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Comment by sebastialonso | Hacker News Reader

But you're also using "social media" a shorthand for "algorithmic-based attention-maximizing recommendation machine". That's the current implementation of the bigger and most impactful social networks.

Networks that don't work with that model, tend to be much more wholesome. And they work.

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Sure, different forms of social media could exist. And then get outcompeted by as you aptly call it "algorithmic-based attention-maximizing recommendation machines".

Even if you introduced regulations against many of these practices, corporations would still strive to optimise this aspect of their platforms in different ways.

Even if we removed capitalistic incentives from the equation, more attention-grabbing platforms would still be selected for.

I'm not saying it's an intractable problem, but rather that this outcome is happening for a very good reason.

Yes, because it's not intractable. It's just a good definition and statement of the problem. Without that, you can even being thinking about solutions or make sensible assessments.

Sharks are not vicious killing machines. Hungry and aggressive instances of sharks are killing machines.

Messaging platforms like WhatsApp come to mind

Well these are messengers, not social media. The only social media platforms without algorithms I can think of are decentralized, i.e. what can be described as "fediverse".

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