop blaming the network/platform/software/protocol if you are not seeing the content you want to see, or seeing content you don't want to see.

Every #SNS, or #SocialMedia network, is based on (1) who you follow; and (2) who you and the people you follow interact with.

In other words, what you see and don't see was based on your how you're growing your own network. That is your personal "observable network".

It gets worse in platforms with algorithms because they push far more similar content you wouldn't normally see if you don't have any connection path to those (again, who the people you're following are interacting with).

In platforms without an algorithm, like most #Fediverse software, the closest you can get to something similar is your "Instance timeline/feed" and "Fediverse timeline/feed", which are generally 'hidden' behind another tab/section. Not like in, for example, #Threads, "For You" is the default. ("For You" is currently like the "Instance timeline/feed" but with algorithms.)

If you're seeing too much tech mumbo jumbo, you're probably following a couple of tech accounts. Or, maybe, you're just following one techie account but they're far too active in this type of content.

You want to see more art content, you have to find and follow them. Use hashtags and see who else are using it and follow those accounts you like. Or, if you like things being fed to you through an algorithm, you have to keep feeding that algorithm with keywords so it will learn what you want (again, like in Threads).

What you see and don't see is based on how you're growing your network. It's no different from your offline life, you see and hear only the things people that surrounds you are sharing.

It is not the fault of the software/platform/protocol/instance/algorithm (or lack thereof). It's all about #YOU, you are center of your "observable network". Just like how planet Earth is the center of its own "observable universe".

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I agree for the most part, people can curate their feeds to see what they want to see and block what they don't.

However, there is some merit to the argument that requiring too much blocking off and following from the default new user experience is a barrier to entry. When other platforms offer that out of the box, many won't bother if the timeline is full of noise they aren't interested in. Defederating, instance and user banning are usable tools to pre-curate these but they are quite imprecise.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago (1 children)

@[email protected] Do you have an example?

Many argued during Twitter Migration 2.0 that algorithms are important in content discovery. However, in #Threads where there is an algorithm, people still complain how they are seeing things they don't want to see, and not discovering content that they like, and Threads also have a "Not interested" feature on top of the algorithm.

There are also people complaining about the exact same thing about The #ATmosphere network even though they were provided with a lot of moderation and discovery features than most other SNS.

If people are complaining for the same reasons in any of these networks and platforms, is it not because the user is growing their network incorrectly and/or randomly, or lack of it? Because algorithm or not, moderation and discovery tools or not, it's the same complaints.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

On the Lemmy side of things... Hexbear is a site full of jerks and trolls but some groups that have interesting discussion. We defederated with them because it would clutter up our Local discussions and All field with their sheer size of userbase.

Another example is for some time a group called [email protected] was one of the more active on the Local feed, dedicated to casting doubt on the authenticity of an Instagram influencer's body image. Not a topic necessarily people are interested in by default.

A third example, most users are good at appropriate labeling political content/channels but by default the all feed tends to be US politics on both Lemmy and Mastodon that is not that relevant to people outside of North America.

Technology wise, the Subscribed feed is the way to curate specific groups you want to see in Lemmy, but that takes a while to select the groups you want to follow, similar to building follower lists and following hashtags in Mastodon.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

@[email protected] Ahh, yeah, on Lemmy it is the reversed, you get far too much content from the highly active groups, drowing everything else.

On the microblogging side, that's the thing, the "Local" / "For You" feed was just meant to see what's going on. On platforms without an algorithm, it shows everything. But on platforms like Threads, it controls it (but still, if there is barely any data the algorithm can work on, it's as good as not having any algorithm). So in the end, it goes back to being an end-user effort (or issue) why they see what they don't want to see, and don't find what they want to consume.

For platforms with an algorithm, they have to help the algorithm by providing it data. They need to like, follow, comment, on content they like to see more, instead of randomly interacting. If they don't change their method, the data will be built upon their random liking/commenting, and then complain about it.

For platforms without an algorithm, if they kept on following accounts that talks about tech, of course most of what they'll see are tech. Hence the complaints about "the Fediverse is for developers only" or "the Fediverse is all about politics".

Some claim the Fediverse lack moderation tools, yet, people complain about the same things over in The ATmosphere network. How they kept seeing politics or tech mumbo jumbo.

So, at the end of the day, it's an end-user effort/issue. The platform developers can only provide so much assistance and tools, but if the end-user doesn't grow their "observable network" properly, then it won't work for them regardless which platform they use.

The "Local"/"For You" feed is just for finding new content, for expanding our network. And yes, if some groups or topics are filling this feed, the server admins should have tools to throttle certain groups or topics, so as not to defeat it's purpose as a discovery tool. Otherwise, what you shared will indeed happen. (And I guess this is where an algorithm works best, like how it is in Threads (if there is enough data of course).)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Yes. User behaviour is a major component and user action to curate things is the most direct way to fix an experience on the internet.

However there are also technical improvements to be made that would make that action less laborious for users and allow them to see more of what they want to on social media.

https://join-lemmy.org/news/2024-09-11_-_New_NLnet_funding_for_Lemmy

Post tags, Multi-communities, and community discovery are some examples of potential future improvements.