Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Facebook removed the news feed algorithm in an experiment

bigtechnology.substack.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

1–10 of 149 posts

Re: Facebook removed the news feed algorithm in an experiment

#3

Post by cassianoleal »

darepublic wrote: post #2

Title seems like Facebook bashing but the article is more even keel. Suggest that "Then it gave up" be removed from the post title

That would be editorialising, since that's in the actual article.

> Otherwise please use the original title, unless it is misleading or linkbait; don't editorialize. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Edit: I don't mind being downvoted, but I would really like to know why that's the case so I can improve how I contribute to the forum.

Re: Facebook removed the news feed algorithm in an experiment

#4

Post by d3vmax »

Have a chronological time series newsfeed only from friends. Once you have caught up show the recommended / algo posts.

+

Facebook should allow you to go filter and show posts using a calendar. Like all post from X date to Y date, from this location / friends. It will actually improve usage.

Miss the old photo sharing days.

Re: Facebook removed the news feed algorithm in an experiment

#6

Post by gfosco »

Data wins arguments. One of my least favorite Facebook quotes. Bad data wins arguments, too.

The misdirection term here is 'news feed ranking algorithm'... and what that means in the experiment versus what you might think that means, huge difference. e.g. I think most would assume the algorithm is responsible for showing you an unknown post that a friend merely liked, but it's right there in the article as still happening.

The results and how people used it don't at all say to me that they enjoyed it less, it shows explicit care & intention to curate their own feed by hiding what they don't like.. which is how it should be. If they find the group posts too overwhelming, they can mute/unfollow/leave, or other methods of grouping posts can be explored.

But look, they did this one bad science experiment, and now it's taken as fact and becomes folklore.

Re: Facebook removed the news feed algorithm in an experiment

#7

Post by metalliqaz »

darepublic wrote: post #2

Title seems like Facebook bashing but the article is more even keel. Suggest that "Then it gave up" be removed from the post title

For the most part it's correct, they emded the experiment. However, it would probably communicate better to say "Then had to turn back." That probably conveys what happened, in that the "bad" stuff that we attribute to the algorithm still managed to grow without it, and normal engagement went down.

Re: Facebook removed the news feed algorithm in an experiment

#8

Post by Hokusai »

> Even though the researcher kept the “integrity pass” in place, or the first layer of the algorithm that sorts for integrity ahead of engagement, they said that “integrity bad metrics still shot through the roof.”

Not very interesting without understanding these algorithms. "Integrity pass" seems a good marketing name, but, at least this article, does not explain how it works. It would be like reviewing the Boing 737 Max and only knowing MCAS as "that thingy that makes the plane easy to fly" instead of http://www.b737.org.uk/mcas.htm

Post reply on HN