I’m imagining one of those that feeds you random tvtropes instead
This is pretty awesome. I do see the need to be able to add categories of interest. Like follow history, the arts, etc. Cool regardless.
“I have had plenty of people message me and even make issues on my GitHub asking for some insane crazy WikiTok algorithm,” Gemal told Ars. “And I had to put my foot down and say something along the lines that we’re already ruled by ruthless, opaque algorithms in our everyday life; why can’t we just have one little corner in the world without them?”
The developer seems staunchly anti-algorithm but I feel like some sort of filter system would work well. I know nothing about development but the same level of randomosity (it’s a word don’t look it up) but for specific topics would be amazing.
;/
Algorithms themselves are fine. It’s wikipedia. I’d actually use it if it brought me to interesting pages based on a recommender algorithm.
Yeah this is just the wiki random button with a simplified TikTok gui.
Pretty much a useless site which is a shame since I was excited about it.
It needs the TikTok algorithm
Does it have an algorithm of some kind?
I usually hate them but for something safe like wikipedia i would love to have it tailored to my interests.
Apparently not:
“I have had plenty of people message me and even make issues on my GitHub asking for some insane crazy WikiTok algorithm,” Gemal told Ars. “And I had to put my foot down and say something along the lines that we’re already ruled by ruthless, opaque algorithms in our everyday life; why can’t we just have one little corner in the world without them?”
I understand their stance but it is a bit sad because if i could tailor it to my interests i absolutely would use it all the time.
Wikipedia is massive there is way more that i don’t want to read then there is that i do.
Personally i think there is roam for a “not insane, Fully transparent and user controlled” algorithm but also that would take a lot of developer effort.
Are you asking if the app made specifically without an algorithm has an algorithm?
Its not presented as being specifically made without.
There is plenty of room for more ethical algorithms and to get technical. It definitely does have a algorithm.
A very basic formula that simulates randomness to pick one Wikipedia page after the other.
I just wish i could customize that to my interests. So for example it favors articles tagged as ancient mythology and minimizes politicians from the 90s
Its not presented as being specifically made without? Wat
Developer creates endless Wikipedia feed to fight algorithm addiction
and spend spare moments of boredom without reaching for an algorithmically addictive social media app.
without an invasive algorithm tracking you and pushing you toward the lowest-common-denominator content.
Gemal is currently resisting calls to automatically tailor the stream of articles to the user’s interests based on what they express interest in.
“I have had plenty of people message me and even make issues on my GitHub asking for some insane crazy WikiTok algorithm,” Gemal told Ars. “And I had to put my foot down and say something along the lines that we’re already ruled by ruthless, opaque algorithms in our everyday life; why can’t we just have one little corner in the world without them?”
“I have no grand plans for some sort of insane monetized hyper-calculating TikTok algorithm,” Gemal told us. “It is anti-algorithmic, if anything.”
Ill just repeat that last line again for you:
“It is anti-algorithmic, if anything.”
The code is on github, go for it.
Also, read the article for once. Jesus.There is no need to communicate like this. I actually had already learned about this app and checked it out yesterday on a different community with way less people and there was no article there. I just saw the opportunity of this post as way to discuss it.
I like to make a few things clear that seem to cause confusion.
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I made my post in full understanding that it probably does not feature a “preference based algorithm”, trying it out did not gave it the impression it did. But i want to be more sure there is nothing along those lines included and tried to engage in discussion about the need for preferential settings. Its somewhere between a genuine and rhetoric question.
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Call me pedantric, trough i prefer autistic but “algoritm” has like i explained a specific meaning to me. Its mathematical formula for a specific purpose. The app in question is code, code is math. Randomizing code (which are never truly random btw) uses an algorithm. You can not tell me that the app uses NO algorithm, well oc you can but to my brain that does not compute. Any form of customizing the feed, even a hack, would be algorithmic in nature.
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I disagree this (and many things) require a full fledged article, just a clear few line description or like including those quotes you put up here would do for me. I know the internet likes to make everything into “news” but i don’t have to like or partake in that. I prefer to spend my time engaging on lemmy about the topic directly because that (this diverted discussion included) helps it grow.
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Just found this article that for some reason has me dying of laughter: ICBM address
That’s hilarious
If you enjoy this, have a peek at The Jargon File. Classic hacker slang is something else.
Thank you for this. Very interesting read about hacker speak.
I love this. ICBM address is a very clever joke.
endless feed
to fight algorithm addiction
endless
feed
to fight algorithm addiction
Uuuuuh that’s not the way to fight an addiction, right? Who is this person working for, exactly?
Think of it as taking methadone instead of heroin.
Think of it as a methadone clinic for doomscrollers.
More like a brothel for sex addicts.
Jesus. Enough hyperbolic nonsense. Browsing Wikipedia is way healthier than doom scrolling.
And doomscrolling Wikipedia is still healthier than doomscrolling anything else.
If methadone was also educational 🌈⭐
I may have a problem
We’re here to help! We just need someone to implement doomscroll / infiniscroll into Lemmy, lol.
I’ve got news for you: basically every app I’ve used so far for lemmy has infinite scroll. Currently Thunder previously Sync.
Honestly the fact that Lemmy doesn’t have infinite scroll (on my UI, at least) has helped me a lot in terms of not wasting hours at a time on my phone
I don’t think there’s an algorithm involved actually. Just lovely facts.
Well, there has to be some kind of algorithm. Even picking a random Wikipedia article technically is an algorithm, just not one that adapts to the user
True, but outside CS the word has come to refer to a certain brand of complex heuristics or ML inference.
An algorithm usually involves lots of complex calculations and weights. Picking a number from a pool of numbers at random is as simple as it gets.
In comsci, there are no real random numbers. They are all seeded psuedo-random number algorithms. (Unless you integrate with some third party random as a service setup)
Yes but the common interpretation of “the algorithm” is that of the social media and YouTube style one. Recommending items of interest etc but easily manipulated by bad actors.
Wiki random is about as opposite to that as possible.
That’s a common misconception. You can measure a lot of ambient noise and extract entropy. Like time between inputs or how long it took an HDD to seek.
Most modern PC CPUs even have dedicated hardware for generating random numbers from electrical ambient noise. I don’t trust them however.
I can feel my butthole unclenching already 🥲
This is awesome. :3
Just got the app it’s absolutely fantastic.
Saw this posted in a ADHD com a few days back. Every comment was just like “oh no…”. I opened it and like 20 minutes later realized, oh no. I can and have spent many entire days just reading Wikipedia and following linked subjects. So much so I run out in areas. I can’t handle a lot of visual and audio stimulation, short form content is such a nightmare for me, can’t watch it. But give me pages of the most dense info and I’m hooked. I just need the option to download every paper referenced from every Wikipedia page I visit.
Web 1.0 cures web 2.0 again.
Everyday I read wikipedia and everyday, I learn something new. Fucking love this free resource
Having a real grand time adding a song from any musician I hit to a play list. I fucking love Awaz now.
Wikipedia already has a “random article” function. I guess the tiktok ui is nice for some folks.
This should be gamified. Use an LLM to generate a mini-quiz on the topic to make sure I read it. Give me points for acquiring new useless knowledge, and let me compete with my friends and family.
I like this idea.
I don’t know if I will do anything with it, but I would like to create something like this. Find it hard to develop when I’m not in work, as it feels like work.
Sadly the design is pretty bad on desktop monitors.
