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Facebook executives shut down efforts to make the site less divisive

wsj.com

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Re: Facebook executives shut down efforts to make the site less divisive

#801

Post by shitgoose »

Frost1x wrote: post #793
nradov wrote: post #791

Earlier quoted context omitted.

10 short years ago, huge swaths of the population were swayed to accept non-scientific statements like eating fat and cholesterol were unhealthy. I don't think Facebook is the problem here. How much exactly do you think Facebook ought to donate to independent researchers? Most tech companies donate ~0$ to such efforts.

>Most tech companies donate ~0$ to such efforts. If they actually pay their taxes, they all do.

If they actually pay their taxes, they all do.

They don't.

Re: Facebook executives shut down efforts to make the site less divisive

#802

Post by waheoo »

alpacaillama wrote: post #796
nradov wrote: post #791

Earlier quoted context omitted.

10 short years ago, huge swaths of the population were swayed to accept non-scientific statements like eating fat and cholesterol were unhealthy. I don't think Facebook is the problem here. How much exactly do you think Facebook ought to donate to independent researchers? Most tech companies donate ~0$ to such efforts.

This is classic whataboutism. What does people being led to believe that fat was healthy have to do with Facebook’s deliberate inability to make their content less divisive

The while thing is, what does what other tech companies donate to have to do with anything?

Btw, some tech companies donate a fuckload to open source and other aligned initiatives. Its annoying to see this ignored for the sake of a weak argument.

Re: Facebook executives shut down efforts to make the site less divisive

#803

Post by nradov »

alpacaillama wrote: post #796
nradov wrote: post #791

Earlier quoted context omitted.

10 short years ago, huge swaths of the population were swayed to accept non-scientific statements like eating fat and cholesterol were unhealthy. I don't think Facebook is the problem here. How much exactly do you think Facebook ought to donate to independent researchers? Most tech companies donate ~0$ to such efforts.

This is classic whataboutism. What does people being led to believe that fat was healthy have to do with Facebook’s deliberate inability to make their content less divisive

You missed the point. Too many people are credulous, and lack a rigorous education in epistemology and the scientific method. This has been a problem forever and isn't something Facebook can fix.

Re: Facebook executives shut down efforts to make the site less divisive

#804

Post by alpacaillama »

nradov wrote: post #803
alpacaillama wrote: post #796

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is classic whataboutism. What does people being led to believe that fat was healthy have to do with Facebook’s deliberate inability to make their content less divisive

You missed the point. Too many people are credulous, and lack a rigorous education in epistemology and the scientific method. This has been a problem forever and isn't something Facebook can fix.

I don’t expect them to come out with a perfect solution but if they can’t fix it and no one else can, but they still contribute to it I don’t see how why they should be above criticism and reproach?

Also the article mentions that even though they had they option to reduce it, they actively chose not to. How is this not something that I shod be critical of?

Why is growth above everything else important? What if they disabled the group discovery part? How is that impossible?

Re: Facebook executives shut down efforts to make the site less divisive

#805

Post by ceejayoz »

nradov wrote: post #803
alpacaillama wrote: post #796

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is classic whataboutism. What does people being led to believe that fat was healthy have to do with Facebook’s deliberate inability to make their content less divisive

You missed the point. Too many people are credulous, and lack a rigorous education in epistemology and the scientific method. This has been a problem forever and isn't something Facebook can fix.

There's a big gulf between "this can't be completely fixed" and "let's squash efforts to mitigate it".

Re: Facebook executives shut down efforts to make the site less divisive

#806

Post by alpacaillama »

guy_ro wrote: post #758

Hey, Facebook VP of Integrity here (I work on this stuff). This WSJ story cites old research and falsely suggests we aren’t invested in fighting polarization. The reality is we didn’t adopt some of the product suggestions cited because we pursued alternatives we believed are more effective. What’s undeniable is we’ve made significant changes to the way FB works to improve the integrity of our products, such as fundam…

The article also claims that some of these people whose suggestions facebook ignored quit. Is this also cherrypicked?

Re: Facebook executives shut down efforts to make the site less divisive

#807

Post by guy_ro »

alpacaillama wrote: post #806
guy_ro wrote: post #758

Hey, Facebook VP of Integrity here (I work on this stuff). This WSJ story cites old research and falsely suggests we aren’t invested in fighting polarization. The reality is we didn’t adopt some of the product suggestions cited because we pursued alternatives we believed are more effective. What’s undeniable is we’ve made significant changes to the way FB works to improve the integrity of our products, such as fundam…

The article also claims that some of these people whose suggestions facebook ignored quit. Is this also cherrypicked?

Should I list the people who joined the team?

Re: Facebook executives shut down efforts to make the site less divisive

#808

Post by aagha »

guy_ro wrote: post #758

Hey, Facebook VP of Integrity here (I work on this stuff). This WSJ story cites old research and falsely suggests we aren’t invested in fighting polarization. The reality is we didn’t adopt some of the product suggestions cited because we pursued alternatives we believed are more effective. What’s undeniable is we’ve made significant changes to the way FB works to improve the integrity of our products, such as fundam…

What complete and utter BS.

Other than #MAGAts, there is no bigger threat to the US and our democracy than Facebook.

You KNOWINGLY allow for the posting, distribution, and re-distribution of false information from sites you know to be dubious.

Re: Facebook executives shut down efforts to make the site less divisive

#809

Post by giardini »

egypturnash wrote: post #743
munificent wrote: post #461

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The fundamental flaw is this: The primary content no user wants to see any every user agent would filter out is ads . Since ads are the primary way sites stay in business, they are obligated to fight against user agents or other intermediary systems. The ultimate problem is that Facebook doesn't want to show you good, enriching content from your friends and family. They want to show you ads. The good content is just…

Honestly I think the only way to make an ethical social network is to make a non-profit one. Fund it alongside other public goods like PBS, public education, highways, rail networks, healthcare, etc. And yes, I know: good luck getting THAT to happen in the US given how badly funded everything else in my list is. If you’re in another country that actually funds public goods maybe this is a thing you could talk to some…

The solution is to nationalize FaceBook (and any site that proves to be similar) and allow everyone free access to it w/o censorship. Give Zuckerberg a $1 for his time and effort.

Meahwhile, Google must be split up: e.g., Alphabet can go do AI work as a private corporation but Google Search needs to be nationalized (or split into at least 3 entities - i prefer nationalization).

Amazon must be broken up and parts nationalized, but this is a more complex case for later discussion.

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