this post was submitted on 24 Feb 2024
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Could be several reasons:
Honestly, Lemmy just does not have the amount of niche content nor the large userbase of reddit. I don't even bother following communities here because there's barely enough on c/all.
The only reason I haven't gone back to reddit is because I know for a fact things are only gonna get worse on there. That, and pure unadulterated spite.
My biggest problem with lemmy is discovery.
I can't find shit I want unless it comes across all and I find it interesting.
So what you're saying is you miss the algorithm.
Having an algorithm is something some people like. It isn’t as universally negative as some seem to think. The issue is when the algorithm is prioritizing engagement over enjoyment
You nailed it there, it's similar to targeted ads for me. I actually do like targeted ads because they might show me stuff I'm actually interested in or new products/new media in my wheelhouse. It's just that a lot of people can't help themselves and buy what they see on ads, I usually just use it as a jumping off point to do research into whatever product. I prefer seeing ads for games than for diapers.
When the volume of potentially relevant and interesting content is enormous to the point that a standard human brain can't possibly hope to filter through all of it in reasonable time, the algorithm makes plenty of sense.
I just want a fair algorithm that represents what is best for me and us.
No, what I miss are tools for searching for communities that actually work. While technically those use algorithms to find communities, but I don't miss "the algorithm".
It makes curation a lot less difficult, but I also think making it the sole authority is reckless and bad design. I should be able to live my life without its sense of 'discovery' and Mastodon is in the right with their approach.
Yeah that's the thing. Users stick to reddit because they have ties with the individual communities, not so much the platform itself.
People used to use Facebook for similar reasons. "Because all my friends are there". Not because Facebook was so great.
It can be difficult to leave communities behind that you feel a part of, even if you just lurk most of the time. The fact that reddit was turned into a corporate dystopic shitshow does bother users, but it hasn't outweighed their needs to still be part of their respective communities.
But seeing as official reddit sources claim that "they're still in the early stages of user monetization", it might not be long before we see what's left of the platform turn into the biggest dumpster fire the internet has ever seen.
Also, for some hobbies/interests, there really isn’t another space. For instance, if you’re into tactical gear, there’s really not another community like r/tacticalgear. Lemmy has the promise of being free from Reddit’s admin and moderator madness, but doesn’t have the user base and neither do any other sites.
TwoXChromosomes has the same problem, though of course it has a much wider appeal. The moderators there protested the API changes and the gradual decline of Reddit in general, but they face two bad choices, and I genuinely don’t know the right answer:
Keep serving as a large and visible space for women within the confines of Reddit’s sinking ship
Abandon Reddit (ship) and let Reddit powermods run a space that they may be uniquely unqualified to operate. those same powermods/admins don’t care about doing the right thing in every other sub they control, so why would they ensure that women are protected from, say, tracking their visits to Planned Parenthood and selling that data to “advertisers” or hostile governments.
We need Reddit to truly self-destruct to ensure an Exodus, and right now it’s crumbling but not broken yet. It’s honestly sort of a mirror to society in general. We’re in the Crumbles, and every day we inch closer to the final straw that breaks the camel’s back.