What Are Social Media Algorithms and Are They Really So Bad?

Social media algorithms. The concept of them is so unpopular that some alternative social platforms actually trade on the fact that they (supposedly) don’t have them. But in this post I just might change the detractors’ minds. I’ll explore the reality of algorithms, explode some of the myths that surround them, and find out whether they really do us a favour or a disservice.

WHAT IS AN ALGORITHM OR ALGO?

In the context of social media, an algorithm – algo for short – is simply a sorting mechanism. A system of priority for the display of content or profiles.

The most basic social media algorithm is a reverse chronological display. That’s newest posts always at the top of the timeline, with no filtering – i.e. nothing removed. Despite the order being very simple and basic, this is still an algorithm. And by default, any social app you can find on an app store will filter out some sensitive matter. They won’t be accepted by the app stores if they don’t. So essentially, all social networks with timelines use some type of algorithm – even those who claim not to. You can read some more network-specific details in Finding The Best Alternative Social Media Platform.

Most social platforms, however, additionally manipulate their basic, reverse chronological timeline. They’ll filter out more than they’re required to filter out by the app stores – most often to avoid endless repetition and valueless spam. Then they’ll start to interfere with the chronological order, so that popular or more personally-relevant posts are placed at the top of the timeline, even when they’re not the most recent.

‘New’ Twitter for Desktop: Pros, Cons, Solutions & Why Twitter Is Forcing It Upon Us

It’s been available on desktop for many moons in the form of Twitter Lite, but now, the so-called ‘new’ Twitter interface is rapidly being forced upon desktop users as the only fully-featured environment. It’s not just a visual redesign. It’s a completely different way of delivering content. And whether you like the ‘new’ Twitter or not, the chances of the old desktop site surviving in any form whatsoever are basically nil.

Why? Well, it wasn’t really that Twitter wanted a new desktop site. It was that they wanted rid of the old one…

Will Twitter Ban “Cash Giveaway” Accounts?

If you haven’t yet seen one, where have you been? On Twitter, supposed “cash giveaways” have become a means for the self-styled “benefactor” to build a vast following, elicit unnaturally high levels of compliance from the public, and make a lot of money. But if there’s no separate terms and conditions page, the cash prize probably doesn’t exist. And even if it does, how would you know?…

If you just came to this post looking for clarification on which of these profiles are outright scams, try out the Twitter Scam Detector Tool. It’s a simple, one-click routine that will take you straight to any reports or discussions of suspicious activity for a user of your choice. There’s also some additional reading in the #TwitterPhilanthropy post, but don’t let any of this stop you reading on…

The “cash giveaway” scene is rapidly growing. It’s a world where the winners may never even be mentioned, let alone identified. Broadly, it’s just tweet after tweet of…

“RT, Like and Comment to win £5,000 in cash. Must be following me, and must tell me what a fantastic guy I am in the comment, blah, blah.”

That’s the kind of character we’re talking about. Not just spectacularly manipulative, but also childishly egotistical. And there’s no “Congratulations to the winner”. Aside from their occasional, staged convincer ruses, these dudes can’t even be bothered to pretend someone actually won. New day, new giveaway, and it never ends.

What Does “No DMs” Really Mean in a Twitter Bio?

“No DMs!”; long form – “No Direct Messages!“… It’s a prominent chant in certain pockets of the vast Twitter userbase, but why only certain pockets? And is the “No DMs!” admonishment really a necessary inclusion in a Twitter bio? Let’s mull it over…

GENDER BIAS

“No DMs” is much more common among women than among men, which suggests the phrase is largely rooted in a male predatory issue.

The frequent coupling of “No DMs” with “No dick pics” further supports that suggestion. A lot of men do try to use Twitter as a dating site, or a ‘perving’ site, or a ‘flashing’ site, or at least a means to avail themselves of female emotional comforts without having to pay for a premium rate service. And if people are following and/or communicating indiscriminately, as has become customary on Twitter, some of those men are going to get the wrong idea…