Apparently all the platforms are giving up on news. I've always thought that's what the #fediverse is perfect for. Maybe this is our moment...
@wjmaggos well it's tricky because with so many hostile to algorithms other than chronological sorting, it's hard to prioritize real breaking news ahead of someone complaining about the lack of RT function, or someone wishing the world a good morning for some reason.
breaking news will get more boosts eventually. we could also build separate apps that sort or reading apps that surface the most shared articles, podcasts, videos etc. we need to do more with the decentralized social graph.
@wjmaggos so you see the funniness in the phrase that breaking news will get more boosts eventually? 🙂
I just mean that once this place become the news place, the self referential stuff and quirkiness should be less interesting to everybody. we would be the norm instead of the offbeat club (which might be kinda sad actually).
@wjmaggos why?
Different people find different things interesting, and that's a good thing!
original Twitter didn't have an algo and was great for news, but it wasn't till journos and politicos and govts were there. I'm not contesting what individuals will be interested in, but what will be popular here. that will change as it's less geeks and people who here for the quirkiness, and more normies who want to follow and boost the best news coverage. unless we only keep following the same people we do now and they don't follow anybody else new, what we see will change.
@wjmaggos It is literally impossible not to have an algorithm. Even chronological is an algorithm. In this place it's not only an algorithm involving chronology but also the feeds that go to different instances.
So yeah, original Twitter had an algorithm.
But I also don't think original Twitter was as great for news as you think. All of the boosting under such a system just skews reporting toward confirmation bias, which I don't think is great for news.
