Twitter to soon let users adjust algorithm: Musk

SAN FRANCISCO: Twitter CEO Elon Musk on Saturday said that the micro-blogging platform will provide users the ability to adjust the algorithm to their "closer match", in the "coming months".

Musk tweeted: "If many people who you follow or like also follow me, it is highly probable that the algorithm will recommend my tweets. It's not super sophisticated."

"In coming months, we will offer the ability to adjust the algorithm to closer match what is most compelling to you."

Several users expressed their thoughts on Musk's post.

When one user commented, "It's ridiculous that the Twitter algorithm recommends me content from the accounts I follow."

Musk replied, "The algorithm needs and will get major upgrades. We will still publish it later this month, but please expect to see many bugs & silly logic! What matters is showing users compelling content. We're doing better than before (I think). User-minutes are up >10 per cent from last year."

Meanwhile, in a tweet on Friday, Musk said, "Several major media sources incorrectly reported that my Tweets were boosted above normal levels earlier this week."

"A review of my Tweet likes and views over the past 6 months, especially as a ratio of followers, shows this to be false. We did have a bug that briefly caused replies to have the same prominence as primary Tweets, but that has now been fixed."

To this, one user said, "Media has been doing this since ages now!"
"True, but, on the plus side, their constant reporting about me on Twitter has driven usage to record levels," Musk replied.

Twitter CEO later posted, "A big part of the problem is that journalists used to choose their career to pursue truth, but in recent years many have entered journalism to be activists."