In his post, Musk explained: “The 𝕏 algorithm assumes that if you interact with content, you want to see more of that content. One of the strongest signals is if you forward 𝕏 posts to friends, it assumes you like that content a lot because it takes effort to forward. Unfortunately, if the actual reason you forwarded the content to friends was because you were outraged by it, we are currently not smart enough to realise that.”
Take a look at the post here
What users said about X’s algorithm
Replying to Musk’s post, multiple users shared their recommendations on how X can be further improved.
A user named George wrote: “Speaking of 𝕏, the in-app search needs a lot of work, and I think some sort of integration with Grok would be very useful. For example, I wanted to find a video of a meme I wanted to send to someone. I couldn’t find the meme by typing what it was on 𝕏 search, but when I asked Grok about the same meme, it quoted posts using the meme. Grok’s explore feature has been exceptional. Now I want elements of it included in search results somehow.”
“I love that X continues to adapt the algo and support all users, including smaller accounts. Premium is so worth it when you make it all back and some in ad revenue,” another user named Tara Bull wrote.
A third user named Chicago1Ray noted: “People don’t want to be saturated with the same accounts flooding their feed. When we scroll, we wanna browse other accounts…. and different content. To me, I’d like for X to consider removing any algorithms that prohibit that. Let us decide…..”
Meanwhile, a fourth user named Patrick Webb highlighted: “It feels like this could be the beginning of a crackdown on content that is labelled as “offensive.”However, if people are choosing to click on and engage with certain content, that is their prerogative. Content shouldn’t be banned or suppressed simply because some find it distasteful. Everyone has the freedom to choose what they engage with online. If you don’t like something, you have the option not to engage with it. Those who are concerned about free speech should be wary of efforts to manipulate algorithms to suppress content they don’t approve of. Remember, the principle of FREE SPEECH is to protect all speech, especially the content you might not agree with, not just the speech you favour. Ultimately, if there’s content you find offensive, the simplest solution is to stop engaging with it. Quit complaining to Elon and requesting that he fix it.”