发表机构
University of Washington（华盛顿大学）
机构由 AI 辅助整理，请以论文原文为准。AI 中文总结
本研究通过访谈26位信息流创建者及分析88,302个自定义信息流，揭示Bluesky上中间件信息流创建者的两种取向、维护困境及无报酬维持现状，并提出设计与政策建议。
AI 中文摘要
学者们长期以来提出将第三方中间件作为集中式算法信息流的替代方案：即由独立的信息流创建者构建和分发的信息流。这一愿景直到2023年去中心化微博平台Bluesky引入自定义信息流时才得到大规模实现。尽管中间件生态系统至关重要，但我们对信息流创建者如何理解自身角色、构建信息流并维持其运行知之甚少。通过对n=26位信息流创建者和信息流构建工具第三方开发者的访谈，以及对n=88,302个自定义信息流的分析，我们识别出两种创建者取向——提供效用型和建设社区型。此外，创建者难以维护完全实现中间件理想的信息流：他们缺乏细粒度的交互数据，获得的反馈很少，并且缺乏处理这些问题的技术专长。最后，创建者作为无报酬的爱好者维持其信息流，几乎没有平台支持，并且在是否超越成本覆盖进行变现的问题上存在分歧。我们最后提出了加强中间件信息流生态系统的设计和政策建议。
英文摘要
Scholars have long proposed third-party middleware as an alternative to centralized algorithmic feeds: feeds built and distributed by independent feed creators. This vision saw no large-scale instantiation until Bluesky, a decentralized microblogging platform, introduced custom feeds in 2023. Although central to the middleware ecosystem, we know little about how feed creators understand their role, build feeds, and sustain them. Through interviews with n = 26 feed creators and third-party developers of feed-building tools, and analysis of n = 88,302 custom feeds, we identify two creator orientations---utility-providing and community-building. Additionally, creators struggle to maintain feeds that fully realize middleware ideals: they lack granular interaction data, receive little feedback, and lack technical expertise to act on either. Finally, creators sustain their feeds as unpaid hobbyists with little platform support and are divided on whether to monetize beyond covering costs. We conclude with design and policy implications for strengthening the middleware feed ecosystem.
