Algorithmic Miasma
The Ways of the Algorithm are the new digital Fog of War
There is a certain game which I find, personally, very challenging. Fortunately, despite this I find it very enjoyable. The basic premise is a real-time strategy format with squad-based and (optional) direct control. There are a few levers to pull in the settings which can help or hinder; for example to date the ‘Fog of War’ setting has been firmly toggled off. Keeping track of where my own 100 or so men and a dozen vehicles are when there’s full visibility causes just enough cortisol mixed with exhilaration to yield great entertainment value. However, facing the fear of not knowing where the opposing 100 or so men and dozen vehicles are is something I’ll save for Halloween 2025. Possibly.
I’m no expert in technology. Despite the views to the contrary of the generally older individuals I’ve helped with computers and SMART devices over the years, I really wouldn’t say I’ve much of an understanding of how it all actually works. Having sworn off social media and the digital world for many years to settle for watching on from the sidelines, it seems unclear the extent to which there is much method behind the madness - at least, in general. There are absolutely examples of ‘shadowbanning’ and out-right cancellation, both with and without plausible justification. There’s also clearly cases of artificial engagement inflation, probably by ‘bot farms’ of one form or the other. Yet with the growing role of AI in (digital) life both seen and unseen, the noise is only increasing - the digital fog thickens, shadows dancing in the distance as you become increasingly disorientated when noticing how unclear everything online really is. What could seem like direct nefarious harm and suppression is in fact simple statistics and - as ‘analogue’ a concept as it is - luck. This isn’t much consolation to the increasing number of people that are hooked on the dopamine drip of social media and ‘gamification’ of how we engage with life via a screen. While correlation does not necessarily mean causation, anecdotal observation suggests that more and more people aren’t exactly having the best time. Many agree that something must be done about this, but those that try to do something, anything, seem to be wandering through some sort of murky algorithmic miasma with varying degrees of success.
Maybe some people can toggle that setting in the digital world and ‘see’ through the algorithm for the way things really are and how it all really works; maybe they can’t. I’m sure there are certain levers that can be pulled to increase the likelihood of a particular outcome, but these probably become increasingly unwieldly to use with a greater risk of unexpected and undesirable outcomes. In the waning days of 2024, we can reflect that this has been yet another year of change in an increasingly tumultuous decade. Perhaps for the digital world nothing more significant than the consolidation of Twitter into X and the rise of Bluesky, all of which are part of a story arc yet to conclude in any meaningful sense. Maybe 2025 will bring yet more change - maybe it won’t - but either way, we certainly don’t have long to find out.
Drafting this on Christmas Eve 2024, I’m not entirely sure what to expect. There is a great deal of that algorithmic miasma right in front of me - at least, it seems so. It may well be a challenge to break through to the other side - if indeed there is any way to get through the fog. Ultimately, the only visible impact right now of starting this journey is if I’ll do a Substack review of (virtually) facing fear itself on Halloween 2025, or not. A 10-month milestone to measure success seems pretty reasonable; and besides, everyone needs a hobby. If you’ve read this far, Merry Christmas, hit that subscribe button, and I’ll keep you posted.