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Snapchat Is Becoming the Anti-Facebook (qz.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Quartz: Snap announced today (Nov. 29), that it was rolling out a redesign for Snapchat that's intended to separate users' feeds between their friends from the brands that publish content on the app. Founder and CEO Evan Spiegel published an op-ed in Axios this morning about the direction that social media has taken over the last few years, where content from brands and influencers has been given the same weight and placement as content from friends and loved ones in users' feeds. Spiegel also took to YouTube, for the second time in about two years, to explain how the new Snapchat works.

The new structure seems like a positive move. It's sort of solidifying the app, which turned down $3 billion from Facebook in 2013, as the "anti-Facebook." Facebook has muddled the line between content, news about friends, and pure internet garbage to the point where it's become nearly impossible for the average user to know what's important, or even true -- on purpose. Snapchat is reaffirming the value of staying connected to your friends, and enjoying news and entertainment content, but showing that the two activities should not be the same thing. Whether this restructuring will convince more people to start using Snapchat, however, is unclear.

47 comments

  1. Snapbookgram by 110010001000 · · Score: 1

    I've been using Snapbookgram regularly. I am much happier now.

    1. Re: Snapbookgram by dougdonovan · · Score: 1

      if you dont own "legal" shares of snapchat...you are wrong.

    2. Re:Snapbookgram by Random+Internet+Guy · · Score: 1

      I prefer Crapchat. It lets you post only while you're taking a shit, so you don't end up wasting other more potentially productive moments.

    3. Re:Snapbookgram by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      #MeToo and with InstantCrap, you can share it with the rest of the world!

    4. Re:Snapbookgram by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

      I'm still using FriendFace.

      --
      “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
  2. So when they come in contact... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    everything is annia.... anniahla... destroyed?

  3. Remember when... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...you actually needed a pen to post on a Facebook?

  4. As long as they don't ... by CaptainDork · · Score: 1

    ... ask for a photo of me, one nude and the other just my face and stuff.

    --
    It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
    1. Re:As long as they don't ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As long as they don't ask for a photo of me, one nude and the other just my face and stuff.

      That oversteps the limit. I could do a nude and a face, but my stuff is not to be photographed!

  5. Does Snapchat's TOS still suck horribly? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Have they seen the light? Are they actually deleting the things that they'd said they'd delete?

    Someone give me the TLDR

    1. Re: Does Snapchat's TOS still suck horribly? by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 2

      TL;DR

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
  6. Does this mean I need a snapchat account? by Snotnose · · Score: 1

    just to avoid FB? Cuz I don't have any social media presence, except for a misguided Linkedin account I made a few years back hoping it would help me get a job but just got me spam.

    / Social media free since '58 // except for that stupid linkedin thing in '04, where I thought it might actually help me get a job /// no FB, no snapchat, no instagram, no myspace, no friendz or whatever it was called 15 years ago

    1. Re:Does this mean I need a snapchat account? by Snotnose · · Score: 1

      Really hate the way /. requires explicit line breaks between lines. I hit CR, isn't that enough of a hint? Do I really need
      ?

      fuckin stupid is what I call it. -br- -br- -br- There, you happy now?

    2. Re:Does this mean I need a snapchat account? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I know lots of people without social media presences, including myself. No social media drama for us :)

    3. Re:Does this mean I need a snapchat account? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 3, Funny

      Really hate the way /. requires explicit line breaks between lines. I hit CR, isn't that enough of a hint? Do I really need
      ?

      We're sorry you're finding your Slashdot experience less than satisfactory. We are committed to your best Slashdot experience and would be happy to assist you. Please click "Help" on the main Slashdot menu and then select "Live Chat" so one of our Customer Experience Technicians can help you with your problem. [Note: charges may apply]

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    4. Re:Does this mean I need a snapchat account? by Larry+Lightbulb · · Score: 1

      Please send a tweet to Slashdot support or post a message on our wall.

    5. Re: Does this mean I need a snapchat account? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      FIrst, create an account with a valid email address so you can take advantage of all of our wonderful services.

    6. Re:Does this mean I need a snapchat account? by LinuxIsGarbage · · Score: 1

      Really hate the way /. requires explicit line breaks between lines. I hit CR, isn't that enough of a hint? Do I really need
      ?

      fuckin stupid is what I call it.
      -br- -br- -br-
      There, you happy now?

      Go to: *Username* (in upper right)-Account-Posting-Comment Post Mode: Change to "Plain Old Text"

    7. Re:Does this mean I need a snapchat account? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 3, Funny

      Please send a tweet to Slashdot support or post a message on our wall.

      Or, he could just upgrade to Slashdot Premium, which includes unicode support and special lootboxes with varying amounts of mod points inside.

      It's only $9.95/month, but it includes a blue checkmark after your user name and the option to set your username to a blinking font.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    8. Re: Does this mean I need a snapchat account? by peragrin · · Score: 1

      Plain old text works 95% of the time. Unless you want to link to something else. Then you are screwed.

      --
      i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.
    9. Re:Does this mean I need a snapchat account? by slashrio · · Score: 2

      Post as A.C., /. seems to prefer that, it also keeps your karma untouched by fucking stupid down modders because they simply don't agree with you, mostly for political reasons.

      --
      "Trump!!", the new Godwin.
    10. Re:Does this mean I need a snapchat account? by dcw3 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Stop posting shit I disagree with, and you won't have that problem.

      --
      Just another day in Paradise
    11. Re:Does this mean I need a snapchat account? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The entire fucking internet in a nutshell.

    12. Re:Does this mean I need a snapchat account? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      no FB, no snapchat, no instagram, no myspace, no friendz or whatever it was called 15 years ago

      Orkut. You're welcome.

    13. Re:Does this mean I need a snapchat account? by rcharbon · · Score: 1

      You do understand that Slashdot is "Social Media", right?

    14. Re: Does this mean I need a snapchat account? by LinuxIsGarbage · · Score: 1

      Plain old text works 95% of the time. Unless you want to link to something else. Then you are screwed.

      Plain old text works for links, you just don't need <BR><BR>. That's what I'm using now.
      From TFS:

      HTML Formatted: You determine the formatting, using allowed HTML tags and entities.

      Plain Old Text: Same as "HTML Formatted", except that <BR> is automatically inserted for newlines, and other whitespace is converted to non-breaking spaces in a more-or-less intelligent way.

      Extrans: Same as "Plain Old Text", except that & and < and > are converted to entities (no HTML markup allowed).

      Code: Same as "Extrans", but a monospace font is used, and a best attempt is made at performing proper indentation.

  7. Snapchat Is Becoming the Anti-Facebook by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I don't know what that means but I don't care, and you probably shouldn't either.

  8. Facebook... Pfft... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I look forward to the day when facebook goes the way of myspace.

  9. Oh please by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's about taking pictures of your junk and sending it to someone you want to fuck. Don't make it about some higher purpose.

  10. Well.... by MerlTurkin · · Score: 1

    I don't do either so I don't care!

  11. Need to do something... by Luthair · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Their stock has been on a downward slide since their IPO and its worth roughly half what it was then today.

  12. Good for them. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Some company out there has to try a different course than world domination.

  13. facebook are also testing this so its not anti-FB! by just+another+AC · · Score: 2

    https://www.businessinsider.co...

    Facebook tested similar already (a month ago) separating "news feed" (public/brand content) from "friend feed".

    But I guess the tilt for FB is that doing this forces companies to pay for ads to get into the friend feed rather than have their company FB page show up in the regular feed.

    But don't let the truth get in the way... carry on.

  14. CAught my interest by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Not a huge social networking fan mainly because of the choices by FB & others to muddy what is 'mine' & therefore what I want to take interest in & what they think I should be (that & all the tracking they do), but this seems like a step in the 'better direction'...who knows maybe I'll try Snapcnat

  15. SnapChat has a long way to go, IMO .... by King_TJ · · Score: 5, Interesting

    When I think of SnapChat, I think of "that skeezy service that enables pre-teens to share nude photos of themselves with each other without leaving evidence behind" (since photos you take with it automatically disappear after a short time).

    If they're truly redesigning the whole thing to be a "better Facebook than Facebook"? Great -- but they've got a bad reputation to shake off first.

    Right now, I really get the feeling that the younger crowd has migrated to SnapChat only because their parents are all over Facebook, making that an automatic "non starter" of a social media option for many of them. (Nobody wants to have a discussion with friends about the opposite sex or a party they attended or what-not, and suddenly have mom or dad, or grandma pipe up in the middle of it.)

    But really, Facebook has a far more established service. Features like "memories" that automatically recall and feature old photos you posted and forgot about add more value for people than a service that treats them as disposable.

    1. Re:SnapChat has a long way to go, IMO .... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That is still what Snapchat is, they've added features but I'm pretty sure sending self-destructing nudes is still a primary use.

    2. Re:SnapChat has a long way to go, IMO .... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When I think of SnapChat, I think of "that skeezy service that enables pre-teens to share nude photos of themselves with each other without leaving evidence behind" (since photos you take with it automatically disappear after a short time).

      When I think of SnapChat, I think of "that snake oil company that claimed to have a feature that is impossible in the real world and managed to con enough children with to succeed anyway."

  16. Now, if we can only get them to collide... by phfpht · · Score: 5, Funny

    If we can get the Facebook and Antifacebook particles to collide and annihilate each other, we'll all be better off.

    1. Re:Now, if we can only get them to collide... by neo-mkrey · · Score: 1

      ...and nothing of value would be lost.

  17. Well the answer was supposed to be Google+ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Which let's you choose "Circles" of friends to share with. Problem is, everyone is already on Facebook and they won't switch- Just like Internet Explorer users didn't switch to Firefox.

  18. Follow these instructions ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    1. Open your device's Settings app .
          2. Tap Apps & notifications App info.
          3. Tap the Facebook and Snapchat icon. You may need to scroll to find the app.
          4. Tap Uninstall.
          5. Welcome to the real world again. Beware that you might experience it in a different way as before.

    1. Re:Follow these instructions ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      4. Tap Uninstall

      I can't do it with my Android. All I can do is "deactivate" [which I did]. On some devices FB is kinda system app and cannot be removed.

  19. " to know what's important, or even true " LOL by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yes, be scared of the internet, you might read something that "isn't true", according to the controlled media. i.e. THE TRUTH. How awful! It's almost as if the tiny handful of people who control the entire world's media are scared that the people are now able to publish anything they want to, and tell everybody else who really runs the world...

  20. Re: fucking stupid br-br-br by slashrio · · Score: 1

    Eens!

    --
    "Trump!!", the new Godwin.
  21. Facebook is a Shitpile by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Facebook is a shitpile of uselessness. The summary is absolutely right that Facebook bombards you with useless garbage and shitposts from all sorts of political extremists, with the express purpose of undermining our culture and dividing people against each other.

    I canceled my accounts on all Facebook properties because it just became utterly awful to use any of it. I'm actually interested in checking out what Snapchat has to offer if they do truly intend to keep important stuff together and separate from the garbage pile.

  22. Re:facebook are also testing this so its not anti- by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the best part of this plan is that they can repeat it again when this new friends feed becomes polluted by crap as well. they will call it the new friendly feed!

    Repeat as necessary! PROFIT!

  23. a principled stand? by Goldsmith · · Score: 1

    So now leveraging a buy-out offer from Facebook to get an inflated IPO is a principled stand against ... something vague about social media? I thought it was just a desire to make more money.

    They have a long way to go before an op-ed like this can be taken seriously. Regardless of their actual intentions, Snapchat made a service that enabled kids to send dirty pics to each other and then rode that wave of skeezy popularity without self-reflection or responsibility for too long to now talk about looking out for their users.