X to test using Community Notes to find the posts everyone likes

In a significant move to foster broader consensus and highlight universally appreciated content, Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) has unveiled a new pilot program leveraging its Community Notes system. This initiative aims to identify and promote posts that resonate across diverse user perspectives, moving beyond traditional engagement metrics.

The pilot test, announced recently by the official Community Notes X account, empowers select contributors to rate posts. Unlike simple upvoting or downvoting, this system requires contributors to answer specific questions about why they appreciate or dislike a particular piece of content. This nuanced approach seeks to gather deeper insights into content reception.

At the core of this innovative approach is X’s “bridging algorithm,” a technology previously employed in Community Notes’ fact-checking mechanism. This algorithm is designed to identify consensus among users who typically hold differing views, making it remarkably resistant to manipulation by like-minded groups. If individuals with opposing opinions agree on a fact-check’s accuracy, the note is published and made public. This unique method of achieving broad agreement has even seen its core concept adopted by platforms like Meta as a replacement for conventional fact-checking systems.

Now, X is applying this proven methodology to content discovery. A subset of Community Notes contributors will begin seeing prompts to evaluate posts that are gaining significant attention. Their feedback will then inform the algorithm, helping it to determine which posts are genuinely well-received by a wide spectrum of users, regardless of their usual viewpoints.

The company expressed its vision for this experiment in a post from the Community Notes X account, stating its potential to illuminate “what resonates broadly.” They elaborated, “People often feel the world is divided, yet Community Notes shows people can agree, even on contentious topics. This experimental new feature seeks to uncover ideas, insights, and and opinions that bridge perspectives.”

Emphasizing transparency and collaborative development, X affirmed its commitment to “building in public with a small pilot.” This iterative approach, they noted, will allow the concept to be shaped by user feedback, mirroring the continuous refinement process of Community Notes itself.