farcasterunion

The Algo’s Just Not That Into You...

Some of us have been watching this for weeks, using public data (via Dune + new tools) to confirm what we’ve felt:

The feed is ghosting longtime contributors and artificially launching newcomers into orbit.

Let's dig in!

Pi-chi.eth Artist /animeoutcasts
Hosting: /sakura /kyoto /anime-manga /farcasterunion

https://portrait.so/pichi

writing about products & protocols on Farcaster | prev. Juicebox, Nouns, RAW DAO | casting about coffee, hi-fi, and other rabbit holes

Really hoping Coinbase Wallet knocks it out the park tomorrow!

excellent work, thank you @pichi 

frankly it has been demoralizing to know that the network (and those building it) no longer value me. oh well, will probably just leave eventually since it’s likely not changing.

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Sharing lucid thoughts at the intersection of culture & the cutting edge. For my music: wildenfree.music

It’s not an unfamilar wave, I just think it’s too severe of a curve.

I somewhat remember recognizing this pattern even from when I first joined, and when the rewards popped in… but those new user biases had started early, which I get. 

As an attempt to make the app sticky, there’s a warm welcome to newcomers with an abundance of algorithmic love, yet when the tides shift to the next wave, those in the wake drift further out to sea. 

Some accounts are able to surf that & stay atop the currents regardless of how it ebbs & flows from their initial rise.

Technically, this is indeed a strategy that would keep most people (DAU) in the water.

Boost only applies to brand new accounts. 

So everyone else will feel it.

Heard & felt here, even at sub 2k though. 

I try not to get discouraged. I just peep, don’t take it personally & adapt accordingly 👌🏾

“Invest your time here accordingly.”

📷 + Channel Owner /nature | Go-To-Market and Service Design Sprint Master /distribution

app developer /spotlight | MediaFi & Attention Markets

I’m guessing the idea was to boost new accounts because people were saying it’s hard to get engagement as a new user, but the pendulum prob swung too far, especially when some of the content it rewards is rather uninteresting

Seems like old accounts are not eligible. :(

so how does a 2+ year old account with 15 followers get these magic boosts

asking for a friend (dont look at my follower count)

Co-founder @ponder | @survey | Ex   | colinjohnson.io

the only things i’ve gotten any major, and i mean ~10 unique interactions from real people, is when paying. But then i have to sort through a ton of noise too.

That may require dune skills I don’t have since we don’t see it on the timeline. 

I do imagine visible tipping and engagement bait could help the leaderboard rankings 

Aka, quote cast for payment. I guess it’s just like Amps or any other pay to play…

Great sleuthing - I’d be curious to also see if there’s been a general dampening of engagement from people who are tipping with every like/recast (as it now has a cost)

Interests: crypto, economics, TA & blockchain related innovations | 🔗 https://linktr.ee/cryptonjal 🔗 https://dune.com/nhejyht

I still think they need to fill a gap since the last funding round. This was at the peak of their user base. Storage costs will increasingly yield less. One way to solve this is to accelerate the number of active users, so they need to be well-served. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a serious problem lurking behind these kinds of things.

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Or it just thinks something else is new and shiny. Hard to tell. I linked the tools I used in the article so everyone could look at their own data

it’s so funny to me because I had RECENTLY thought I’m feelin like the “old dog” when in reality, even though I’m not 23 and pulling all nighters, I’m killin it now WAY more than ever before. Shipping stuff and having fun. If it takes awhile to get discovered, that’s okay with me… I/We have been here since before power badges and degen allocations & spam labels. Sometimes I’m not yelling loud enough, and I accept that too. But it sounds like I’m getting ghosted because the algo says I’m boring now too? damn… that’s cold.

Great content my chief, always beautiful to read and share🤩

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💯 Totally agree with what you are highlighting here

Honestly this is MOST people on Farcaster which is my concern. I’m not against boosting new people. But it shouldn’t be this excessive and it should be transparent about who gets it. 


Does everyone get it? If not, what’s the criteria?

What about those who joined 2 days before this went live?
2 weeks? 2 months?

If you alienate most casters, there will be consequences.

Thanks for speaking up on this. Guess I just stuck in the limbo, been here for a while but never once launched to orbit, not back then not now 😅

interesting insights! thx for writing them

Yeah. They probably want to boost new users coming in from TBA

No issues 

I love what you do,do you have a channel I can join?

Thank you for this algo
Learnt alot in few mins

It sucks, but I’m also so glad it helped push my content because I’m genuinely so glad people are learning and engaging. I really hope there’s a happy medium. Nice to see you again pichi can’t wait to talk again

Thanks for saying it Pichi 🍑
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🗣️ louder for the casters in the back!