Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Facebook Is Testing Autoplaying Video With Sound (thenextweb.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the annoying-features dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Facebook is testing a "feature" that autoplays video clips on your feed with sound. It's not a very big test, but there's a possibility the company could roll it out to a larger group of users. The Next Web reports: "The company is currently trying two methods of getting people to watch video with sound in Australia: the aforementioned autoplaying, and an unmute button on the lower right corner of videos, like Vine videos on a desktop. The latter certainly sounds more reasonable; the last thing you want is to be checking Facebook quickly during a meeting or class, and suddenly have your phone blaring out an advert because you happened to stop on a video. Thankfully, you can disable the 'feature' from your settings, but the point is there's nothing wrong with the current opt-in approach, especially considering how many companies are embracing video captioning, and that Facebook even has its own auto-caption tool for advertisers." "We're running a small test in News Feed where people can choose whether they want to watch videos with sound on from the start," a Facebook spokesperson told Mashable Australia. "For people in this test who do not want sound to play, they can switch it off in Settings or directly on the video itself. This is one of several tests we're running as we work to improve the video experience for people on Facebook."

12 of 152 comments (clear)

  1. Just no by Calydor · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Stop telling me what I want to see and hear.

    Stop loading tens of megabytes without my direct consent.

    Stop taking control away from me and making me have to jump through hoops to get it back.

    If I want to watch a video I will goddamned well click on the PLAY button. If I do not click on the PLAY button chances are the video was not interesting to me in the first place.

    --
    -=This sig has nothing to do with my comment. Move along now=-
    1. Re:Just no by Knightman · · Score: 5, Insightful

      But but but how then are they going to be able play paid content containing ads about something totally irrelevant?

      --
      --- Reality doesn't care about your opinions, it happens anyway and if you are in the way you'll get squished.
    2. Re:Just no by rainmouse · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Because customers should never have a say in the product they use, especially when undesirable features are forced upon them.
      I suppose that goes for countries too. Don't like what your government does? Don't complain. Leave!

      They will both get away with whatever people let them.

    3. Re:Just no by kheldan · · Score: 5, Insightful

      "Stop" (insert annoying thing here)

      Stop using Facebook.

      Here's the hard, cold, uncomfortable truth: You're getting all entitled because it's been free to access all this time, and now they're leveraging the fact that you're all entrenched in Facebook, and they're making you PAY more and more by putting more and more ads in your face, and collecting and selling more and more of your information. If you were PAYING to use Facebook then it would be a different story, but you're not; you're a FREELOADER, and now the bill is coming due -- and you're getting all upset over it.

      STOP USING FACEBOOK. Just say goodbye to your fake online friends, close the account, and WALK AWAY. This is literally the ONLY course of action you have. Seriously: How long do you think it'll be now before they change the terms of service to make it against site policy for you to use ANY adblocker or do ANYTHING to avoid ads or data collection? STOP USING FACEBOOK.

      --
      Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
  2. Anoyher good reason by rossdee · · Score: 5, Insightful

    not to use FB

  3. Mandatory xkcd by LichtSpektren · · Score: 5, Funny

    Mandatory: https://xkcd.com/134/

    1. Re:Mandatory xkcd by Kierthos · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The people who make the decisions to have auto-playing videos on their sites should be beaten with sticks.

      Not the IT/web guys implementing it. The execs/marketing guys who go "Yeah, that's what we need. Autoplaying videos with minimal sound controls." Beaten. With sticks.

      --
      Mr. Hu is not a ninja.
  4. Re:"Facebook is testing committing corporate suici by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Auto-play videos with sound were the *reason* I started using ad-blocking.

  5. Re:speaker off button by Calydor · · Score: 4, Informative

    What if you're currently listening to music, or on a VoIP call, or any other list of things that requires you to NOT mute the sound because Facebook is being stupid?

    --
    -=This sig has nothing to do with my comment. Move along now=-
  6. Nothing like a "better" video experience. by frank_adrian314159 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Because nothing says "better video experience" like autoplay on a web page.

    --
    That is all.
  7. This just in! by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Informative

    Facebook testing how long it takes to reach 100% usage of adblocking software in its user base.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  8. Chrome Extension by PixelPusher1532 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I don't really use facebook. However, I would love a chrome extension that would allow me to have the sound turned off in the browser and selectively enable on a tab by tab basis.