Just now it occurred to me that optimizing a social network for engagement is almost precisely the same thing as trolling: showing people the things that are most likely to react strongly to.
The only difference is that trolls write their content themselves, while social networks promote content written by others.
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The word engagement is slippery. I want engagement here on BigM but on my terms.
For instance, just because I like a cat picture doesn't mean I want a flood of them. Or even a trickle.
On the flip side, I do want exposure to new experiences. I will miss a couple of people on the old site who I stumbled on somehow.
My best guess is 10-20% of new people tossed at me by an algorithm would be interesting.
@rmerriam I want to engage in ways I don't regret later.