@Alan

Algorithms: "who writes them and what's their purpose?"

Exactly my point. Algorithms aren't bad, using them to deceive and gaslight is bad. What corporate social media does to maximize profits and engagement is bad. We agree. But FOSS is algorithm transparency.

You're an instance admin, so you see the issue through the lens of server administration. I see it as user choice. Filters and tag follows are the closest Mastodon has to a personal algorithm. That's what I'm talking about.