I’m a big proponent of getting people off closed platforms and algorithms that manipulate our feeds. I took a big swing writing this one and hope people enjoy it. Feedback is welcome!

Here’s a quick excerpt:

Algorithms trap you in doomscrolling but RSS and the Fediverse can give you back control of your attention.

The doomscrolling we’ve fallen into is because we are on one of only a couple of central platforms. Each one has not just commerce via ads sold to be inserted into your feed, but a commerce based on your attention. And since anger, rage, and information that upsets us is shown to keep us engaged for longer, that’s the focus of the attention-grabbing content we’re shown. Long gone are the feeds showing only what we’ve chosen to follow. They’ve been replaced by algorithms that are mostly “suggested” posts that generate those negative emotions, with plenty of ads mixed in, and a tiny dash of an account or topic you actually want to see. The days of a feed we 100% control is dead.

Or is it?