For any social network, not just a federated one.

My thoughts: The way it works in big tech social networks is like this:

  1. **The organic methods: **
  • your followee shares something from a poster you don’t follow
  • someone you don’t follow comments on a post from someone you follow
  • you join a group or community and find others you currently don’t follow
  1. The recommendation engine methods: content you do not follow shows up, and you are likely to engage in it based on statistical models. Big tech is pushing this more and more.
  2. Search: you specifically attempt to find what you’re looking for through some search capability. Big tech is pushing against this more and more.

In my opinion, the fediverse covers #1 well already. But #1 has a bubble effect. Your followees are less likely to share something very drastically different from what you already have.

The fediverse is principally opposed to #2, at least the way it is done in big tech. But maybe some variation of it could be done well.

#3 is a big weakness for fediverse. But I am curious how it would ideally manifest. Would it be full text search? Semantic search? Or something with more machine learning?

  • matcha_addict@lemy.lolOP
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    20 hours ago

    Yes, I was speaking about what would be ideal, and not what is possible today in the fediverse.

    A search service could solve this issue.