I hate virality.

I've been online since 1998, and the first decade or so was great, so peaceful. Of course, even back then, occasionally some douchebags would comment on my posts, wondering why I liked electronic music when the guitar is the most beautiful instrument in the world. This was back when I was a little kid. But there was little to no toxicity like on today's internet.

I've gained followers and influence while posting a lot during the social media era. After 2015 or so, posts started getting visibility because of the algorithms that continued to "improve". And that changed everything. I became more and more anxious because my posts started popping up everywhere, and followers started accumulating. When I left Twitter, I was nearing 10k followers without doing much. My regular posts got constantly shit flies around them, judging and reviewing things I post about.

Meta, Reddit, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok, all commercial platforms, suffer from this algorithmic brain rot. Your regular posts and the things you're proud of might suddenly go viral, and all kinds of assholes come to bring you down to make themselves feel better. Without recommendation algorithms, those lifeless losers would never get the chance. Without algorithms, we would have a fair game, without singling out or targeting specific individuals.

I need to be present in the Fediverse more often and cut the time I spend in other places. But there's no easy solution. I'm learning this the hard way over and over again.

I often wish it was the early 2000s again, no algorithms, no shit flies.

#SocialMedia #Algorithm #Reddit #Threads

RE: mamot.fr/@pluralistic/11641960…

"- the platforms are deliberately feeding their most important commercial assets into a shredder, in a fit of pique over your friends' unwillingness to act like chatbots. Every day and in every way, the platforms are making it easier to leave them for some rival's service, chasing the billionaire solipsist's dream of a world without people." - @pluralistic

Their literally mindless greed is working for us (though not quite fast enough).

#tech #business #SocialMedia

Cory Doctorow

2026-04-17 10:37:34

Mark Zuckerberg has a problem with your friends: they're the reason you signed up to use his platform, but they stubbornly refuse to organize your socialization to "maximize engagement." Every time you and your friends wrap up a social interaction and log off, Zuckerberg loses revenue.

--

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this thread to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

pluralistic.net/2026/04/17/for…

1/

Pluralistic: Tiktokification shall set us free (17 Apr 2026) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow

^{pluralistic.net}

Have you heard about @surf, the new social website product from the makers of @Flipboard? Available on any web browser or as an app, Surf gives users control of their own social media timelines. It lets you easily create customizable feeds of content from Mastodon, Bluesky, YouTube, podcasts, Threads and RSS feeds — basically any platform that’s part of the open social web. It allows you to escape the "tyranny of the algorithm" and follow the topics you really care about.

CNET has a good explainer: cnet.com/news/social-media/fli…

Surf is for anyone, but publishers are already seeing its potential. @RollingStone, @theverge, @WIRED and @404mediaco are just a few who already have Surf social websites.

My favorite headline from all the positive media coverage: “The web can still be wonderful, and Flipboard’s Surf proves it” by @harrymccracken at @FastCompany. “This new app lets human beings weave together worthwhile stuff from across the internet, in a way that’s uniquely rewarding — and sometimes even beautiful,” the magazine’s editors wrote. fastcompany.com/91520679/surf-…

Check it out at surf.social/ or download the app in the Google Play store: play.google.com/store/apps/det…. For iOS, sign up on the waitlist: waitlist.surf.social/.

And here's a blog post with more info: about.flipboard.com/fediverse/…

#SocialMedia #Technology #Fediverse #OpenSocialWeb

RE: c.im/@cdarwin/1163823511080492…

Watch this like a hawk. The result of this battle is going to be massively telling. Not just about Reddit (I personally don’t trust/use it), but about how this fascist regime reacts to resistance from big tech in general. And it will have a far-reaching impact.

#BigTech #Fascism #Reddit #Privacy #ICE #SocialMedia #BigSocial

Chuck Darwin

2026-04-10 20:42:26

The Trump administration has stepped up an effort to unmask a Reddit user who criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
After failing to obtain information through a summons issued to Reddit,
the government reportedly issued a subpoena demanding that Reddit provide the information and appear before a grand jury in Washington, DC.

The Intercept described the subpoena today.
“According to a subpoena obtained by The Intercept, Reddit has until April 14 to provide a wide range of personal data on one of its users, whom US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been trying unsuccessfully to identify for more than a month,” the article said
arstechnica.com/tech-policy/20…

Report: US demands Reddit unmask ICE critic, summons firm to grand jury

Trump admin reportedly gets grand jury involved in attempt to identify Redditor.

^{Jon Brodkin (Ars Technica)}

*Lach- und Sachgeschichten!*
Heute mit den Fragen: Wann kommt die Maus ins #Fediverse? Hat sie schon beim DiDay mitgemacht? Und werden #Plushtodon und der Elefant beste Freunde? 🐘

Die Maus vom #WDR ist bekannt dafür, auch komplexe Themen einfach und kindgerecht darstellen zu können. Schon 2001 hat die Maus "das Internet" erklärt (➡️ Link). 2026 wäre vielleicht ein guter Zeitpunkt, zu erläutern, was im Netz schief läuft und welche Probleme #SocialMedia für #Kinder mit sich bringt.

Liebe Maus, am 05. April ist der nächste #DiDay. Sprich doch mal mit @hyperjinx, der kennt sich hier schon ein bisschen aus und kann dir bestimmt zeigen, wie man einen Account anlegt. Du hast schon so viele Generationen begleitet, es freuen sich bestimmt ganz viele Menschen, wenn du Teil von #Mastodon & Co wirst! Zudem standest du schon immer für Neugierde, und dafür, die Welt zu einem besseren Ort zu machen. Das versuchen wir hier auch ❤️

wdrmaus.de/filme/sachgeschicht…

#UnplugBigTech #DUTgemacht