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Instagram is shifting to videos – users aren't happy

washingtonpost.com

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Re: Instagram is shifting to videos – users aren't happy

#41

Post by snarf21 »

fdgsdfogijq wrote: post #9

Theory on facebook failure/Google failure to innovate: They have the highest leetcode standards out of FAANG. As does Snap. They hire people that basically memorized computer science algorithms. And so their employees are bookish, not innovative people. Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon do not have the same issues with creating new products. Keith Rabois (top VC), mentioned that FB has always prioritized optimization over…

I think you mention the real reason as a footnote. Ads are SO lucrative that it isn't worth it to be innovative or take huge risks. They do a little here and there but why invest $10B in an idea that is unlikely to have higher margins or larger volume.

Re: Instagram is shifting to videos – users aren't happy

#42

Post by hn8305823 »

> “I guarantee that every single person who liked and shared that post about bringing Instagram back to what it was, would spend way less time on Instagram if it reverted back to how it used to be,”

Uh, no. I stop and close app as soon as I realize I'm being fed "videos you just can't stop watching."

This unfortunately means I only use IG for about 2.5 seconds before I give up and try another day.

Re: Instagram is shifting to videos – users aren't happy

#43

Post by matsemann »

jacquesc wrote: post #4

Maybe it'll show up in their usage numbers. I stopped using IG because it's near impossible not to prevent the sound from blasting from accidentally scrolling or clicking on a reel. I feel like a product team that gave any shit whatsoever would give people a mute button that stays put. People use their phones in lots of different locations (with other people around). And phones are constantly blasting music at random…

What boggles my brain is when someone wants to show me a video on Instagram, but there is no way to play it from the beginning. So have to wait for it to loop around.

Re: Instagram is shifting to videos – users aren't happy

#44

Post by fluidcruft »

system16 wrote: post #14

It's fascinating how reactionary and directionless Instagram and Facebook have become. Instagram in particular has become Frankenstein's monster over the last few years, pathetically trying to reproduce functionality from other apps. The latest cloning of TikTok's feed is almost embarrassing. It's a testament to how deep the lack of a creative culture at Meta runs.

My impression back in the day was that Facebook bought Instagram for the same reason. They couldn't get the younger crowd to stay on Facebook. It's more of a testament about to how much youth are not interested in living their lives on their parent's platforms.

Re: Instagram is shifting to videos – users aren't happy

#45

Post by Foobar8568 »

IG kept requesting to add my birthday, going fullscreen notification like even if I forced quit earlier/rebooted my cellphone, didn't use cause birthday thing. I uninstalled it, didn't kill my account as there are some stuff I appreciate but the dark patterns won't fly.

Re: Instagram is shifting to videos – users aren't happy

#46

Post by yojo »

dhosek wrote: post #26
fdgsdfogijq wrote: post #9

Theory on facebook failure/Google failure to innovate: They have the highest leetcode standards out of FAANG. As does Snap. They hire people that basically memorized computer science algorithms. And so their employees are bookish, not innovative people. Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon do not have the same issues with creating new products. Keith Rabois (top VC), mentioned that FB has always prioritized optimization over…

I interviewed at Amazon in 2008ish and it was very leetcode-ish in its interview process. I remember whiteboarding a garbage collector. In any event, few companies have product direction set by engineering. There might be influence, but product tends to be a different set of employees than engineering.

Every company I've worked for has had some form of annual or bi-annual "hack week," where employees can form ad-hoc teams and work on something they think would be cool to exist. Sometimes it's a feature, sometimes it's a new product line, sometimes it's just something ridiculous (e.g. an eight foot wide NES controller).

Some of these projects did turn into shipped features, though I'm not sure I ever saw a new product line come out of it.

One of the places I worked had an internal incubator. An engineer or PM could pitch an idea, and get paid their salary to go work on it if accepted. That was still early stage when I left, so unclear if anything came of it.

The point though is that many companies do open avenues for engineers to innovate directly.

Re: Instagram is shifting to videos – users aren't happy

#47

Post by gdulli »

matsemann wrote: post #11

If at least the algorithm was any good, people might not have complained as much. Like, I only follow sport stuff. Some triathletes, professional bicyclists, skiers etc. What does Instagram then decide to show me? A female cyclist with her zipper down and lots of cleavage, a skier in bikini, ass pics of swimmers etc.. Probably that's the most trending stuff related to my interests, but I follow no accounts related to…

When Twitter forced the algorithmic timeline on people, someone tweeted:

"Is the algorithm based what everyone else likes, or what I like? Because I hate what everyone else likes, and I don't know what I like."

Re: Instagram is shifting to videos – users aren't happy

#48

Post by system16 »

spaceman_2020 wrote: post #25

TikTok is banned in my country but friends from UK and US say that the algorithm is much better at recommending videos. True or just plain individual bias?

In my experience it's absolutely true. Maybe it's just early in Instagram's phase of their new feed and it's not optimized, but all I see are a bunch of seemingly random memes and videos that don't interest me at all, and they only appear targeted to me in the most superficial of ways. Essentially I skip past the videos looking for friend photos, and after about 30 seconds get bored and shut the app.

TikTok on the other hand seems to know me better than I do myself (or care to admit). I go out of my way to not open it because I know 30 minutes of my time will vanish in an instant.

Re: Instagram is shifting to videos – users aren't happy

#49

Post by Strom »

mnd999 wrote: post #22

“I guarantee that every single person who liked and shared that post about bringing Instagram back to what it was, would spend way less time on Instagram if it reverted back to how it used to be” Sure, because they could get the information they want without having to wade through the mountains of crap you’re pumping out of the septic tank into your users faces. You’re optimising the wrong metric you fucking clown.

You have a good point that would stand even stronger without the name calling.

Re: Instagram is shifting to videos – users aren't happy

#50

Post by Jasper_ »

fdgsdfogijq wrote: post #9

Theory on facebook failure/Google failure to innovate: They have the highest leetcode standards out of FAANG. As does Snap. They hire people that basically memorized computer science algorithms. And so their employees are bookish, not innovative people. Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon do not have the same issues with creating new products. Keith Rabois (top VC), mentioned that FB has always prioritized optimization over…

The ones coming up with products are usually executives looking to advance their career. e.g. everyone I know who worked on Google Stadia who cared readily pointed out all the problems from idea to implementation. Management & product design waved off the concerns, said they were in for the long haul, and that the product would be a huge success regardless. And then they got cold feet after realizing how much of a flop it was, and how money they needed to spend to make a real entry into games.

I am no fan of leetcode. I think Google's engineering interview process is mostly RNG. But have you seen mock interviews for the product designers? They're even more inscrutable: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTcXXGJiunA

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