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<h1>Social Networks</h1>
<p>I spend a lot of time reading (and sometimes posting) on various Social Networks. I have been on the Internet from the very start of it existing and being available. Prior to Internet, I used home made Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) and computer networks like DECNET, X.25, BITNET, etc.</p>
<h3>X/Twitter</h3>
<p>My understanding of how a social network like X/Twitter works is as follows.</p>
<p>Example. I follow 5000 accounts. Each account writes about 1 post a day = 5000 posts a day. Every time I login to X and check X for new posts, the X algofeed serves me 50 posts on one screenful. I check X 10 times per day, 10 times x 50 posts per a screenful = 500 posts that X will show me daily. That is 500 posts, out of the total of 5000 eligible posts that can be shown. The other 4500 eligible posts will not be shown. X must decide which 500, out of 5000 eligible, to show me. Any one post has probability 0.1 to be shown. I expect to see 1 post from 1 account once in 10 days. X algo is non-random and tilts towards factors like accounts interaction (e.g. bio check), engagement with posts {Like,Forward,Quote,Reply}, time of posting. With the timeliness of all these factors is decayed by some half-life (from the event time to now). I presume the most important meta-data is (a) connection (follow/s/er); and (b) timeliness, time of viewing minus time of posting (that decays quickly).</p>
<h3>Algofeed</h3>
<p>The Algofeed has no idea about the meaning (let alone the truthfulness) of any content in the post. So afaik the Algofeed has meta-data only to go on, when deciding which post to push onto millions of user screens. I thought by now with all the LLM-s (and DNN-s before) posts and accounts would have been judged by the content much much more, even if with a single word2vec type vector. And that the Algofeed would take that into account. But I have not seen anything to indicate that there is any content processing.</p>
<p>Algofeed using meta-data mostly strikes me as being "judged on the color of your skin" phase of the Social Network-s, and would be good to transition to "judged on the content of the character", of each and every one of the posts. (and downstream - users)</p>
<p>There's is no censorship involved - I can go to every one of those 4500 accounts home pages, and read every one of those 4500 posts.<br>
There's no moderation - those 4500 posts are perfectly fine.<br>
They are not even totally suppressed - another user may have his 500 shown posts come from the 4500 not shown to me. (the algofeed will on average prefer some over the others though)<br>
The algofeed simply has to make a selection, as it's not physically possible to fit 5000 posts on my screen. As simple as.</p>
<p>Not having an algofeed is impossible. Not only X but all social media - FB, IG, TikTok, TG, etc. This is how it works. The Algofeed moderates every user experience every second. There is not a moment that we the users don't get the algofeed doing something for us. I read people write "I don't want no algorithmic feed. Just give me the posts of users I follow in reverse time order". Well - you just described a specific algorithmic feed. (aside: I do want that feed too, sometimes. There is no reason why us users can't have the choice of 1000s of Feeds. To some extent that happens on Bsky; that is afaics the only remotely plausible X/Twitter competitor atm).</p>
<h3>Publisher 9/10-ths, carrier 1/10-th</h3>
<p>I heard this metaphor / abstraction by Yuval Harari recently. The algofeed deciding which 500 posts I see today out of smaller selection of 5000 (out of total of 1B possible per day) is an editor (even if automated), and X is a publisher (even if automated). The users are readers are also writers creating content without commission or pay. I don't see how X (and FB, TikTok etc) are not media companies (as opposed to - a point to point carrier of signals). They are even selling and living off adverts! :-) (mostly; X not so much nowadays) This idea is unlikely to be accepted easily. I also like to have the freedom to find all manner of crazy insane untrue stuff online. I defo see though how there is tension between freedom, disagreement, competition and order, working in unison, cooperation. Good <a href="https://x.com/harari_yuval">@harari_yuval</a> on <a href="https://x.com/seanilling">@seanilling</a>'s "The Gray Area | Yuval Noah Harari on the AI revolution" <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhx1sdX2bow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhx1sdX2bow</a> on this.</p>
<p>We have implicit abstraction in our heads that X/Twitter is a kind of public square, with many-to-many N-to-N, ultimately all-to-all communication. It ain't so. That N-to-N does not scale to N=100M users, it breaks down after N=10 or so.<br>
When a user posts something, that post is simply recorded on a computer (disk). Nothing more. Yes - it's the user that presses the post button. No - that doesn't push the post into millions of timelines. It's the algofeed that takes that post, and shoves it into millions of screens.<br>
I am inclined to agree with Harari on that. Social media are Media, X is a publisher, and their algorithms are their editors. It's fair to judge the algofeed should by the same criteria as the editor of any old media. It's new kind of media, but it's still Media. All elements are here, with small differences in operation or business model, and plenty of automation in top.</p>
<h3>Other, wishlist</h3>
<p>Advertising. In non-social one-to-many media the adverts are broadcast to all. So if there is a falsehood or slander in an advert - everyone can see it, then provide feedback and critique. In social media (e.g. FB) one-to-one advertising is completely private. Every one use may be shown a (a) separate and different advert, and (b) completely untruthful, and there will be no way for anyone else to know. The advert is 1:1 between the user and the platform, completely secret. Platforms should be required to provide access to the adverts they serve to a third party. Ideally - adverts should be available for inspection by all users at all times, and in an online archive too with the historic adverts there too.</p>
<p>Community Notes. I got enrolled at some point (not sure why - I vaguely remember X offered, and I agreed) in the Community Notes programme on X. I get to vote on Community Notes others have written. And also to add notes for others to vote on - but have not done that yet.<br>
Someone explained that the logic/istics behind is: find sufficient group of people that disagree on other issues, but agree on the note, for the note to be published. That strikes me as valuable insight. I'm surprised how well it works. Have to look up again the maths, the linear algebra of it - there was some SVD involved.<br>
It's good, but it's wholly insufficient for a network flooded with falsehoods on an industrial scale. While the notes are being submitted and voted on, the Algofeed pushes the Post onto millions of screens. Then after a week, a Note is ready and published. From now on, it will be shown together with the original post - good. If I clicked Like or Repost, I will get a Notification that a Note appeared - good. However - millions of people that merely viewed the original post when the algofeed pushed it onto their screen - they will never see the Note.<br>
It's the Social Network equivalent to an old style Newspaper correction. A false story is splashed on the front page for millions to read. Then a week latter, Correction appears deep on page 23, that few read. Good that it happens - but insufficient.</p>
<p>As with other things, in social networks too: incentives -> results. Engagement is maximized when 1/2 of users are at the throats of the other 1/2, and that's exactly the result we got. Took time but we are reaching that destination.<br>
I want to get 1000 Feeds on X, incl some user defined, instead of the medieval choice of 2 - "For you" and "Following". X went wide did Communities, some way towards conference style (current leader in that is Reddit), instead of deep improving the quality of their core product.<br>
Another thing I want to see is RealHuman flag, and I'd pay small one off fee for that. And then to be able to filter on that flag (or not). That's unlikely to happen too it seems.<br></p>
<h3>Replicate your social graph Follows-Followers</h3>
<p>Starting a new platform is so hard as to be impossible, because it's a collective action problem *and* needs to happen at the same time in a short time window. Only external event can force that, c.f. Brazil ban.<br>
Best one can do in the mean time is replicate their Social Graph, find their Follows and Followers, on alternative platforms. There will be insufficient traffic there. The "public Square N^2 iron law of network value" ensures the biggest network wins every time. NB the posts have rarely have permanent relevance. They are more like flowing water, are quickly re-created. Most are time-events-sensitive anyway, the content is non transplantable in time. It's not the posts that keep users locked in the social network.</p>
<p>The "social graph" that is Followers-Follows is what keeps users locked in a social network. I saw the "portable social graph" 1st on <a href="https://mastodon.social">Mastodon</a>. So having your Social Graph at the ready on an alternative place is half the job done. It's also prudent - anything may happen to X/Bsky/FB etc, incl being banned by a misfiring algorithm (there is rarely any human support). Given alternatives are free - I see no reason to not reserve your favourite user nickname on Bsky or Mastodon or similar.</p>
<p>Periodically there is discussion on X/Twitter if users need or want to switch to some other network. I don't think people will switch any time soon, unless forced to do. I keep accounts on multiple platforms anyway. Imo the largest single public square N^2 wins every time - that's the iron law of social anything.<br>
It's expected and explained in (computer) networks: the number of connections ~N^2 grows with the square of the number of nodes ~N. And the value to us, users, lies in the interactions facilitated by those connections. And those connections accrue with the square of the user base. Between a larger (2N) and a smaller (N) public square, the larger one will provide as much value in a ~day as the smaller one in a ~week. Users will switch smaller->larger, increasing the difference, in a +ve feedback loop. Until approx only 1 remains standing. Ultimately it's a winner takes all.<br>
Switching to another network is a very specific collective action problem. Social media natural monopoly network effect can only be circumvented by synchronization, moving *at the same time* by millions of users. The timeliness makes all the difference - must be all at the same time. So Brazil user base may switch b/c the ban forces them to move at the same time. UK user base is unlikely to switch as there is no ban.</p>
<h3>TINA, but use tools available too</h3>
<p>There are no reason to not create a Bsky account. It's easy and free. Comparing X:Bsky=100:10 millions of real users (assuming much bigger X bot ratio), ratio 10, squared makes it 100. Do I see as much interesting stuff on X in 1 day, as I see in Bsky in 3 months? Possibly. For me maybe the ratio of value is lower, but ~2 months seems plausible to me.</p>
<p>Personally, I find my Twitter experience positive overall. I read about negative encounters, but I rarely see ugliness on my TL. I believe it the 1st time when people show me who/what they are or stand for: I am quick to block and mute, not into giving 2nd chances (online; IRL I'm not like that). There are another 8 Billion people that we can interact with online! No need to easily avoidable aggravation. I rely on Lists - Sci-ence, Tech-nology, Comp-uting, Bio-logy, Che-mistry... - to curate my feeds beyond just "For You" and "Followers". Lists help shape the timeline, maintain focus and have ok SNR. Additionally, I tie individual Lists to separate Decks on XPro, effectively creating personalized thematic websites. <a href="#" onclick="toggleShowImage('Xpro-decks')">XPro decks setup for X Lists</a>. (click to zoom)</p>
<img id="Xpro-decks" src="Xpro-decks.png" style="display: none; width: 100%; height: auto;" onclick="zoomImage(this)">
<p>I find <a href="https://bsky.app">Bsky</a> ok, just fine. The <a href="https://bsky.app/feeds">Feeds</a> feature is much better than on X! Users are not constrained to the 2 feeds ("For You" and "Followers") that X deigned to supply. I count Mutuals, FollowersLike, OnlyPosts, Folowing, LatestFromFollows, BestOfFollows, Discover, PopularWithFriends, QuietPosters, WhatsHotClassic, CatchUp, TheGram... And there many more to choose from. Seems both users and developers can create both simpler and more complex feeds, with dozen baselines provided by Bsky. Pleasantly surprised to find <a href="https://deck.blue/">deck.blue</a> <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/deck.blue">bsky decks</a> too. Transferring user lists is a chore though, finding the same people is hard. "Sky Follower Bridge" works well as described in <a href"https://www.wikihow.com/Import-Twitter-to-Bluesky">https://www.wikihow.com/Import-Twitter-to-Bluesky</a>, but it's still weekends of manual work. Ofc, even if you find the same people, most post on X much more than on Bsky. Going back to short/original length posts and having to chain long post as 1/ 2/ 3/ etc parts is annoying tbh.<br>
The <a href="#" onclick="toggleShowImage('deck-blue')">deck.blue decks setup for Bsky Lists</a>. (click to zoom; I see "Quiet Posters" were quiet for real or the feed was down)</p>
<img id="deck-blue" src="deck-blue.png" style="display: none; width: 100%; height: auto;" onclick="zoomImage(this)">
<h3>Algofeed and S230?</h3>
<p>Doubt that anyone is coming after the Algofeed - but maybe someone should. S230 I am happy to (effectively) protect me, and other humans, and also X from me. However, S230 should not protect the X Algofeed, as it's not a human, from shoving insane dross onto 100M screens daily. Engagement is maximized when 1/2 is at the throats of the other 1/2, and that's exactly the result we got. Years passed, yet there's been minimal improvement in my Algofeed experience. Only change I remember was "For you" and "Following" separation as top-line option (it used to be in Settings or some such half-hidden place before Musk). I hate it that things stagnate, nothing changes for ages, hundreds of suggestions posted on "X bugs & features" Community are ignored. I guess this is what Social Network monopoly looks? No idea how to incentivise X to give me better choice there - I want a choice of 1000s of Feeds. X are asleep at the wheel. Maybe a kick in the backside, some stick is needed to shake things a bit in that space?</p>
<p>I read an explainer on the state of the play, the history, the dilemmas, the legal issues, and including the most recent US court rulings that maybe relevant (or not) for the future by <a href="https://x.com/matthewstoller">@matthewstoller</a> at <a href="https://thebignewsletter.com/p/judges-rule-big-techs-free-ride-on">https://thebignewsletter.com/p/judges-rule-big-techs-free-ride-on</a>.</p>
<p>Thinking back at the time in the 90s the context in which S230 arose. This was time of ISPs like Prodigy, AOL, Compuserve, some of which were standalone non-Internet connected platforms to start with (and connecting to the free Internet afterwards, some trying and failing in creating own private walled gardens). As Internet as is now didn't exist! So they were kind of similar to a telephone company in that we used a telephone to access them. Like an add-on service to my phone service. Then with Internet ISP-s started adding services - connectivity to it, Internet email, maybe small personal web pages space, etc. In that context ISP-s got protection from liability arising from carrying user-generated content, in e.g. email lists, personal web pages and similar.</p>
<p>It strikes me that modern Social networks now are nothing like that. Now it's an entirely different world, completely unrecognizable to how things were in 1990-s when these laws were put in place. My ISP that is broadband provider has no relation to X. Not sure what's to be done. This is US and Law - two areas I'm no expert in.</p>
<h3>Medium, message</h3>
<p>The medium shapes the message applied to current social media - examples.
<ol type="a">
<li>Reddit. Thematic conferences where a new message is longer post on some topic in that conference. Replies discuss that topic in great detail. Audience: like minded randoms around the globe that will not be met IRL, interested in the same topics. By the tail end can be extreme niche subjects.</li>
<li>Facebook. Personal stuff, short messages and photos, documenting IRL what's happening to me in my life, along the times axis. Audience: close family, close friends.</li>
<li>Instagram. Pictures and videos for looks, feelings. The most superficial or aspirational version of myself. Pure form, no function. Audience: everyone that would envy me, friends, distant relatives.</li>
<li>Twitter. Text mainly, short text messages. Text - content is the king not the presentation. Short - quantas of ideas, no place for long or subtle discussion. Shit posting and meming, esp on X. Audience: random unknown strangers, some under IRL names but lots of anon- and pseudo-anons, and bots.</li>
<li>Substack. Text mainly, personal web sites for writers. Longer text form, but also nice pictures and designs. Real people, and almost all under their real life names too. Highest SNR but takes effort. Audience: public intellectuals.</li>
</ol>
</p>
<p>"The medium is the message" is a catchy way to say the medium that carries the message affects the message itself, its content. The medium makes some kinds of messages easy to transmit (so they spread more), and other kinds of messages hard to transmit (so they don't spread). Given that messaging in turn in/forms our ideas, and ideas in/form our stories, and we humans are influenced greatly by the stories in our heads, and then we influence and change the real world around us, it follows: the change of medium of communication is going to change our lives our behaviours. The Gutenberg press did that and there was huge change, then with the radio and latter TV too, and now in our lifetimes initially the Internet and latest social media are doing it too.</p>
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<p><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>-- <br>LJ HPD Tue 15 Oct 08:21:21 BST 2024</p>
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