5 ms·

This is just getting more stupid everday. Facebook is no and never was a news platform. It is a crappy social network and only reflects your inner friend circle

by herbst 10y ago

This is just getting more stupid everday. Facebook is no and never was a news platform. It is a crappy social network and only reflects your inner friend circle. Why anyone and especially facebook should care about fake news is beyond me.

Pigo 10y ago
I think people who are so concerned about Facebook policies and practices are way too invested in it, and should focus on spending less time on it. It's just a platform for showing grandma pictures of the kids, providing ex's a means to stalk you, and check out the latest virtue signaling. Anyone using it as a primary news source is doing everything else wrong too. I don't expect Facebook to start restructuring just because people are still looking for a scapegoat.
- herbst 10y ago
  Exactly. Lets assume the onion is suddenly the main news source for a majority even thought they are open about beeing fake. Where is the problem? If people choose to live in their bubble its their choice.
  - pg314 10y ago
    It becomes a problem if these people following the onion would affect the outcome of an election. Even a democratically elected leader can be a problem (e.g. Mussolini was democratically elected). To function a democracy requires citizens to be well-informed and critical.
    - deleted 10y ago
      [deleted]
    - herbst 10y ago
      Half of the U.S. didnt even vote, the majority did not vote for Trump ether. Hitler was democratically elected too btw (at least in austria), but that means nothing because people actually wanted him. I dont see how facebook is to blame here, there are obviously other things going wrong.
- bonaldi 10y ago
  The set of citizens concerned by this stuff is not the same set as those taken in by fake news on Facebook. So the concerned types spending less time on Facebook won't solve anything. And I think the Arab Spring shows your dismissive characterisation of Facebook is way, way off the mark. You're right that people using it as a primary news source are doing everything else wrong too. They apparently are, including voting for ill-suited demagogues and regressive causes. That is the problem to be addressed.
edblarney 10y ago
This is valid. Facebook might have a 'moral responsibility' on a civic level, to address issues within it's community, but ultimately, if people are choosing what they are going to read, well then so bit it. Suppose someone invented an 'open ranking' system whereby news and content from various sties was socially ranked, but wherein there was no 'central platform' ... we would see the same thing but have nobody to blame. If e-mail had bee designed just a little bit differently - and it was more identity/socially oriented, more conducive to 'sharing' ... then again, we'd have nobody to blame but that form of 'email' - not an organization.
- herbst 10y ago
  Exactly. If you are in a specific subreddit for example it is also biased. Even the "all" page is biased because reddit is reddit, but no one complains. I assume also because people on reddit realize reddit is just a tool and not build their lives a round it which seems to be the case with a lot of facebook users.
  - edblarney 10y ago
    "I assume also because people on reddit realize reddit is just a tool and not build their lives a round" Maybe they don't live their lives around it, but they are very influenced by it, and don't realize it. I'm fully aware the 'Daily Show' is comedy and not real, but I found myself watching it almost exclusively as news for years ... and didn't realize how far down the rabbit hole I was.
    - herbst 10y ago
      I sure see your issue. But wouldnt you laugh as well if people would suggest to blame Daily Show for missinformation because they stretch the truth? My point is the people are the issue and not the platform. The american election is a good example. Only about 50% went voting, they could have easily voted for a third party for example. From them who went voting the majority did not vote for trump ether. And still people try to find the issue with facebook other than themself and their government.
wu-ikkyu 10y ago
>Why anyone and especially facebook should care about fake news is beyond me. I may be wrong but didnt the outcry against fake news and Facebook come as a result of the US presidential election? Many people are looking for someone or something to blame for the unexpected results.
- Pigo 10y ago
  Everyone is dressing it up as being about something else, but this is the central point. None of this would be an issue if Clinton had been elected. The left wants some self-flagellation now by those they thought were in their pocket. If things had gone the other way, everyone complaining would be making Trump meme's right now to post in their favorite walled wonderland. Next we'll be hearing about how the expansion of Presidential powers is actually an issue now that it isn't their guy doing the expanding.
  - herbst 10y ago
    ^ this. If you learn history in Austria today you learn how the bad nazis forced them into voting for yes. If you learn it everywhere else you realize they just liked the idea of work and a "german race". IMO they are just trying to rationalize how this could happen and chance history by blaming facebook.
gdulli 10y ago
Well here's why someone should care about fake news: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2016/12/04/d-c-police-respond-to-report-of-a-man-with-a-gun-at-comet-ping-pong-restaurant/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2016/12/04/d-c-... I won't answer whether that entity should be Facebook. But when people start getting shot at and transparently disreputable demagogues start getting elected I would say the conversation at least has to begin.
- herbst 10y ago
  So lets censor everything that some entity thinks is false on the whole internet? This shit grew on reddit and 4chan, 2 of the last places i want to see government censorship. Also nobody was shot, the other article i read in the morning clearly mentioned that he only shot upwards and was not trying to actually hurt anyone. Seriously if people are stupid enough to do such shit there are different issues to be solved. If people are scared of people wearing and using weapons then they should no be so easily available for example. The only solution against stuff like this without fixing our society would be complete censorship & government control. I hope this is not really what you suggest.
  - gdulli 10y ago
    No one has mentioned the government here except you. Without giving in to totalitarianism, there's plenty of room for Reddit or Facebook to make some effort towards doing the right thing out of a sense of responsibility and decency. They're not obligated to let human garbage use their service as a platform. It's in a site's best interest anyway. Imagine if normal adults weren't so embarrassed to admit using Reddit.
    - herbst 10y ago
      They did. Not sure if you followed the pizzagate laughfest. But they actually did, but they had a really hard time to net make it censoring. All they could really do was banning people that abused the rules, what they did (even 4chan did that mind you). But why would Reddit be allowed to decide which conspiracy theorie can be discussed? Seriously, i dont want to live in a world where the few semi open platforms we still have decide what we are allowed to talk about and what not when no laws are broken anyway.
fullshark 10y ago
Facebook is currently a news platform and has been for a few years now. http://www.journalism.org/2015/07/14/the-evolving-role-of-news-on-twitter-and-facebook/ http://www.journalism.org/2015/07/14/the-evolving-role-of-ne...
- herbst 10y ago
  People use it like that, doesnt make it to one IMO. Something that is filtered by what your friends think about stuff is not what i call news. Its just opinion circlejerk around prefiltered news.

by herbst 10y ago

Pigo 10y ago

I think people who are so concerned about Facebook policies and practices are way too invested in it, and should focus on spending less time on it. It's just a platform for showing grandma pictures of the kids, providing ex's a means to stalk you, and check out the latest virtue signaling. Anyone using it as a primary news source is doing everything else wrong too. I don't expect Facebook to start restructuring just because people are still looking for a scapegoat.

herbst 10y ago
Exactly. Lets assume the onion is suddenly the main news source for a majority even thought they are open about beeing fake. Where is the problem? If people choose to live in their bubble its their choice.
- pg314 10y ago
  It becomes a problem if these people following the onion would affect the outcome of an election. Even a democratically elected leader can be a problem (e.g. Mussolini was democratically elected). To function a democracy requires citizens to be well-informed and critical.
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
  - herbst 10y ago
    Half of the U.S. didnt even vote, the majority did not vote for Trump ether. Hitler was democratically elected too btw (at least in austria), but that means nothing because people actually wanted him. I dont see how facebook is to blame here, there are obviously other things going wrong.
bonaldi 10y ago
The set of citizens concerned by this stuff is not the same set as those taken in by fake news on Facebook. So the concerned types spending less time on Facebook won't solve anything. And I think the Arab Spring shows your dismissive characterisation of Facebook is way, way off the mark. You're right that people using it as a primary news source are doing everything else wrong too. They apparently are, including voting for ill-suited demagogues and regressive causes. That is the problem to be addressed.

edblarney 10y ago

This is valid. Facebook might have a 'moral responsibility' on a civic level, to address issues within it's community, but ultimately, if people are choosing what they are going to read, well then so bit it. Suppose someone invented an 'open ranking' system whereby news and content from various sties was socially ranked, but wherein there was no 'central platform' ... we would see the same thing but have nobody to blame. If e-mail had bee designed just a little bit differently - and it was more identity/socially oriented, more conducive to 'sharing' ... then again, we'd have nobody to blame but that form of 'email' - not an organization.

herbst 10y ago
Exactly. If you are in a specific subreddit for example it is also biased. Even the "all" page is biased because reddit is reddit, but no one complains. I assume also because people on reddit realize reddit is just a tool and not build their lives a round it which seems to be the case with a lot of facebook users.
- edblarney 10y ago
  "I assume also because people on reddit realize reddit is just a tool and not build their lives a round" Maybe they don't live their lives around it, but they are very influenced by it, and don't realize it. I'm fully aware the 'Daily Show' is comedy and not real, but I found myself watching it almost exclusively as news for years ... and didn't realize how far down the rabbit hole I was.
  - herbst 10y ago
    I sure see your issue. But wouldnt you laugh as well if people would suggest to blame Daily Show for missinformation because they stretch the truth? My point is the people are the issue and not the platform. The american election is a good example. Only about 50% went voting, they could have easily voted for a third party for example. From them who went voting the majority did not vote for trump ether. And still people try to find the issue with facebook other than themself and their government.

wu-ikkyu 10y ago

>Why anyone and especially facebook should care about fake news is beyond me. I may be wrong but didnt the outcry against fake news and Facebook come as a result of the US presidential election? Many people are looking for someone or something to blame for the unexpected results.

Pigo 10y ago
Everyone is dressing it up as being about something else, but this is the central point. None of this would be an issue if Clinton had been elected. The left wants some self-flagellation now by those they thought were in their pocket. If things had gone the other way, everyone complaining would be making Trump meme's right now to post in their favorite walled wonderland. Next we'll be hearing about how the expansion of Presidential powers is actually an issue now that it isn't their guy doing the expanding.
- herbst 10y ago
  ^ this. If you learn history in Austria today you learn how the bad nazis forced them into voting for yes. If you learn it everywhere else you realize they just liked the idea of work and a "german race". IMO they are just trying to rationalize how this could happen and chance history by blaming facebook.

gdulli 10y ago

Well here's why someone should care about fake news: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2016/12/04/d-c-police-respond-to-report-of-a-man-with-a-gun-at-comet-ping-pong-restaurant/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2016/12/04/d-c-... I won't answer whether that entity should be Facebook. But when people start getting shot at and transparently disreputable demagogues start getting elected I would say the conversation at least has to begin.

herbst 10y ago
So lets censor everything that some entity thinks is false on the whole internet? This shit grew on reddit and 4chan, 2 of the last places i want to see government censorship. Also nobody was shot, the other article i read in the morning clearly mentioned that he only shot upwards and was not trying to actually hurt anyone. Seriously if people are stupid enough to do such shit there are different issues to be solved. If people are scared of people wearing and using weapons then they should no be so easily available for example. The only solution against stuff like this without fixing our society would be complete censorship & government control. I hope this is not really what you suggest.
- gdulli 10y ago
  No one has mentioned the government here except you. Without giving in to totalitarianism, there's plenty of room for Reddit or Facebook to make some effort towards doing the right thing out of a sense of responsibility and decency. They're not obligated to let human garbage use their service as a platform. It's in a site's best interest anyway. Imagine if normal adults weren't so embarrassed to admit using Reddit.
  - herbst 10y ago
    They did. Not sure if you followed the pizzagate laughfest. But they actually did, but they had a really hard time to net make it censoring. All they could really do was banning people that abused the rules, what they did (even 4chan did that mind you). But why would Reddit be allowed to decide which conspiracy theorie can be discussed? Seriously, i dont want to live in a world where the few semi open platforms we still have decide what we are allowed to talk about and what not when no laws are broken anyway.

fullshark 10y ago

Facebook is currently a news platform and has been for a few years now. http://www.journalism.org/2015/07/14/the-evolving-role-of-news-on-twitter-and-facebook/ http://www.journalism.org/2015/07/14/the-evolving-role-of-ne...

herbst 10y ago
People use it like that, doesnt make it to one IMO. Something that is filtered by what your friends think about stuff is not what i call news. Its just opinion circlejerk around prefiltered news.