3 ms·

I just lol at anyone who thinks Facebook is going to do a good job. They pushed so much ragebait in 2016-2021 on facebook. They continue to push so much coomb

I just lol at anyone who thinks Facebook is going to do a good job. They pushed so much ragebait in 2016-2021 on facebook. They continue to push so much coombait on IG. Like, they know how to manipulate us, they have the data. Wonder what they are going to use to bait people into compulsively checking this new app.

scubbo 3y ago
I don't think I've encountered anyone who thinks Facebook is going to do "a job that is good for customers". I do believe they're going to a pretty _effective_ job of serving their own interests.
capableweb 3y ago
While trying to figure what "coombait" means, I found another comment of yours, which is essentially the same as this one, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36637971 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36637971 That doesn't seem very "novel" :) Which, also contained the answer to what "coombait" is: > What is 'coombait'? > Porn adjacent material. Technically SFW usually but not the kind of thing you want your coworkers seeing you look at.
- hospitalJail 3y ago
  Thanks for creeping me out a bit. Means I need to take a break from HN.
- xeromal 3y ago
  Yeah, it almost reads derogatory. Thanks for looking it up. Strange word
beepbooptheory 3y ago
Can someone explain what this coombait is? Is it like an anti-porn moral issue? It seems to be more of like a TVTropes-type term when I try to look it up, confused by how people use it on this website.
- TremendousJudge 3y ago
  I guess he is referring to all the softcore porn that shows up on the ig search tab, even if you don't interact with it.
- slily 3y ago
  Erotic content posted on social media or inserted in suggested content feeds to attract/retain attention, from what I can tell. I try not to use endless-scrolling social media too much, so I don't know to what degree it is an issue as the OP suggests, but it's not hard to see how it would foster pornography addiction.
- mrguyorama 3y ago
  Content that intends to excite you sexually on a platform that is not generally considered a place you go to for sexual excitement. There's a lot of softcore porn on these sites that are arguably pushed at children who might not even seek it out. Does a mom know that she has to block twitch and instagram when she blocks pornhub?
  - Barrin92 3y ago
    > Does a mom know that she has to block twitch and instagram when she blocks pornhub? Yes? It's the task of parents to monitor what their children do on the internet and how they use social media, not Instagram's. What is it with this new generation of morally enraged prudes coming after every platform because they outsourced parenting to an ipad? Also I'm fairly certain looking at hot people is why 90% of users are on instagram. It's like when tumblr banned porn, probably worst mistake ever made in internet moderation history
    - beepbooptheory 3y ago
      > looking at hot people is why 90% of users are on instagram. Hehe, this is also why I was confused! And yeah, knowing more context now, I agree re parenting. Just feels like common sense that one needs to treat all social media as at least as bad/unsuitable as a British tabloid.
pityJuke 3y ago
> They continue to push so much coombait on IG. Personal experience, is that this is extremely user dependent (it is a fair argument that 0 is the correct number of these accounts to ever see). Much like TikTok [1], Instagram zones in on your preferences, and from my experience, does so with the same mechanism - time spent watching any piece of content. The best demonstrator for this was a meme I can't find anymore, where some teens held a race to see who saw "coombait" first. Some conked within 10 seconds, some took a full minute (of relentless scrolling, that is) to find it. [1]: https://www.wsj.com/video/series/inside-tiktoks-highly-secretive-algorithm/investigation-how-tiktok-algorithm-figures-out-your-deepest-desires/6C0C2040-FF25-4827-8528-2BD6612E3796 https://www.wsj.com/video/series/inside-tiktoks-highly-secre...
- hospitalJail 3y ago
  For sure, my wife only has plants on hers. However there is def some dark patterns of recommendations, I'm not alone in this complaint.
- mrguyorama 3y ago
  But your feed has to start somewhere, and those defaults are opinionated. The defaults, both tiktok and insta, seem to decide men want to see titties, and they are right enough often enough. Sure, some men might be able to escape those defaults, if they religiously ignore any content they don't like and don't accidentally click on anything or are perfect in their use, but most people aren't.
  - pityJuke 3y ago
    That's absolutely fair. Would love to see someone try to empirically prove what these defaults are, but I imagine this is hard. If this already exists, someone please link it!
    - mrguyorama 3y ago
      One massive problem with any research in that area is that the underlying models and defaults probably change daily.

scubbo 3y ago

I don't think I've encountered anyone who thinks Facebook is going to do "a job that is good for customers". I do believe they're going to a pretty _effective_ job of serving their own interests.

capableweb 3y ago

While trying to figure what "coombait" means, I found another comment of yours, which is essentially the same as this one, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36637971 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36637971 That doesn't seem very "novel" :) Which, also contained the answer to what "coombait" is: > What is 'coombait'? > Porn adjacent material. Technically SFW usually but not the kind of thing you want your coworkers seeing you look at.

hospitalJail 3y ago
Thanks for creeping me out a bit. Means I need to take a break from HN.
xeromal 3y ago
Yeah, it almost reads derogatory. Thanks for looking it up. Strange word

beepbooptheory 3y ago

Can someone explain what this coombait is? Is it like an anti-porn moral issue? It seems to be more of like a TVTropes-type term when I try to look it up, confused by how people use it on this website.

TremendousJudge 3y ago
I guess he is referring to all the softcore porn that shows up on the ig search tab, even if you don't interact with it.
slily 3y ago
Erotic content posted on social media or inserted in suggested content feeds to attract/retain attention, from what I can tell. I try not to use endless-scrolling social media too much, so I don't know to what degree it is an issue as the OP suggests, but it's not hard to see how it would foster pornography addiction.
mrguyorama 3y ago
Content that intends to excite you sexually on a platform that is not generally considered a place you go to for sexual excitement. There's a lot of softcore porn on these sites that are arguably pushed at children who might not even seek it out. Does a mom know that she has to block twitch and instagram when she blocks pornhub?
- Barrin92 3y ago
  > Does a mom know that she has to block twitch and instagram when she blocks pornhub? Yes? It's the task of parents to monitor what their children do on the internet and how they use social media, not Instagram's. What is it with this new generation of morally enraged prudes coming after every platform because they outsourced parenting to an ipad? Also I'm fairly certain looking at hot people is why 90% of users are on instagram. It's like when tumblr banned porn, probably worst mistake ever made in internet moderation history
  - beepbooptheory 3y ago
    > looking at hot people is why 90% of users are on instagram. Hehe, this is also why I was confused! And yeah, knowing more context now, I agree re parenting. Just feels like common sense that one needs to treat all social media as at least as bad/unsuitable as a British tabloid.

pityJuke 3y ago

> They continue to push so much coombait on IG. Personal experience, is that this is extremely user dependent (it is a fair argument that 0 is the correct number of these accounts to ever see). Much like TikTok [1], Instagram zones in on your preferences, and from my experience, does so with the same mechanism - time spent watching any piece of content. The best demonstrator for this was a meme I can't find anymore, where some teens held a race to see who saw "coombait" first. Some conked within 10 seconds, some took a full minute (of relentless scrolling, that is) to find it. [1]: https://www.wsj.com/video/series/inside-tiktoks-highly-secretive-algorithm/investigation-how-tiktok-algorithm-figures-out-your-deepest-desires/6C0C2040-FF25-4827-8528-2BD6612E3796 https://www.wsj.com/video/series/inside-tiktoks-highly-secre...

hospitalJail 3y ago
For sure, my wife only has plants on hers. However there is def some dark patterns of recommendations, I'm not alone in this complaint.
mrguyorama 3y ago
But your feed has to start somewhere, and those defaults are opinionated. The defaults, both tiktok and insta, seem to decide men want to see titties, and they are right enough often enough. Sure, some men might be able to escape those defaults, if they religiously ignore any content they don't like and don't accidentally click on anything or are perfect in their use, but most people aren't.
- pityJuke 3y ago
  That's absolutely fair. Would love to see someone try to empirically prove what these defaults are, but I imagine this is hard. If this already exists, someone please link it!
  - mrguyorama 3y ago
    One massive problem with any research in that area is that the underlying models and defaults probably change daily.