Notices by Ethan Schoonover (ethanschoonover@mastodon.social)

My cat is really not very smart as you can see by how easily she was taken in by the French Defense.

My son and I made a quick run to the Puget Sound seaside to take advantage of the 20 meter band this morning. Sitting here in Seattle we made a contact in the Czech Republic using less power than you'd use to light a lightbulb. #hamradio #amateurradio #ft8

One of the great things about doing ham radio in a park like this is the endless stream of kids that come up to ask you what you are doing.

"ARE YOU MAKING A TIKTOK?"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO INTERNET"

"HOW IS THIS TALKING TO JAPAN"

Invariably the parents are as interested, but it's always the kids that are uninhibited enough to ask.

#hamradio #amateurradio #ft8

I'd actually love for Mastodon to have a Chronological Feed to appease everyone that has decided This is The Way and a tab or toggle for a Dynamic Feed based on user controllable, comprehensible algorithm options with good defaults.

But again, please: Stop calling algorithms evil. It is neither useful nor precise.

TWTR and FB and TikTok use their algorithms (and math, and databases) in a coercive manner. I am against manipulation, but I'm pro-algorithm.

tiny 🧵end

For example:

If I like a lot of posts from someone, I would love for that person's posts to be visible more frequently in my feed so I don't miss them!

I'd also like a setting that allows me to control that to an extent. Even if just on/off.

I really want people to stop fetishizing "chronological display."

It is not always the best view (and sometimes it's the worst, depending on your needs in the moment).

Algorithms are not evil.

Treating them as such is imprecise at best.

tiny 🧵

Not wanting “algorithms” on mastodon’s feed because TWTR uses coersive algorithms is like not wanting to use any math because capitalism uses math.

Stop conflating bad, manipulative use of algorithms w/the general use of (open/visible) algorithms for personal control over data you see.

Chronological display IS AN ALGORITHM.

Mastodon’s feed ISN’T JUST CHRONOLOGY (it has filters, algos re boost freq, etc).

Mastodon’s feed could be a LOT better.

I WANT an algorithmic view I can adjust!

tiny 🧵

Stop thinking of Twitter, TikTok, IG, (et al) as social media sites.

They are **Content Refineries.**

Like processed food manufacturers they take user content & extract the most addicting/engaging content. Brains eat it up but in an unhealthy “devour the whole bag of chips” way.

They make hyper-processed social media junk food.

Mastodon is more like a potluck. We're all bringing dishes. It's a mess. Kids are running all over. But we are, at least, real people sharing real things.

A corporate "digital ethics consultant" taking a firm stance against... personal privacy. Got it.

Next up: A big-oil "environmental consultant" explains why that pipeline spill is actually a net environmental positive.