Facebook Might Finally Kill Clickbait With New Algorithm Tweaks (thenextweb.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Next Web: Facebook is bringing two additional tweaks to its News Feed algorithm: time spent viewing and page post diversity. The former is an effort to weed out clickbait and bad content by attempting to quantify quality links. The change appears to be a mobile-first solution, as the announcement only states that Facebook will measure the time spent looking at Instant Articles or those within the mobile browser. Facebook also reports that users enjoy reading articles from a wide range of publishers, a revelation that led them to tweak the algorithm for greater diversity of page posts. In short, the idea is to reduce how often people see content back-to-back, or in short order, from the same page. For most pages, the content is spread out enough to where this shouldn't be much of a problem, but for those that post several updates in a few minutes, it could lead to some of the content not being seen.

Comments

Facebook kills clickbait with one simple tweak...

[tlambert]

Facebook kills clickbait with one simple tweak... [click here to read more!]

Re:Facebook kills clickbait with one simple tweak.

[John Zero]

Facebook kills clickbait with one simple tweak... [click here to read more!]

.. and you would NOT have guessed what happened next! [click here]

Algorithms

[Laser_iCE]

I wish social networks would stop trying to prioritise my news feeds and home pages for me. I want every post by every page and person I follow and I want it in chronological order. I want to know that when I scroll back to a certain point I have read everything that has been posted since now and that point in time. I understand advertising and monetising and all that jazz but it really puts me off using social networking sites like Facebook.

Re:Algorithms

[NatasRevol]

Their algorithms are ... worrisome.

http://www.npr.org/2014/07/04/...

They can, and HAVE, manipulated their algorithms to affect 100M+ americans mood.

They can, and HAVE, manipulated their algorithms in political events. In 2012, it was just TO vote. In 2016, it very easily could be HOW to vote.

http://fowler.ucsd.edu/massive...

Now imagine if those in control of the algorithms want to lean a race one way or another. A few less articles about Hillary, a few more good articles about Trump. Say -1/+1 every week, until the election. Subtle, but a clear influence pushing neutral folks to FBs leaning.

Hmmm lets see

[bazmail]

maybe something like if page.title.contains("You won't believe"){setclickbait(true);}

Re:Hmmm lets see

[wonkey_monkey]

if page.title.contains("you"){setclickbait(true);}

Much simpler.

This is terrible!

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

Facebook is supposed to act as a honeypot for worthless clickbait and help keep some of it from wandering out into the parts of the internet that don't totally suck. If they become less hospitable, there's a risk that starving herds of clickbait will start migrating and that won't be pretty.

Re:Facebook kills clickbait with one simple tweak.

[Mashiki]

Gotta fix this for you:
Facebook kills clickbait with one simple tweak! Number 6 will blow your mind!

Really though, the clickbait industry is going into a death phase and has been since last year, and with any luck it'll kill the sites. Advertising revenue is drying up, people aren't going to the sites. Some sites have been bleeding views and uniques others have simply stalled and/or entering serious declines (article paywalled)like Buzzfeed which has lost ~32% of it's traffic since last year.. Vice for example has bled ~18% of it's traffic. Huffpo? Laying off. Salon? Laying off. Even sites like Cracked, bleeding traffic and was sold off earlier this year. Lots of stories, lots of sties besides those that live and breath on clickbait are dying. Other publications(like media) that are pushing very specific agendas, are also suffering heavily as people turn away.

Re:Facebook kills clickbait with one simple tweak.

[mcgrew]

I'm not sure that clickbait is inherently bad

I am. Clickbait does nothing but waste one's time. I've gotten to where I never click a link in facebook, especially ones that facebook "suggests", because every single God damned one of them are worth less than nothing.

I laughed at the slashdot headline. Facebook fighting clickbait? That's like a coal-fired power plant fighting global warming. CLICKBAIT IS WHY PEOPLE BUY STOCK ON FACEBOOK. Their entire business model is based on clickbait.

This algorithm may kill Clickbait forever!

[wardrich86]

Buzzfeed HATES it!