I definitely understand the aversion to algorithms because just look at what platforms like Facebook, Twitter or even Reddit these days do with them. In the wrong hands, it’s deceptive and dodgy as fuck.

But I wouldn’t be opposed to an algorithm that you can tailor yourself. And I don’t mean Bluesky style ‘tailoring’, I mean give us a list of interests and categories to toggle that then have more weight in the feed. So for example, if you like metal, you would then see more metal related stuff in your feed and not have it downed out by Taylor Swift and Kanye West because upvotes.

And something I picked up from Facebook (even though it doesn’t work for shit on Facebook because their algorithm is mentally handicapped) is being able to ‘favourite’ something. And by doing that, not just pinning it to the top of the list of communities but actually making it appear in your feed more whether the upvotes are a high amount or not.

User defined algorithmic settings?

TikTok basically invented shorts. Maybe Snapchat.

That would be Vine

Agreed, but I also wouldn’t mind if someone tried to work on an algorithm that would be entertaining while also being more beneficial to society. I don’t think it’s impossible to do and maybe people would be more okay with that as a replacement rather than having them quit cold turkey.

I wish someone else would concentrate on the thing I like. I have my own issues with Pixelfed (specifically how much it doesn’t want you to use it for NSFW content even though it allows it), but I don’t deny that short form videos are hugely popular and a good way to pull people in to the fediverse.

Social networks benefit from the network effect. The ides behind federation is to make the network effect work for everyone by making leaving the system an u tenable position. The beautiful part of federation and activpub in particular is that because all content is shared across the same protocol one service improves all the others. Having a short form video service might not be particularly popular but it will then integrate with the rest of the fediverse improving it and cementing the network effect for all services.

This would be more powerful if we could figure out fediversal accounts tho.

Maybe Snapchat

I’ve always heard of snapchat being the worst of them all, so maybe it depends on what kind of content you follow?

I with the Pixelfed creator would just focus on Pixelfed, I use that and it’s a total win, just needs some kinks worked out and more popularity.

Now that they have some funding and are building up a small team, it might let them focus on a few things at once. I agree though that it won’t replace Tiktok. At this point, doomscrolling is a psychological addiction that takes effort to move away from.