How TikTok's design makes the algorithm work

Re:How TikTok's design makes the algorithm work by anjc on Tuesday September 22, 2020 @06:25AM (#24552866)

Surely you can see that, as you are unable to speak every language in the world, yet you understand all media presented to you, that ALL of your media is already implicitly sorted by geography and language?

If e.g. YouTube recommended you the best items from all countries, you'd have a very bad time and would be unable to understand almost all media.

The same applies to age and gender. If you were only recommended items relevant to 90 year olds or 9 year olds, you'd have a very bad time on YouTube etc. Just because you don't notice that your media is implicitly sorted doesn't mean it isn't happening.

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Re:How TikTok's design makes the algorithm work by 082349872349872 on Tuesday September 22, 2020 @07:07AM (#24553101)

In fact, I actively search YouTube to watch things in languages I don't understand for audiences whose demographics I am outside. I passively get enough age-appropriate comprehensible-language content just by living in my own society.

a few examples:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23640033 (9 year olds, RU)

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24431001 (CN, IN, RU, US)

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24398456 (JP, SU, US)

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24156310 (caucasian variety)

Now I realise I should seek out 90-year old appropriate programming. Anyone have any hints?

Bonus clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2fNVztaC58

Edit: After a quick calculation, I realise I have watched music from 1943: "Blood on the Risers", "Lili Marleen", "Zog Nit Keyn Mol", "Bella Ciao", and "Катюша" are all suitable for 90-year olds to have encountered as young teens.

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Re:How TikTok's design makes the algorithm work by anjc on Tuesday September 22, 2020 @07:16AM (#24553173)

Well you're an extreme outlier. Typically people want age-appropriate content in a language that they speak, or, which at least has subtitles. As you point out, if this is your preference then you can use search functionalities for this purpose.

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Re:How TikTok's design makes the algorithm work by 082349872349872 on Tuesday September 22, 2020 @07:41AM (#24553341)

I agree I'm an outlier, but will note that young chinese don't seem to mind plenty of english in their lyrics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHLRFlKPNMA (with subtitles)

and it's not as if 80s europe wasn't full of foreign-language entertainment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDOf41Xwrc4 (caveat for US HN'ers: it's a european music video. No blood, two beasts, some breasts.)

(The 80's were big hair and shoulder pads, no matter which side of the iron curtain.)

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