Facebook Tweaks Its Newsfeed To Better Showcase Posts From Friends Instead Of Publishers (betanews.com) 43
Facebook announced on Wednesday that it is making some changes to its algorithm that powers the News Feed to better showcase posts from friends and family members over posts from publishers. Mark Wilson, writing for BetaNews:The problem we currently face, Facebook says, is that there is "far too much information for any one person to consume." This is where algorithms come into play, meddling with timelines and newsfeeds in ways that never please everyone. The latest change promises that content from "the friends you care about" will appear "higher up in your News Feed."The move comes as Facebook struggles to get people to interact and post more on its social network.
This is yet another blow to publishers that rely heavily on social media exposure. In recent years, Facebook has not only downranked stories that have misleading and unclear headlines but also cut the traffic it was once sending publishers' way. It is worth pointing out that these events have happened in the lights of Facebook launching its own publishing network called Instant Articles on the social media and encouraging publishers to directly publish on its platform instead of their respective websites.
This is yet another blow to publishers that rely heavily on social media exposure. In recent years, Facebook has not only downranked stories that have misleading and unclear headlines but also cut the traffic it was once sending publishers' way. It is worth pointing out that these events have happened in the lights of Facebook launching its own publishing network called Instant Articles on the social media and encouraging publishers to directly publish on its platform instead of their respective websites.
The magic algorithm (Score:5, Insightful)
Is this the algorithm that can't show a single fucking thing in chronological order? Or is this the feature that, every couple days, decides to show a whole list of shit from a week ago?
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The "chronological" page has its own URL which you can bookmark.
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Why? You have doubts? Take a look for yourself. It's right there...
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Ah, ok, I see what you're saying. I'd ask for my money back then.
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Well of course yo do! Whether anybody listens is totally up in the air though. I mean, basically you're shouting at psychopaths, so I don't know how far that will get you.
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...basically you're shouting at psychopaths...
Psychopaths and sociopaths are not the same thing. FB falls into the latter group.
A psychopath gets pleasure from causing you pain - physical, emotional, financial or whatever.
A sociopath just does not give a s%&t what happens to you as long as they get what they want. They do not get pleasure from hurting you but they are not worried by it and are ready for that at any time.
FB does not specifically intend to spread your privacy from here to Antarctica but, if they can increase their bottom line by
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More than you can possibly consume.... (Score:5, Informative)
No, only if you're following more people than you can possibly think about.
Please, for the love of all things holy, show me _everything_ my friends post. Let me filter out which of them I don't want to see. Hell, I don't even mind if you stick an *obvious* advert in the middle of the damn list, just give it me _ALL_.
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No, only if you're following more people than you can possibly think about.
Please, for the love of all things holy, show me _everything_ my friends post. Let me filter out which of them I don't want to see. Hell, I don't even mind if you stick an *obvious* advert in the middle of the damn list, just give it me _ALL_.
Exactly. Why try to guess? Why not ask the user? I want to see everything person A posts, nothing person B posts, and only the most interesting things from person C's post. Oh, and give it to me in chronological order please. And while I'm making demands, what about allowing me to click on posts that I've seen so that I only see new posts. A message "no new posts" would be great to see. I wouldn't even mind an ad or two under it.
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Please, for the love of all things holy, show me _everything_ my friends post.
They killed that off with various algorithm updates years ago and I doubt you'll ever see it come back. Facebook wants you to see what Facebook wants you to see, messages from your friends is merely the candy between sponsored messages that keeps you coming back.
IMHO, the problem is people complain all the time about the randomness of what they see, so nobody is fooled by the algorithm, only annoyed by it.
Simple Algorithm (Score:1)
Rank is inversely proportional to posting frequency.
Those who post often (friends or publishers) are saying inane and stupid things that I don't want to see.
Yes, you're having ANOTHER sale on this model year car.
Yes, you're eating ANOTHER peanut butter and jelly sandwhich.
Ugh.
Those who post rarely (friends or publishers) are often saying something I want to hear.
Oh, my favorite author is doing a book signing for her latest book? Sweet!
You're having a baby?? Wow! Congrats!
(And even if they're saying somethin
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Doesn't work for trailer trash / ghetto people...
You're having ANOTHER baby? That's 3 this month...
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Amen, publishers are half as annoying as friends or family who post every exhale. The ones I'm thinking of have a million "friends" (read: people they met once, or their friends), have elevated visibility because one of those millions can be trolled in to liking one post or another on a consistent basis, and also use facebook to flog some idiotic business idea they have.
You cannot "unlike" them, you have no way of moderating their posts down, and often you cannot "unfriend" them without dealing with the soc
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Amen, publishers are half as annoying as friends or family who post every exhale. The ones I'm thinking of have a million "friends" (read: people they met once, or their friends), have elevated visibility because one of those millions can be trolled in to liking one post or another on a consistent basis, and also use facebook to flog some idiotic business idea they have.
You cannot "unlike" them, you have no way of moderating their posts down, and often you cannot "unfriend" them without dealing with the social fallout. So you get swamped by shit you don't like, and eventually stop using facebook.
Huh? All you have to do is unfollow them.
in the lights and on the social media? (Score:3)
It is worth pointing out that these events have happened in the lights of Facebook launching its own publishing network called Instant Articles on the social media and encouraging publishers to directly publish on its platform instead of their respective websites.
More interesting use of the English language...
Crazy idea, how about I choose. (Score:3)
Instead of forcing FB's idea of what I can see, let me select my own views. How about these defaults, "friends", "family", "likes", "groups", "politics" and let me create other groups that include closed groups (which is currently not allowed). Its a form of censorship that FB pushes.
I miss the days of newsgroups, select the group, easy to read. Also why I like reddit, just pick what I want.
I remember everyone saying, facebook wont be around in 10 years, something better will come along. I'm still waiting, because facebook really does have the most horrible interface.
Crazier idea, how about no. (Score:2)
I don't understand people like you. Facebook is not a democracy, you don't get to vote for your favorite features. You have placed shackles on yourself and decided to complain when your owner pulls on your chain.
Why have you sold yourself to facebook?
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I remember everyone saying, facebook wont be around in 10 years, something better will come along.
I'm pretty sure there already is something better [slashdot.org], just not as popular.
Facebook Bubble is Annoying (Score:2)
Interact? You can't! (Score:2)
In the last two years there's been a steady increase in the prevalence of what I call voyeur posts. Items I can see but I can't either like (emote?) or comment on. I don't really care why that is, I'm much more interested in filtering it from my social media feed. There's no way to do that. So, Facebook, if you would like to increase my ability to "interact and post more" make it so my news feed is filled with things that I can, you know, interact with.
*grumble*grumble*humperdinck-a-mumble*young*whipper
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I think this is because of the options set by the poster of the original 'story' you're seeing.
If a post is Public, and you see it, there's no problem with emoting or posting.
If a friend of yours emotes or comments on a post that's intended for friends only, and you are not a friend of the original poster you can now see the post, but are unable to emote or comment on it.
The entire situation is further complicated by the custom privacy options, including exclusion lists (damn, did I just say that:-/ ).
Discl
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Yes, your description is exactly the reason, but my point is that Facebook really has no room to complain about a lack of engagement when they've filled my feed with things I can't engage with. Give me a way to filter out the people who've declared they don't want me intruding on their echo chamber anyway.
Disclaimer: The above is almost certainly a simplification. There's rather more important things to worry about than an inability to comment on a random Facebook post.
Pshaw! Nothing is more important than telling someone you don't know that they are wrong, especially online.
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Pshaw! Nothing is more important than telling someone you don't know that they are wrong, especially online.
With respect, you could not be more wrong!
Now, if you'll excuse me, my house is on fire, and I must get back to putting it out...
Hurrah (Score:2)
I don't have any friends... (Score:1)
... you insensitive clod!