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twitter/the-algorithm

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Re: twitter/the-algorithm

#51

Post by dylan604 »

Hamuko wrote: post #32
influx wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's not an algorithm to order timelines?

ORDER BY timestamp DESC;

no self respecting PM would ever allow something so trite and simple. this was obviously copy&pasted from stackoverflow. something like this would never web scale, so obviously they need somethign written from scratch preferably in Go/Rust/Node/anythingButSQL

Re: twitter/the-algorithm

#52

Post by sverhagen »

andrewmcwatters wrote: post #47
Irishsteve wrote: post #7

Many people have commented that it is empty. However what they do not realize is that there has never actually been an algorithm and that is why it is empty.

If there is a total set of data, and a subset of it is produced for users, there is an algorithm. `SELECT TOP` is an algorithm. A ML model with a trillion parameters is an algorithm. There is no "no algorithm."

You're not wrong. But would it be useful to define better what we mean with algorithm then? Like: we mean "non-obvious algorithm"?

Re: twitter/the-algorithm

#53

Post by pavlov »

abduhl wrote: post #37
jonwinstanley wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If it’s a list of tweets ordered based on a kajillion ML data points that varies per user is it still an algorithm? And does every user have their own algorithm? And could it be made readable to a human?

Yes, irrelevant, and the code somewhere is readable. Take an example like gravity: is there an algorithm for how gravity acts even though it varies per each molecule based on a kajillion other molecules? Of course there is.

No post body was provided.

Re: twitter/the-algorithm

#54

Post by captainmuon »

krapp wrote: post #31
influx wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's not an algorithm to order timelines?

There probably is not "an algorithm" on a site as large and complex as Twitter, no. There are probably dozens if not hundreds of algorithms spread throughout the codebase which affect the timeline for individual users, possibly even code entirely self-generated by ML systems.

Well sure there is "ORDER BY" something, and there are batch jobs to calculate this something from different variables. Maybe it is partially a ML black box, but I'm pretty sure they are not flying completely blind. There's got to be an internal Wiki or some PPTs where they list what goes into the mix. Number of likes, retweets. Attached media, hashtags, trending or not. Do they do sentiment analysis and use positivity as a factor? Do they do PageRank so that likes from important people have more weight? Are there manual debuffs for certain topics? Are certain posts removed or added in a second pass? These are all answerable questions in principle.

Re: twitter/the-algorithm

#56

Post by philjohn »

CincinnatiMan wrote: post #12

Makes me wonder how Twitter employees internally are handling the news. If they are celebrating or commiserating?

Wonder if their RSU grants have a clause that converts them to cash in the event of a takeover.

And having been in a company that was taken over, it's a mixture of emotions - is my job safe, will this be the same culture I joined for etc. etc.

Re: twitter/the-algorithm

#57

Post by memish »

mostlysimilar wrote: post #22
CincinnatiMan wrote: post #12

Makes me wonder how Twitter employees internally are handling the news. If they are celebrating or commiserating?

Twitter Locks Down Product Changes After Agreeing to Musk Bid - https://finance.yahoo.com/news/twitter-locks-down-product-ch...

> Twitter imposed the temporary ban to keep employees who may be miffed about the deal from “going rogue,” according to one of the people.

What could a rogue employee do?

Re: twitter/the-algorithm

#58

Post by krapp »

onlyrealcuzzo wrote: post #45
krapp wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There probably is not "an algorithm" on a site as large and complex as Twitter, no. There are probably dozens if not hundreds of algorithms spread throughout the codebase which affect the timeline for individual users, possibly even code entirely self-generated by ML systems.

In the end, it's still code that is being executed, which can be called "an algorithm". Algorithms are under no obligation to be simple or only include "one algorithm".

So then "open sourcing the algorithm" likely means opens sourcing the entire Twitter codebase?

Re: twitter/the-algorithm

#59

Post by temp8964 »

mostlysimilar wrote: post #22
CincinnatiMan wrote: post #12

Makes me wonder how Twitter employees internally are handling the news. If they are celebrating or commiserating?

Twitter Locks Down Product Changes After Agreeing to Musk Bid - https://finance.yahoo.com/news/twitter-locks-down-product-ch...

Thanks! Good to know.

I was actually wondering some people may want to remove traces of what they have been doing.

I wish someday we can see the internal communications lead to the Hunter Biden laptop story ban.

Re: twitter/the-algorithm

#60

Post by thejackgoode »

mostlysimilar wrote: post #22
CincinnatiMan wrote: post #12

Makes me wonder how Twitter employees internally are handling the news. If they are celebrating or commiserating?

Twitter Locks Down Product Changes After Agreeing to Musk Bid - https://finance.yahoo.com/news/twitter-locks-down-product-ch...

Are there precedents of this? This looks like there is not much trust internally. I doubt this was the first Elon’s decision
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