• AdamEatsAss@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    30
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    5 months ago

    Lemmy 100% has an algorithm. It’s not a complicated one but any method for determining what content shows up is an algorithm.

    • FlihpFlorp@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      18
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      5 months ago

      No the commenter but I think it’s one of those language things where algorithm (at least in the context of social media) has come to mean a personalized feed, like two people have different all feeds versus an algorithm like sorting by hot or active posts that every has the same posts. To your point both are algorithms but it’s one of those thing where the word has taken on its own meaning

      • imaqtpie@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        14
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        5 months ago

        Precisely. The colloquial use of algorithm indicates a form of targeted content delivery where your personal preferences are weaponized against you (aka TikTok)

        • Banana@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          5 months ago

          Yeah pretty much exactly what I was thinking about. I like being able to curate and have some legitimate control over what I’m seeing

    • TORFdot0@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      9
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      5 months ago

      An open source algorithm that the user base can see and understand how it works is different than a closed source algorithm that serves to benefit advertisers more than users

      • pingveno@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        5 months ago

        That always comes with a double edged sword. An open source algorithm can be gamed more easily. IIRC, that’s why Reddit moved to closed source for theirs originally, spammers were specifically targeting it. I don’t think Lemmy’s big enough yet to attract that sort of detailed inspection, but it happened in the past. I’m not saying Lemmy should close source its algorithm, of course. Though maybe a pluggable algorithm would be a good idea, to make it so that people could use a diverse set of algorithms that would be more difficult to target as a whole?

        • kbotc@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          5 months ago

          Yep, Trump’s campaign figured out how to game Reddit’s algorithm. Sticky a post and essentially tell anyone in the subreddit to upvote any stickied post on any visit which would quickly drive the stickied post to the top of all quickly.

    • Banana@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      5 months ago

      Fair enough, but I’d say the other commenters have articulated what I meant pretty well