bad-takes

A few thoughts on replies vs. Quote casts

1. We originally didn't have quote casts for a while. People complained about not having quote casts.

2. We've run 50/50 split tests on the home feed for nearly a year and the current "for you" algorithm—which does bump up some replies—performs better on engagement and retention than previous versions (esp. the following feed with reply bumping).

3. We've since added the following feed for power users to be able to toggle as their default. Very few people actually do this. Stated vs. revealed preference.

4. Naive reply bumping—which we had for a few years—was a relic of when the network literally didn't have new posts for minutes at a time (and I was the one usually filling in the gaps with an open ended question).

5. Naive reply bumping gets abused (remember @briang's livestreams?) and is EXTREMELY confusing for new users. If you think Farcaster in-group or "cabal" vibes are bad, reply bumping for new users makes it way worse.

all signs pointing to @briang making a come back