The algorithm is killing Twitter and it's driving me insane
The author criticizes Twitter's algorithm under Elon Musk for hindering nuanced discussions, highlighting character limits and audience escape as barriers, and calls for more thoughtful engagement in online interactions.
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The author expresses frustration with Twitter's current algorithm and its impact on nuanced discussions. They acknowledge that while algorithms are not new, the specific changes under Elon Musk's ownership in 2024 have made it increasingly difficult to engage in meaningful conversations. The character limit of tweets, which restricts the ability to convey complex ideas, is highlighted as a significant barrier. Although threads allow for more context, they often lead to confusion as tweets can be read out of order or taken out of context. The author also discusses the concept of "audience escape," where tweets can reach unintended audiences, leading to misunderstandings and negative interactions. This phenomenon can result in users becoming "main characters" in online outrage, facing disproportionate backlash for their statements. The author argues that this environment stifles healthy discourse and creates a toxic atmosphere, making it challenging to discuss political and nuanced topics effectively. They call for a more thoughtful engagement with the platform, urging readers to consider the implications of their reactions and the nature of online interactions.
- The current Twitter algorithm under Elon Musk complicates nuanced discussions.
- Character limits and audience escape hinder effective communication on the platform.
- Users can face disproportionate backlash for their tweets, leading to a toxic environment.
- Threads may provide more context but often lead to confusion and misinterpretation.
- The author advocates for more thoughtful engagement and understanding in online interactions.
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5 commentsAnd now I use Mastodon, because I can use Ivory, the Mastodon client by TapBits (the maker of TweetBot).
Of course you don’t have to use that app because Mastodon doesn’t have any algorithm. It’s just chronological. It’s great. There’s nothing stopping someone from making a client that has an algorithm. But the service isn’t trying to hide stuff from you and promote nonsense that someone paid for.
I've seen this style become "popular" and I have nothing but morbid fascination.
Well therein lies the problem, no? Reflexive outrage, cringe and disgust are some of the strongest ways to engage your audience. Any rational social media owner (particularly one that owns an unprofitable hellsite such as Twitter) is going to capitalize on that, because Twitter isn't and was never a charity. It's an advertisement platform that deliberately limits your expression to prevent you from taking the attention away from the ads.
So now we're on X, and everyone somehow thinks things will gently come back together again. Why? Do we not see the smoldering corpse that Jack Dorsey left for us, expecting a spirit to rise from the ashes and thank the most pious @users?
I never used Twitter, so eulogizing it has always struck me as an uncomfortably postmodern compulsion. From the outside looking in, Twitter was disproportionately popular and relied on FOMO generated from lifestyle influencers to draw in the majority of it's users. It had no clear path to profitability, also relied on baiting people with sensationalism for ad revenue, and ultimately suffers from the same critical flaw of fickle centralized control that damned Twitter originally.
Whether we like it or not, prior to Musk buying twitter, the old twitter was essentially burning capital and had less than six months of runaway money in the bank, essentially it was 6 months away from bankruptcy.
Contrary to what many people said, twitter is still alive and doing overall okay. Most people are still there, tweeting and doing stuff.
OP just liked the old unsustainable twitter.
Unironically, this person staying on twitter (despite twitter making them “go insane”) is literally what keeps twitter alive.
There’s no way to play this kind of games and win. OP should move to a different platform if the current state of twitter does not suit them.
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