Imagine you are at a big party. Everyone is talking but you cannot hear what most are saying.
But one guest is constantly talking about how great a certain product is, and that everyone should buy it. And that guy you can hear loud and clear, because that is what the people who pay for the party WANT you to hear.
That is what algorithm driven social media is. Whether it is Facebook, Threads, or X, when you submit to the algorithm, they control your party.
Tell your friends to choose Mastodon.
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@randahl One of the biggest up sides **and** down sides is the lack of algorithm. Most of us want an algorithm, we just want one that works for us.
I'd be all for an algorithm that users can control, tweak, turn off, select settings, etc. I would love to have the better content show higher as long as it is defining "better" based on what I want.
@freemo Mastodon has that. Just hit the search tab and see what is trending.
@randahl As far as I know that only shows trending hashtags, not trending posts. a post can havbe no views but if it uses a trending hash tag it would show up.
Also we dont neccesarly want an algorithm that simply shows us what is popular to others. A good algorithm will show me what would be popular for me specifically. As in what **I** will like and want to see, not what others like and want to see.
@freemo @randahl hate to intrude, but I figured I should say that it's not sorted by hashtags, it's by favorites that came from the instance you're on.
That's what Mastodon devs had said last time I saw them discussing it.