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this post was submitted on 12 Jun 2023
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Technology
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Tried the official Reddit app today and boy people weren't joking when they say it sucks. I thought it'd just be the usual experience plus some ads but I was totally wrong.
The official app doesn't respect your subreddit subscriptions at all, instead force feeding you feeds of whatever their algorithm thinks will drive maximum engagement just like a shit version of Facebook. The "hot" etc functionality is completely stipped from it entirely.
Guess I'm here to stay on the fediverse now.
What absolutely sucks about this is that I had carefully curated my subscriptions on RIF in order not to exacerbate my dumb mental health issues.
Hell, I've read angry posts about people in recovery from addiction and alcohol saying how they keep seeing ads for beer or gambling and things like that.
It's horrifying!!
Me too. I suffer from PTSD myself so I avoid things like the war coverage in Ukraine. The app is full of it and I can't filter it fully like I can in RIF.
Not that this is how it works, but I imagine a diligent algorithm looking at those individuals and that content, and then thinking "mhhmm this will generate maximum revenue!!".
I think that's absolutely how it works (in part). Ads curated toward your demographic! Maybe it's not inherently purposeful, but it's harmful, nonetheless.
In a subr×ddit about alcohol recovery? "Our algorithm detected that your post history contains the word "alcohol" or "beer" a lot! We will tailor your ads to cater to your interests for maximum profits!" Boom. There you go.
It takes the human aspect out of the community and drives it to become harmful at worst and soulless at best.
Even more than that, you have the idea that 'similar users to yourself buy a lot of alcohol, so you probably will too'. Of course alcoholics, whether attempting recovery or not, are likely to buy alcohol. So if you're a recovering alcoholic, 'similar users to yourself' are gonna be buying more alcohol than usual, and so you'll see ads for it. Totally heartless and just for-profit.
The algorithm really doesn't work when you are critical or sceptical over a subject. For instance crypto sceptics from r/buttcoin being shown binance ads. Yes, they do show an interest in crypto, but may be the least suceptible persons to that ad.
It's different with subs focused on addiction & recovery though.
Maybe it's a very bad idea to targeted knife ads in a suicide watch sub, you know? Susceptible people and all.
From an advertiser perspective it makes sense to sell to addicted people. Mission accomplished?
Oh, absolutely. That's why it's so sickening.
Money > People