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The Facebook Algorithm Mom Problem

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Re: The Facebook Algorithm Mom Problem

#291

Post by pmlnr »

SapphireSun wrote: post #99
hutattedonmyarm wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the other hand, I get more (and less relevant) notifications the less I’m active. $friendINeverTalkTo has commented on $PostByPageIDontFollow is NOT something I want to get notified about. Neither is XYZ has uploaded a photo

My guess is the point of those notifications is that it gives them an excuse to add points to the addictive little red number. It's not because they think you'll actually care.

If this is true that would be the last nail in the coffin. It goes against everything that site, in theory, used to stand for.

Re: The Facebook Algorithm Mom Problem

#292

Post by kerbalspacepro »

patmcguire wrote: post #169
kerbalspacepro wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Regarding Amazon: "Oh, you bought a wallet? Here are twenty wallets of the exact same type but with slightly different colors that you might want to buy, too"

It's probably correct by expected value. You're just not the multiple wallet type. I'm sure there are people who'd want five wallets, eight different shoe styles, multiple cuts of pants... Your indifference is subsumed in the sheer size of others' consumption.

You're right that there are categories of products that this absolutely works. When I buy clothes, books, media... even tech, then I probably will buy something related. But there are some "one-off" purchases that Amazon doesn't need to hound be about.

Re: The Facebook Algorithm Mom Problem

#293

Post by watwut »

ThrustVectoring wrote: post #103
ryanbrunner wrote: post #95

I find a lot of sites feel like they're overtuning their recommendation engines, to the detriment of using the site. YouTube is particularly bad for this - given the years of history and somewhat regular viewing of the site, I feel like it should have a relatively good idea of what I'm interested in. Instead, the YouTube homepage seems myopically focused on the last 5-10 videos I watched.

Youtube is definitely over-weighing the last few videos. Then again, it's likely optimized for a different market segment. Especially with how many children are given tablets. Like, brief intense fascination with many subjects in general is genuinely hard to optimize for, especially when a huge portion of your market has long-lasting intense fascination with a few subjects.

It is not all that bad. If I listened to three metal songs last few videos, I am likely to want some more metal in the next one. I am unlikely to want jazz or comedy sketch or kiddy cartoon (despite these being seen from my account last few days).

Re: The Facebook Algorithm Mom Problem

#294

Post by escribmac »

ryanbrunner wrote: post #95

I find a lot of sites feel like they're overtuning their recommendation engines, to the detriment of using the site. YouTube is particularly bad for this - given the years of history and somewhat regular viewing of the site, I feel like it should have a relatively good idea of what I'm interested in. Instead, the YouTube homepage seems myopically focused on the last 5-10 videos I watched.

I agree. I've been reluctant to click amazon links because I know ads will follow me around for weeks if I look at a single product.

Re: The Facebook Algorithm Mom Problem

#296

Post by travmatt »

cameldrv wrote: post #240
ryanbrunner wrote: post #95

I find a lot of sites feel like they're overtuning their recommendation engines, to the detriment of using the site. YouTube is particularly bad for this - given the years of history and somewhat regular viewing of the site, I feel like it should have a relatively good idea of what I'm interested in. Instead, the YouTube homepage seems myopically focused on the last 5-10 videos I watched.

The problem is the economics of the Internet today. Most sites are ad-funded. They need to maximize pageviews and time on site. The recommender is a huge part of accomplishing that, and it simply won't be tuned to any metric other than maximizing revenue. The solution would be to reskin popular sites with recommenders that had other objectives, such as retrospective satisfaction with time spent. Unfortunately sites k…

What you're saying reminds me of http://www.timewellspent.io/

Re: The Facebook Algorithm Mom Problem

#297

Post by compiler-guy »

Nition wrote: post #270
Bakary wrote: post #269

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For all we know the author's experience is a fringe case and Facebook's policy in this instance is successful.

For sure. I just thought it sounded like compiler-guy hadn't quite understood what the article was claiming.

I understood it very well. The issue is that his case is an edge case and facebook likely doesn't care--the algorithm creates more engagement than it destroys.

Re: The Facebook Algorithm Mom Problem

#298

Post by Sleeep »

harry8 wrote: post #266

Dump facebook, it's sucks for basically everything. Ring your mom, tell her she's awesome and you love her. Wish I could ring mine... Post a blog post to a real blog under your control. If you want a colleague to see it, email the link and ask for feedback. There solved. It's a good algo too.

Um, the author does post to their blog as well:

>For quite a while now, I’ve been publishing most of my content to my personal website first and syndicating copies of it to social media silos like Twitter, Instagram, Google+, and Facebook. Within the Indieweb community this process is known as POSSE an acronym for Post on your Own Site, Syndicate Elsewhere.

YMMV on if Facebook sucks for you, your experience is probably the exception. Personally, I find it very valuable despite it's many flaws. It has made making new friends a lot easier (and I absolutely needed local friends after I relocated). I've used it to reconnect with a couple childhood friends which has been absolutely amazing and I'm super grateful for that.

Also, my mother is very toxic and abusive so I'd really rather not call her, however, I can acknowledge that my experience calling my mother is probably the exception. Additional values comes with being "Facebook friends" with my mom, it reduces her need to pick up the phone and harass me.

Re: The Facebook Algorithm Mom Problem

#300

Post by carapace »

dredmorbius wrote: post #181
carapace wrote: post #97

I've said it before and I'll say it again, FB users are a kind of digital peasant or serf. To me it feels like we're seeing the genesis of the divide between Morlocks and Eloi.

"Digital Sharecropping" is Nicholas Carr's term. https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/07/connect... http://www.roughtype.com/?p=634

Cogent, cheers.

Personally I find the power differential more disturbing than the economic aspect (which is still pretty disturbing.)

FB (and Google and Amazon and ...) have enormous power with only the crudest of checks, an their users cannot fully understand how that power works and affects them.

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