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Facebook executives shut down efforts to make the site less divisive

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

#341

Post by devmunchies »

supernova87a wrote: post #149

I really didn't realize until perhaps the last 2 years that Facebook fundamentally tapped some hidden human need/instinct to argue with people who they believe are incorrect. Specifically, and more importantly, combined with the human inability to actively decide to not pay attention when things are inconsequential or not yet worth arguing about. Sometimes, just shutting up about an issue and not discussing it is the…

I call this the "outrage economy". There are several companies (facebook, twitter, reddit, youtube, etc) that grew based on user activity of varying types. The more bickering and polarization, the bigger X Company gets and need to hire more employees and get more funding, and that feeds into more growth. There is also a secondary economy built on or used by these original companies (software tooling, ad software, legal, clickbait, etc). We now have a big chunk of the economy feeding pointless bickering.

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

#343

Post by carapace »

forgotmypw17 wrote: post #111
torben-friis wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been there, obviously not to the level of a facebook board member. IMO the feeling is not really that different from making choices as a consumer ("was this shirt made by child labor?", "was the animal this meat comes from treated humanely?", etc). People tend to turn a blind eye to those questions unless something comes up that hits close to home. To be clear, I'm not saying that's justifiable or a good mindset…

This kind of thinking, looking behind the veil of money, has convinced me to stop using currency altogether, for now, for the most part. I still pay for web hosting and domains, I still buy bottled water for lack of better options, but for anything else like clothes, food, houseware stuff, etc., I've stopped buying altogether. Everything you buy carries a huge veiled cost of human health and lives, animal and plant h…

I just wanted to say that's awesome and you're my hero. :-)

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

#344

Post by cryptoz »

iliekcomputers wrote: post #329
cryptoz wrote: post #196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Facebook admits to doing large-scale emotional manipulation of its users. They published a 'scientific' paper where they showed that they tried and succeeded to make 1 group depressed (hundreds of thousands of people), and 1 group feel happier (also hundreds of thousands of people). They psychologically manipulate people into depressions, on purpose . Facebook is not "just" an extension of open society. Facebook is a…

Could you link said paper?

There are a lot of sources to read, including follow-up papers by other teams that evaluate if Facebook had "informed consent" (they did not) to emotionally manipulate their users.

https://www.google.com/search?q=facebook+paper+emotionally+m...

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

#345

Post by deathgrips »

ErikAugust wrote: post #269
supernova87a wrote: post #149

I really didn't realize until perhaps the last 2 years that Facebook fundamentally tapped some hidden human need/instinct to argue with people who they believe are incorrect. Specifically, and more importantly, combined with the human inability to actively decide to not pay attention when things are inconsequential or not yet worth arguing about. Sometimes, just shutting up about an issue and not discussing it is the…

I think it’s important to note that Facebook didn’t invent any of this. They just built the biggest mainstream distribution channel to do so. Nothing they ever did in terms of facilitating pointless arguments has been all that original either. People have been doing this forever, and even on the Web much, much longer than Facebook has existed. Now that said, they know what they have on their hands and how it makes th…

Psychopaths often excuse their behavior by saying that if they don't take advantage of others, someone else will do it instead.

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

#346

Post by pjmorris »

mark-r wrote: post #280
Vysero wrote: post #272

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Close your eyes, hold your breath and hope the situation resolves itself, that's your solution? I don't believe in a: "hidden human need/instinct to argue with people". There is nothing hidden about human conflict. It is as natural as any conflict; as natural as space and time. In fact, without conflict evolution can not exist. Obviously, a good portion of the arguments being had have the potential of bearing no frui…

There is definitely such a need, which is why this cartoon is one of my favorites of all time: https://xkcd.com/386/

Same here. I often joke that I should keep this one posted at my desk. It helps remind me to walk away.

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

#347

Post by [deleted] »

zelon88 wrote: post #112
peruvian wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're working for defense or weapons contracts you're supporting the industry that has kept us in the Middle East for almost two decades. I agree that it's often a moral grey zone but in this case it's pretty clear. If you're an engineer there's plenty of other companies to choose from.

While that is true, I've worked in manufacturing environments with high tech equipment. This manufacturing equipment is so sensitive it gets covered with tarp during dog-and-pony shows. We are using equipment and techniques in the USA that other nations could only dream of implementing. Why do you think most airplane manufacturers are located in the USA? Don't you think an airline would buy aircraft engines from Chin…

[deleted]

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

#348

Post by bittercynic »

lostmyoldone wrote: post #271
lmilcin wrote: post #98

The problem really is platforms that give people content to please them. An algorithm selects content that you are likely to agree with or that you have shown previous interest. This only causes people to get reinforced in their beliefs and this leads to polarization. For example, when I browse videos on Youtube I will only get democratic content (even though I am from Poland). Seems as soon as you click on couple en…

In the case of Facebook they absolutely do not try to please me. They quite literally tries to do the exact opposite of everything I would like from my feed. Chronological with the ability to easily filter who I see, and who I post to. On each point capabilities has either been removed, hidden, or made worse in some other creative way. Adding insult to injury, having to periodically figure out where they've now hidde…

It doesn't address all of those, but if you visit https://www.youtube.com/feed/subscriptions it looks like it's still just a reverse chronological list of videos from your subscriptions.

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

#350

Post by [deleted] »

pacala wrote: post #142
vtail wrote: post #100

Disclaimer: I started working at FB recently. Consider the following model scenario. You are a PM at a discussion board startup in Elbonia. There are too many discussions at every single time, so you personalize the list for each user, showing only discussions she is more likely to interact with (it's a crude indication of user interest, but it's tough to measure it accurately). One day, your brilliant data scientist…

Predicting political preferences is a huge can of worms. Don't do it. Have the data scientist delete their model.

[deleted]
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