Loops is a Fediverse TikTok alternative by the creator of Pixelfed. We try the app out for a spin, and give our honest thoughts.

Loops aims to be an open Fediverse alternative to TikTok, Snapchat, and Vine. We take an early look at the app, and talk about what it’s like!

  • CoelacanthEnglish
    6•1 month ago

    I mean… maybe? Those are nice things of course, but if I wanted to start using an alternative to TikTok I would never consider something without an algorithm. The whole point - for me at least - is to waste time eating digital slop served to you by an algorithm so that you don’t have to know what you want to watch when you sit down and open it up. If I already knew what I wanted to watch I wouldn’t be on an app like this, I’d be searching up the video or subject on another platform.

    • @FrostyDogEnglish
      1•1 month ago

      You don’t know what you get though, even without an AI driven “engagement” algorithm. If the pace of new videos being uploaded is fast enough there will be no shortage of hours to mindlessly scroll (if that’s your goal). It gives everyone an equal chance to be discovered, and from there more popular videos will have their own tabs so you can see what other people like too. The short video format is plenty addictive without pushing for maximum retention, because there’s no reason to - other platforms do it to increase your screen time so they can show you more ads. That’s all it is. All it ever was. They don’t give a shit about you or your enjoyment(YouTube dislikes?), in fact, one method of raising engagement is to make you angry, they do this a lot. It works, it’s a lesson they learned from the effectiveness of rage baits.

      It’s honestly frustrating how so many people want the same old shit algorithmiclly based feed when we’ve finally gotten rid of the fucking disease.