[NoboruWataya]

I knew barely anything about this trend, despite spending a decent chunk of my day online, which I think is evidence of the modern web being decentralised.

However it's not so much due to the algorithms, which probably are trying to funnel most people towards the same products, but just the fact that there are so many people online now that you're naturally going to see the emergence of niches.

You don't have to read this optimistically if you don't want to - some of these "curated niche interests" can be pretty dark...

[illwrks]

I only know about it from my child. They were the most important thing until they weren’t. Thankfully no thought was wasted on them!

To add to everyone else… the internet has allowed you and everyone else to be put into categories, what you see is tailored to you and your demographic alone. You and your neighbors live in the same physical community but your mind and thoughts belong to a community that could be a million miles from you.

[DuperPower]

you are on the nerd algorithm and there is a sport algorithm and some others but probably like 10 algorithms not 5000 like they try to say, advertisers need to concentrate as much as possible but also to exclude as much as possible as showing an untargeted ad to a wrong demographic IS wasting money to them

[overfeed]

> you are on the nerd algorithm and there is a sport algorithm and some others but probably like 10 algorithms not 5000 like they try to say

If you've ever tried TikTok, you'll realize their FYP will narrow you down to a highly specific nerd/sport niche pretty quickly. There's isn't a single nerd algorithm, but a whole taxonomy.