FOSSDLE PieFedWhy Does Bluesky Use an Algorithm If It's Decentralized
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🦇 Batman 🦇
I recently started using Bluesky and noticed something interesting. Under the "Getting Started" section, it says things like "Teach our algorithm what you like." Bluesky is supposed to be decentralized, so why does it even have an algorithm? Isn’t the whole point of decentralization to avoid centralized control, including things like content algorithms? Is this algorithm centralized, or is it designed to run locally within the decentralized structure (like on individual servers)?
What you call all algorithm here is a recommendation engine. I don't see why they should avoid having something like that. Ideally they would have a modular system, so you could plug in your own favorite third-party engine.
There are lots of users' made algorithms and the main feed is one of them by the Bluesky, you can unsubscribe to it (AFAIK), I have one for myself and anyone else interested in the said topic of it.
The main feed also can mix every other feed you signed up for.
"Show all posts from newest to oldest" is an algorithm.
"Shows random 10 posts, unordered" is an algorithm.
It's not possible to show a list of items without an algorithm. You may of course take issue with what the algorithm is, but you can't not have one.
I think only the storage of a profile's information is decentralized, not everything else