Hucklemelon

Instead of the Algorithm

An exploration of social media 'middleware' with guests Marc Faddoul [https://www.marcfaddoul.com/], Chand Rajendra-Nicolucci [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chand-rajendra-nicolucci/], and Jonathan Stray [http://jonathanstray.com/]. Transcript here [https://hucklemelon.org/episodes/instead-of-the-algorithm/transcript]. Recommended reading: Report of the Working Group on Platform Scale [https://cyber.fsi.stanford.edu/publication/report-working-group-platform-scale] (November 2020) How to Quiet the Megaphones of Facebook, Google and Twitter [https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-quiet-the-megaphones-of-facebook-google-and-twitter-11613068856] (February 2021) X Algorithm Feeds Users Political Content — Whether They Want It or Not [https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/x-twitter-political-content-election-2024-28f2dadd] (October 2024) Suit Against Meta, Using a Tech Shield Law, Is Dismissed [https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/07/technology/meta-section-230-lawsuit.html] (November 2024) Shaping the Future of Social Media with Middleware [https://www.thefai.org/posts/shaping-the-future-of-social-media-with-middleware] (December 2024) A research agenda for encouraging prosocial behaviour on social media [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-025-02102-y] (March 2025) https://freeourfeeds.com [https://freeourfeeds.com] https://rankingchallenge.substack.com [https://rankingchallenge.substack.com/] Clips used with their creators' permission: Francis Fukuyama: Middleware Could Give Consumers Choices Over What They See Online [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrfIRfJxwQM] (November 2021) Is Middleware the Solution to the Problem of Platform Power? [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AgLlJzuBTo] (March 2023) featuring Daphne Keller [https://law.stanford.edu/daphne-keller/] Dave Troy Presents: Better Conflict with Jonathan Stray [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-conflict-with-jonathan-stray/id1610914569?i=1000643674877] (January 2024) Jack Dorsey - CEO of Block | Podcast | In Good Company | Norges Bank Investment Management [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_Y9tI4dALA] (February 2025) Episode produced and scored by Dan Fichter [https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-fichter-83418873/] (hucklemelon@gmail.com [hucklemelon@gmail.com]).

Hucklemelon Trailer

Welcome to Hucklemelon [https://hucklemelon.org]. Episode Transcript [https://share.transistor.fm/s/c0ff2084/transcript]