Actual Facebook Graph Searches • Hacker News Board

Re: Actual Facebook Graph Searches

#211

Post by Karunamon » Wed, Jan 23, 2013, 5:57 PM UTC

mosselman wrote: post #140

achompas wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nothing good can come out of applying dumb algorithms (that is, any algorithm) to a sufficiently rich "social graph"; it will always lead to situations like that which are, at best, embarrassing, and at worst, dangerous, for whoever is in the system. What does this even mean? The "dumb algorithm" here will (a) take a user's query and (b) search that user's friends and public profiles for hits on that query. What's ne…

It is obvious that you either didn't read the search queries on the linked page, or you don't understand the impact that some of these queries can have on peoples' lives. People are stupid, so when warned, the will still act stupid. Despite this it is still the responsibility of whoever is able, to protect them, even against themselves. I also agree with the argument of others here that facebook, to some, seems like…

>it is still the responsibility of whoever is able, to protect them, even against themselves.

I think this is a philosophy you will find a great level of disagreement with. The ignorant should be protected and informed, the stupid, notsomuch.

Re: Actual Facebook Graph Searches

#212

Post by Karunamon » Wed, Jan 23, 2013, 5:59 PM UTC

Nursie wrote: post #160

MortenK wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quitting Facebook is really not that big of a deal. You won't become a social pariah, an outcast or loose all your friends because you cancel a website account.

You might well lose touch with a geographically diverse crowd of people. FB and the like keep people involved in the minutiae of each others lives and very much help keep real friendships alive. Of course FB is trying to destroy this as much as possible by controlling what you see of what people post. Trying to decide what's important to me is another facet of the 'dumb' algorithms the OP complains about.

>Of course FB is trying to destroy this as much as possible by controlling what you see of what people post.

Because the alternative brings the wingnuts out. The more Facebook lets people see, the more they get castigated for doing what the entire freaking purpose of a social network site is!

Re: Actual Facebook Graph Searches

#213

Post by mark_integerdsv » Wed, Jan 23, 2013, 6:02 PM UTC

boboblong wrote: post #198

mark_integerdsv wrote: post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe we missed each other... In my example I am talking about a man whose identity is necessarily hidden in meatspace due to an oppressive government. Cyberspace allows him freedom from this oppression. Hope that makes it clearer.

Wait, then what's the problem?

He is 'outed' in meatspace by his cyberspatial identities trough the irresponsibility of FB and himself, and all of the other none the wiser users enabled through this product to harm themselves.

Re: Actual Facebook Graph Searches

#214

Post by oh_sigh » Wed, Jan 23, 2013, 6:03 PM UTC

axusgrad wrote: post #206

oh_sigh wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> such things as "Islamic men interested in other men, living in Tehran," Do you know what this search will return? "0 results". Because nobody who is gay in Iran is going to put the fact that they are interested in other men on their facebook.

If you scroll down the link, it's right there. http://actualfacebookgraphsearches.tumblr.com/post/412333061...

Sorry, I should have added a final point that I made in another post: "Interested in" is not interpreted by everybody as "sexual attracted in". I'd be willing to bet that in Iranian culture, it's quite common to say you are interested in being friends with men, and it is not viewed as homosexual.

Re: Actual Facebook Graph Searches

#215

Post by oh_sigh » Wed, Jan 23, 2013, 6:05 PM UTC

msoad wrote: post #19

> “Islamic men interested in men who live in Tehran, Iran“ This is funny, in Iran people don't quite understand what "interested in" means. In sign up process when they see "interested in" options, they think that means "are you interested in finding friends who are male?" (same for females). This is because: 1. People use VPN to access Facebook and Facebook can not localize/internationalize their experience. 2. Usin…

"Interested in" doesn't imply "sexually attracted to". If you are interested in creating friendships with men, they you will mark "Interested in men"

Re: Actual Facebook Graph Searches

#216

Post by Mahn » Wed, Jan 23, 2013, 6:07 PM UTC

amirmc wrote: post #209

onedev wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You realize graph search only utilizes information that YOU make available. Why did you make that data available? Do you not want others to see it? If you didn't, then why did you put it out there for others to see? Also, you know that privacy controls are taken into account right? So if you don't make certain data available to certain people, you don't show up in searches for those people.... I think you're being a…

".. why did you put it out there for others to see?" I've noticed this argument more often w.r.t FB and other such privacy issues. I think it's flawed. I joined FB back when it was closed . In my mind I wasn't putting anything 'out there' for the world. The first time they made things public and started messing with the default privacy settings I was worried but gave them the benefit of the doubt. Then the cycle repe…

And that's why you can unlike what you liked in the past, leave groups, unfriend people, etc. Also, it might still be an unreasonable expectation, but to be honest people do need to understand what is public and what is private on facebook. You don't give away embarrasing pictures of yourself or your bank account information to strangers in the street, so why should it be different online? Facebook, like real life, is not a product that can be used properly without understanding what's public/private. That's not to say the users who don't understand it are to blame; possibly it's just Facebook that has to work harder on this, but still.

Re: Actual Facebook Graph Searches

#217

Post by lukev » Wed, Jan 23, 2013, 6:08 PM UTC

I don't use facebook myself (have an account, but never touch it) so I'm a bit confused about one thing.

Who would actually, seriously "like" something like Prostitutes or Racism? It seems that fields like that would have literally no serious responses, beyond a bunch of frat boys goofing around.

Or is that the only expectation for searches like this anyway?

Re: Actual Facebook Graph Searches

#218

Post by mark_integerdsv » Wed, Jan 23, 2013, 6:09 PM UTC

Jgrubb wrote: post #169

mark_integerdsv wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess that depends. I'm 33, married, two kids. I have never used Facebook but I do feel 'out of the loop.' especially since the baby arrived - I don't hear about things 'through the grapevine' and subsequently seldom find myself with many social options on the days that I have free. This is good for my startup but bad for my self esteem.

Hey there, 34, married, 3 kids here. You have two good options in this situation. One is to get your wife on FB so she can keep you in the loop. The other is to have one more kid and then you won't have to worry about what to do with your free time because you won't have any ever again. If you're starting up, I'd recommend option A.

Shit. I'm also 34... Totally forgot I had a birthday recently. My life seems to take place between 4am zombie walks to the kitchen to make milk bottles.

I do have sort of a wife's account vector but tbh: she also starts feeling shit and creeped out after being in there.

It's ok, as the apologists are wont to point out, there is a choice.

Mine is made.

Re: Actual Facebook Graph Searches

#219

Post by mark_integerdsv » Wed, Jan 23, 2013, 6:12 PM UTC

lukev wrote: post #217

I don't use facebook myself (have an account, but never touch it) so I'm a bit confused about one thing. Who would actually, seriously "like" something like Prostitutes or Racism? It seems that fields like that would have literally no serious responses, beyond a bunch of frat boys goofing around. Or is that the only expectation for searches like this anyway?

Personally, I don't doubt that people with questionable shared interests have made contact with one another through FB.

World's a weird place at times. The Internet kind of dilates the portal into those spaces.

Re: Actual Facebook Graph Searches

#220

Post by Aloisius » Wed, Jan 23, 2013, 6:15 PM UTC

brianchu wrote: post #51

Contrary to what a lot of people think, you can change the visibility of likes . This affects Graph Search, Timeline visibility, and also page visibility (I've personally tested these). The Admins of pages you like will still be able to see that you like their page. Go to the Likes page on your timeline. Click the Edit button in the upper right. Privacy visibility buttons will pop up next to each Like category for yo…

Yes, but one of those searches was for family members of people who supported the Falun Gong. You may live in the US, be a member of the Falun Gong and your grandparents in China get picked up and shipped off for suspected support.

Even if the privacy settings do allow you to opt out of being visible in Graph Search (and there is an open question of if it would for a query that returns other people instead of you), now people's safety is involved for something they themselves have no control over.