Or fuck trends, fuck smart timelines. Those who missed the algorithms could find them on X.com for just $8 per month.
If we have Trending notes on multiple clients to help with content discovery, then we most likely need multiple implementations of this from various parties. This gets back to the "Algorithm Store" that nostr:npub1xtscya34g58tk0z605fvr788k263gsu6cy9x0mhnm87echrgufzsevkk5s has mentioned in the past. Having additional choices for users is not only good for the user, but this also provides healthy competition. This keeps everyone honest and brings about better products and services. Giving users the tools to help curate and discover content makes Nostr stronger and more viable for the future.
Discussion
You don't need to use them then. That's the beauty, right? If I want to be able to find content and people to follow, aglos help here and if I don't want that assistance, I don't have to use it. The issue with X is you have zero control over what the algo does. We need tools and choices here and I believe they're all coming. We all recognize that algos on X/Twitter put us against one another for clicks. If that happens here, we can just fork and remove the algos. We have the ability to do that here. We couldn't do that elsewhere.
This is all good in theory. But in reality, algorithms will become a manipulative tool and not all users will immediately understand this, especially if these algorithms are given to them by business.
Do you think all users will always understand what is Nostr, what are clients, relay? As soon as tomorrow Tinder makes a new client based on Nostr and calls it Lovndr, millions of users here will think that they use Lovndr and that the algorithms are the norm. And the fact that they will be given a Store of these algorithms will only aggravate everything.
The concept of a vending machine is much more human in this case when you pay for exactly the data you want to get, rather than some set of algorithms constructing reality for you.