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Facebook To Demote Posts That Ask For 'Likes' Or Shares (recode.net)

Posted by BeauHD on from the engagement-baiting dept.

Facebook is cracking down on a new type of clickbait: Posts that ask people to "Like" or share or comment to goose engagement numbers, what Facebook is calling "engagement bait." Their solution? Demote the posts considered to be "engagement bait." Recode reports: Facebook has decided it doesn't like publishers gaming the system this way, and claims users don't like it either."People have told us that they dislike spammy posts on Facebook that goad them into interacting with likes, shares, comments, and other actions," the company wrote on its blog. So starting Monday, posts that Facebook considers to be engagement bait will be pushed down in News Feed. Beginning in a few weeks, publishers and Pages that continue to utilize this tactic will see their reach diminished for all of their posts.

85 comments

  1. Awesome!!! by Major_Disorder · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I have always made it a point to never like, or share any post that asks me to.
    But that didn't stop those posts from annoying me.

    --
    First law of people: People are generally stupid.
    1. Re:Awesome!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Youtube needs to follow suit and demonetize any video that asks viewers to "like and subscribe" or "smash that like button."

    2. Re: Awesome!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Going to put my penis in your butt now!!! Hold on, itÃ(TM)s gonna be a bumpy ride.

      Apple fans demonstrate their people skills once again.

    3. Re: Awesome!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      L*i*k*e*m*y*p*o*s*t*p*r*e*t*t*y*p*l*e*a*s*e

    4. Re:Awesome!!! by Travelsonic · · Score: 0

      Why? Liking, subscribing, and sharing is an integral part of spreading YouTube videos, and one that is free to boot. Sure, it can be done obnoxiously, but you don't need to burn down the entire home to deal with a sasp's nest.

      --
      If you believe in privacy, and believe you have "nothing to hide" at the same time, you're a goddammed idiot
    5. Re:Awesome!!! by epine · · Score: 0

      The right place to ask is at the end of the video, or a text box that comes up after the video ends.

      The wrong tone is to whimper "please subscribe, or kittens will die, and Pinocchio will never turn into a real boy".

      The right use of the "dislike" button is any video that basically tells you how you're going to feel before you get there, e.g. "Hitchens demolishes $some_religious_faggot".

      (Yes, I wrote that sentence to court some heavy dislike action.)

      The right use of the "despise" button is any video that does the aforementioned in ALL CAPS.

    6. Re: Awesome!!! by UnsignedInt32 · · Score: 1

      I guess the point is that one doesn't have to be reminded to like, share, whatever... I may me minority but personally more of that less inclined to engage in these methods. A lot of social media best practice seem to promote "call of the action" which basically tells you to all people to share, subscribe and likes, so either I truly am a minority or they are counting on the zombies that do things as instructed.

    7. Re:Awesome!!! by i286NiNJA · · Score: 1

      Nah let's burn it down. Sorry to the small number of people who manage to remind people to share without being obnoxious. They're well in the minority in general and there are at least 2 supreme jerks for every one of them.

    8. Re: Awesome!!! by i286NiNJA · · Score: 1

      If I like someone it kinda reminds me that I can help them make more content if I do a small part to promote them. But fuck it, it's far down the list of things that have been ruined for the rest of us by a few jerks.

    9. Re:Awesome!!! by Bite+The+Pillow · · Score: 1

      Like share and subscribe is like oral anal and three some.

      You don't get it cos you asked, you get it cos I want it. Asking just means you don't think this will work out that way. And it may not most like at this point.

      I never subscribe. Youtube shows me the next episode regardless.

    10. Re:Awesome!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you mean get rid of ryan's toy reviews and all the stupid crap like adults reviewing kids toys? god i just want to beat those adults senseless.

    11. Re:Awesome!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why? Liking, subscribing, and sharing is an integral part of spreading YouTube videos, and one that is free to boot. Sure, it can be done obnoxiously, but you don't need to burn down the entire home to deal with a sasp's nest.

      YouTube is the "integral" engine behind spreading videos. Sharing a hyperlink to a YouTube video is internet 101. Begging for it within a video is beyond spam. It's desperation, and it's rather pathetic.

    12. Re:Awesome!!! by Ogive17 · · Score: 2

      Maybe I'm in the minority.. I never saw an issue with someone providing content that I watched say something along the lines of "if you like what you're seeing, please follow me"..

      --
      "Action without philosophy is a lethal weapon; philosophy without action is worthless."
    13. Re:Awesome!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I make it a point to filter out the javascript includes and images that correspond to the like and share buttons. The buttons themselves annoy me even more than like-begging.

      They're not a moderation system like slashdot's, where posts can be emphasized and de-emphasized by the community, but never censored, and nominally audited. They're a tracking system that gives out "internet points"

    14. Re:Awesome!!! by rot26 · · Score: 1

      you mean get rid of ryan's toy reviews and all the stupid crap like adults reviewing kids toys? god i just want to beat those adults senseless.

      you mean get rid of ryan's toy reviews and all the stupid crap like adults reviewing kids toys? god i just want to beat those millionaires senseless.

      FTFY.

      --



      To ensure perfect aim, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target
    15. Re:Awesome!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This. Every youtuber who's in it for the money always says "like, subscribe, comment, share" at the end of their videos. Ads should be separate from content, and these idiots are fusing them and it's obnoxious.

    16. Re:Awesome!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you have to ask for likes and subs, you don't fucking deserve them.

  2. I l1ke this idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    n/c

  3. Think of the puppies! by Zaelath · · Score: 0

    Down-vote this comment if you hate puppies and children!

    1. Re:Think of the puppies! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wasting Karma eh?

    2. Re:Think of the puppies! by KiloByte · · Score: 1

      Down-vote this comment if you hate puppies and children!

      As a matter of fact, I do hate both: puppies are a larval form of an ugly yapping creature that might be a danger for a member of the Master Species caught away from a fence/tree -- and seeing what's happening to my brother and sister, I in no way want to get twenty years with no sleep or quiet.

      But, I can't both down-mod (per your request) and up-mod ("funny") the same post.

      --
      The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
    3. Re:Think of the puppies! by Zaelath · · Score: 1

      Oh yeah, I forgot how they really go;

      Mod up this if you love puppies, Mod down if you hate puppies, ignore this if you hate yourself.

      93% of people will ignore this post.

    4. Re:Think of the puppies! by Zaelath · · Score: 3, Funny

      [ ] See less of these kinds of posts.
      [ ] Block this user
      [ ] Set this user on fire

    5. Re: Think of the puppies! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You just can't help yourself can you?
      You are like a naughty little boy who has just learnt a new dirty word.
      Does it make you giggle like a girly when you post those words?

  4. Garbage by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Good! Garbage should thrown out.

  5. End engagement spam by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    1 like = 1 vote against spam

  6. Do they know what they're doing? by david.emery · · Score: 1

    I've already had Facebook posts where I included a link marked as Spam. One of them was Ben Thompson's excellent Stratechery article on Net Neutrality, to a thread discussing Net Neutrality. Maybe I said something offensive like "This article is worth reading."

    Maybe they have some other content filters active and they're not properly tuned. Or maybe they're doing 'semantic editing' and marking stuff as Spam if it meets some other threshold, including "we at FB don't like this post's content".

    Hanlon's Razor -probably- apples, but I'm not 100% sure of that. Nothing Facebook or Google does surprises me any more. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    1. Re:Do they know what they're doing? by SCVonSteroids · · Score: 1

      Hanlon's Razor -probably- apples, but I'm not 100% sure of that. Nothing Facebook or Google does surprises me any more.

      Certainly apples.

      --
      I tend to rant.
    2. Re:Do they know what they're doing? by epine · · Score: 1

      I've already had Facebook posts where I included a link marked as Spam. One of them was Ben Thompson's excellent Stratechery article on Net Neutrality, to a thread discussing Net Neutrality. Maybe I said something offensive like "This article is worth reading."

      This is the exact definition of one of Taleb's long-tailed distributions: in which having avoiding finding myself in this particular pickle (by never signing up in the first place) gives me such massive glee as to outweigh the entire aggregate cost to my social life pertaining to my being an old stick-in-the-mud refusnik.

      Just what the doctor ordered: yet another way to second guess my best impulses for the rest of my natural born days.

      If Facebook actually gave a shit, there would be a 'challenge' button. Then all your friends would get your post, with a voting form underneath:

      Facebook's algorithm rated this post as spam, which david.emery challenged.

      [_] Facebook's algorithm is full of shit
      [_] david.emery is full of shit

      If you win enough challenges, you become eligible for an auto-challenge:

      Facebook's algorithm rated this post as spam, but what do we know? Every time we rate one of david.emery's posts as spam, he challenges us and we lose, so you've received this post by default.

      [_] Facebook's algorithm is still as full of shit as it always has been
      [_] david.emery is losing his golden touch

      But obviously this is not a form of engagement that Facebook wishes to cultivate.

    3. Re: Do they know what they're doing? by c6gunner · · Score: 1

      Cute idea, but think about it for a second. Having your friends overrule a decision by Facebook? Really? You've just given actual spammers a free pass to do what they like. Half of the spam accounts are already bots; all they have to do is friend each other and they automatically win every challenge.

  7. "new types"? by Chas · · Score: 1

    This has been going on in social media for years!

    They're essentially the bastard butt-babies of chain letters.

    --


    Chas - The one, the only.
    THANK GOD!!!
  8. could you... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    tweet asking for fb-likes? make a fb-post asking for reteweets?

  9. "engagement bait"=="attention whoring" by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 1

    We didn't need a new term created to describe this.
    Also, how about you all 'downvote' Facebook and social media in general? It's nothing but cancer.

  10. Re:YouTube by hackwrench · · Score: 1

    Thomandy asks that people "Ridicule that disgusting like button".

  11. FBshould demote posts that ask you to share... by sconeu · · Score: 3, Funny

    Share this comment if you agree!!!

    --
    General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
    1. Re:FBshould demote posts that ask you to share... by Deep+Esophagus · · Score: 1

      Type AMEN if you agree and support our editors!!!

      Everybody says this article about downvoting clickbait won't get 10K likes. Let's prove them wrong!

      Ten reasons to avoid clickbait. Number 7 will BLOW YOU AWAY.

  12. It's a common problem by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

    I'd estimate about 1/10th of the fake accounts do that right off the bat, and use such shared Likes/Follows to increase their non-bot appearance.

    --
    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
  13. And while we are at it... by dmomo · · Score: 2

    How about these: "Copy and paste this. DO NOT SHARE"

    1. Re:And while we are at it... by Zaelath · · Score: 1

      WTF is that even about? Trying to avoid Facebook's monetization strategy by creating a 'new' post instead of a share they can track and throttle?

      Also; Chrome says demonetization is a word, but suggests monetization is a spelling error. Seems about right.

    2. Re:And while we are at it... by sysrammer · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I expect that a warning "DO NOT SHARE" would actually trigger many of the contrarians on this site.

      --
      His ignorance covered the whole earth like a blanket, and there was hardly a hole in it anywhere. - Mark Twain
    3. Re:And while we are at it... by i286NiNJA · · Score: 1

      I doubt it.

    4. Re:And while we are at it... by mjwx · · Score: 1

      How about these: "Copy and paste this. DO NOT SHARE"

      Defeats the purpose.

      Clickbait and scammers... erm... I mean legitimate marketing companies are using shares and likes these to track their ads and the users who click on them in order to target them with more malware... erm I mean perfectly harmless advertising.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
  14. And by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "If you like what Facedork is doing, say AMEN and click like!"

    AMEN!

    And may the LARD be with you!

    BLESS YOU

  15. oh yea... that makes sense by danlor · · Score: 1

    That must be why the "like" them so much. Users "hate" them. Damn. Even their solution sounds like click bait.

  16. I couldn't agree more by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    and I encourage everyone to like, share or comment on this post if they also agree!

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
  17. Will they really do it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Is it only going to extend to explicit like requests?

    What about "You won't believe what happened next" and "and what happened next broke the internet," etc...

  18. They don't see the irony? by Solandri · · Score: 1

    They don't see the irony in demoting posts which ask for likes, while they simultaneously cover up the page with an unremovable popup asking you to join or login if you try to browse Facebook anonymously in incognito mode?

    1. Re: They don't see the irony? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Facebook says: "All the information belongs to us."

    2. Re:They don't see the irony? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > incognito mode
      > anonymous
      Hoo boy.

  19. Filled niches by grasshoppa · · Score: 1

    Wait, how will Jesus know how much I want those little kids to eat or have Christmas?

    Facebook is obviously a godless heathen!

    --
    Mod me down with all of your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete!
  20. Chain letters by taustin · · Score: 1

    are damaging to the medium in which they are promoted. That's why they're illegal in postal mail.

    Granted, damaging Facebook is like damaging the titanium spork you've stabbed yourself in the testicles with.

    1. Re:Chain letters by i286NiNJA · · Score: 1

      Chain letters are illegal because the postal system is communist and communists hate free speech. This is why the founding fathers promoted UPS and fedex in the advertising section of the constitution.

  21. Where will it end? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So Facebook lusers now need a "safe place" to protect them from "goading"??

  22. ^ Great Post! by n329619 · · Score: 0

    Don't forget to upvote, reply, and share this comment if you agree!!

  23. Social Buttons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How about no social buttons at all? How did the internet get like this anyways?

    Being social means dealing and interacting with fellow (other) humans in real 4D spacetime.

    Do you really think in 10-20 years we will still be tweeting and liking? I will guess that things might change.

    Like it or not:)

    1. Re: Social Buttons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, "being social" means identifying your connections to Facebook. But not just any connections casually scattered about in fun clicks. Meaningful connections that Facebook can monetize.

  24. Maybe it's just me but by nehumanuscrede · · Score: 3, Interesting

    isn't the whole " like " thing the unwritten reason anyone even posts on Facebook ?

    I'm certainly no psychologist, but it seems to me that the only reason anyone ( who isn't trolling ) would post on Facebook at all is for the positive feedback it provides via the " like " mechanism. That's kind of the reason for the " like " button to begin with. It makes folks feel good about themselves. Happy users are loyal users who will keep coming back and spilling every detail about their life for Facebook and the data vacuum it hides.

    Perhaps I speak in error and the " likes " aren't the reward mechanism I think it is.

    We could ask Zuckerberg, but I doubt he would be in a divulgatory mood on the matter.

    1. Re: Maybe it's just me but by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Some people post on Facebook to communicate to friends and family.

    2. Re:Maybe it's just me but by i286NiNJA · · Score: 2

      Most people post on facebook to keep up with family. I used to like arguing with folks there because it made me feel like a regular Einstein but now it just makes me feel dumb because I know there is a good chance they're just shills.

    3. Re:Maybe it's just me but by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      You answered your own question as you asked it. It's "unwritten".

      The thing is Facebook's algorithms promote things that are popular (i.e. liked by many, commented on by many, and shared by many).

      This is nothing more than a battle against spam, not an attack on the fundamental reason people use Facebook.

      If you disagree with this post: Comment
      If you agree with this post: Share!
      ^^^ The kind of shit that it common in Facebook.

    4. Re:Maybe it's just me but by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This++

      I use it to talk to family that I have no other interaction with, former co-workers, share articles, etc.

    5. Re:Maybe it's just me but by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Exactly. Facebook is ok with an ad blocker and everything set to private. The only problem is it seems several times a year they "add" a new feature that basically just gets around your privacy settings.

      Same thing with reddit, twitter, and slashdot. It's now just full of bots and paid posters. If they had a better way of setting up private groups it would be much more useful.

    6. Re: Maybe it's just me but by Mike+Van+Pelt · · Score: 1

      Some people post on Facebook to communicate to friends and family.

      That's the only reason I'm on Facebook. I hate Facebook with a white-hot hatred, but it's the best way to keep in contact with a lot of people I want to keep in contact with, and has enabled me to get back in contact with some old friends I'd lost contact with.

      I still hate Facebook.

      I just want filters. FILTERS, dang it! I want to absolutely block any posting that matches patterns that I select. When I block a source of garbage, I want any mention of it BLOCKED, no matter how deeply nested in shares of shares of shares it is. I want everything political, everything about any sort of sports whatsoever, every "Share this! Like this! Or you hate everything that is good and decent!!" thing. And anything else that might annoy me.

  25. App Rating by dohzer · · Score: 1

    Is it just me, or do some apps ask you how you like their software, and then only forward you to the App Store for an "official" vote if you select a high rating?

  26. Knee-jerk reaction.. by Vegan+Cyclist · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "My kid/pet/grandparent is missing, please share" [algorithm downvotes]

    "Please share this link to find your local voting station" [algorithm downvotes]

    "Evacuation order in place, please share and get out" [algorithm downvotes]

    Etc..

    Here's a better idea: an option to reduce content from people you downvote yourself, so you can more easily ignore those who do spam a million things a day, and not miss anything that's important and should be shared.

    1. Re:Knee-jerk reaction.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Here's a better idea: an option to reduce content from people you downvote yourself, so you can more easily ignore those who do spam a million things a day, and not miss anything that's important and should be shared.

      First off, credit where it's due: Congratulations on typing four consecutive sentences without mentioning being vegan OR your bike riding. That must have been really tough.

      To your point: we have amber alerts for when children go missing. We have alert systems in place for evacuations, floods, severe storms, etc. Facebook is NOT intended for this, so maybe drop the appeal to emotion and get back to telling everyone about the amazing all kale ice cream you found on yesterday's bike ride was.

    2. Re:Knee-jerk reaction.. by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      If you think it's knee-jerk then you clearly don't use Facebook much. This spam is incredibly irritating.

      While you're at it:
      "My kid/pet/grandparent is missing, please share" [algorithm downvotes] - has never solved an issue ever.

      "Please share this link to find your local voting station" [algorithm downvotes] - if you can't find you local voting station without a friend sharing you a link then you are probably too dumb to vote anyway.

      "Evacuation order in place, please share and get out" [algorithm downvotes] - no one issues evacuation orders on Facebook via "please share" posts. If you feel like getting these kinds of alerts then join the page of your local emergency services. That also provides far more authority to any messages you get.

    3. Re:Knee-jerk reaction.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You can. Facebook already has filters built in. You just haven't used them. The easiest is just to group all your friends into one giant group, and then just slowly remove spammers from that group. Then the ones who are really bad you can stay friends, but just unfollow them.

    4. Re:Knee-jerk reaction.. by Vegan+Cyclist · · Score: 1

      FWIW a local lost puppy was found a couple weeks ago in part due to help searching from shared FB posts. So you're flat-out wrong there. I've seen other instances where news stations put out the word and people share posts for lost seniors and kids. It has been legitimately helpful.

      Given the low voter rates in countries like the US, maybe they do need help. Not sure if your attitude is helping.

      Maybe people aren't aware of their local emergency services - so shared posts help raise awareness of their existence. If there are Facebook pages for local emergency services, what's the point if it has 3 followers, and no one else is aware because people like you say not to share their info?

      BTW, love your solutions-oriented approach to things. The world is truly a better place with your contributions, thanks for being such a winner!

    5. Re:Knee-jerk reaction.. by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      BTW, love your solutions-oriented approach to things. The world is truly a better place with your contributions, thanks for being such a winner!

      Yep blocking horrendous garbage spam from a news feed at the expense of a lost puppy really has made the world a truly better place. I'm glad you're on board.

    6. Re:Knee-jerk reaction.. by Mike+Van+Pelt · · Score: 1

      FWIW a local lost puppy was found a couple weeks ago in part due to help searching from shared FB posts.

      This happens from time to time, but I think a different service like nextdoor.com is a better venue for that sort of thing. One of my friends posts a lot of lost/found puppy/kitten alerts -- but she lives 3000 miles away from me. I want to see her family/friends posts, but lost puppies on the opposite coast? Not so much.

    7. Re:Knee-jerk reaction.. by Vegan+Cyclist · · Score: 1

      Okay, then maybe a 'nearby only' option for filtering? And yes, just about anything is better than FB, but the fact of the matter is that it's still the main go-to for many, and I still think this response from FB is wrong-headed. (And I'm not really a user, haven't checked my own 'timeline' in months, and haven't checked it regularly for half a decade now after they started changing the order away from chronological and making other 'selections' for me.)

    8. Re:Knee-jerk reaction.. by fish_sauce · · Score: 1

      What do you mean by down vote?

      I dont use facebook and even I know theres no down-vote button. Mostly because its negative and negativity cause people to visit such sites less often (psychology).which means less money for douche-face... I mean Mark Zuckerberg.

    9. Re:Knee-jerk reaction.. by Vegan+Cyclist · · Score: 1

      According to the article Facebook will essentially downvote any post requesting 'shares'. It's not a literal downvote, but those posts will be effectively muted to some degree.

  27. Go to hell by i286NiNJA · · Score: 1

    You're going to hell for not giving jesus the amens that he needs for our troops.

  28. Yes, this is public enemy number 1 by doom · · Score: 1

    Yes, this is clearly the number one demon facing the internet, once facebook has protected us from this scourge we will all be able to rest easy again. Thank you for saving the internet facebook.

    1. Re:Yes, this is public enemy number 1 by totallyarb · · Score: 1

      Yes, this is clearly the number one demon facing the internet, once facebook has protected us from this scourge we will all be able to rest easy again. Thank you for saving the internet facebook.

      Yes, god forbid that people make improvements to non-critical things, eh? Puts me in mind of this comic.

      --
      -- Note to Mods: There is a good reason there's no "-1 Disagree" option. --
  29. Greed by CaffeinatedTech · · Score: 0

    That's because they sell a service to promote a post. They are cutting out one method to circumvent it.

  30. Well I..... by MerlTurkin · · Score: 1

    Don't care! F**K facebook.

  31. Suddenly dilemma: by Quakeulf · · Score: 1

    I am going to kill myself. Please like and share.

  32. New? Since when? by Not-a-Neg · · Score: 1

    Those type of scummy posts have been around since Facebook first launched. They never did anything about them since stupid people (women mostly) would constantly click and reply to them resulting in some "engagement" with Facebook that kept their eyeballs on ads.

    --
    -==- Buy a Mac and leave me alone!
  33. True, but.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I vote that we demote Facebook as a social media platform. lol

    I mean they want to crack down on shit, how about crack down on things in my newsfeed that I never asked to be there, nor want there (ads)..

    Read: Yah we want to cut down on clickbait and spam ... unless.. of course.. huh huh ya pay us ..

  34. here are Zuck's personal thoughts on the matter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    here are Zuck's personal thoughts on the matter