facebook is down - Page 2

Wadcutter · #16 10-04-2021, 01:59 PM

I have to agree with the folks on the side of STAY DOWN. I use FB occasionally, but I would say that overall FB has been a negative effect on humanity and we would all be much better off without it, and Twitter as well.

Nymuso · #17 10-04-2021, 02:13 PM

Aside from the fact that we use it as part of our marketing for our acoustic group, I really don’t care.

Wadcutter · #18 10-04-2021, 02:15 PM

What did that whistleblower say about FB or Zuckerberg or whatever? (If you can say within Forum guidelines).

619TF · #19 10-04-2021, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wadcutter

What did that whistleblower say about FB or Zuckerberg or whatever? (If you can say within Forum guidelines).

Not hard to find out...https://variety.com/2021/digital/new...es-1235080177/

jklotz · #20 10-04-2021, 02:31 PM

I just use it to promote my gigs and music. For that reason, I don't want it to go away. Otherwise, I think it's a good thing - give the people a break from the politics and negitivity.

619TF · #21 10-04-2021, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jklotz

I just use it to promote my gigs and music. For that reason, I don't want it to go away. Otherwise, I think it's a good thing - give the people a break from the politics and negitivity.

There's just multiple other ways to do that without feeding the beast. Similarly people say they "need FB to stay in touch" yet people did that just fine for hundreds of years before the Social Media menace raised its' ugly head.

Tnfiddler · #22 10-04-2021, 02:38 PM

I hope it’s hacked so bad, they’ll never get it back up. Hate book is what I call it.

TRose · #23 10-04-2021, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wadcutter

What did that whistleblower say about FB or Zuckerberg or whatever? (If you can say within Forum guidelines).

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/faceboo...es-2021-10-03/

Kerbie · #24 10-04-2021, 02:47 PM

I haven't missed it a bit.

rule18 · #25 10-04-2021, 02:54 PM

I have stayed away from it from it's inception to this day, but my wife is on it and is constantly aggravated by all the idiocy posted up by people that she thought were intelligent folks. The amount of misinformation that FB allows in unforgivable, I hope it stays down forever.

I stay in touch with the people I want to, and the rest don't randomly call me to ask me to be friends. LOL!!!!!!

philjs · #26 10-04-2021, 02:55 PM

One of my former students in TX dragged me onto FB when we moved back to Canada in '07. I lasted longer that I thought I would but dropped off between '13 and '18. I only revived my account when my first CD came out. Tried to keep it to a minimum, just connecting to other guitarists and a few family members but I quickly remembered why I'd dropped it in the first place!

I only lasted about 18 months before I quit again...but this time I deleted the account. Won't go back and like others here, I hope it stays offline.

Phil

RedJoker · #27 10-04-2021, 03:03 PM

I'm not a huge Facebook user but I do use it for groups. Sure, I survived without it before but I'm now going to various jams and open mics that I wouldn't have known about without Facebook. I do think it could be improved though.

Having said that, I found out it was down from an article in Ars Technica, not from trying to go to Facebook.

tinnitus · #28 10-04-2021, 03:06 PM

FB is sorta like zillionaire athletes on TV and Kardashians. If no one told me they were all gone, I'd never know it.

Wadcutter · #29 10-04-2021, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TRose

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/faceboo...es-2021-10-03/

Thanks TRose, I just watched the link. Best we tread lightly on this topic as forum guidelines could be quickly violated. One thing the person being interviewed said that stick in my mind was “FB essentially amplifies the worst in human nature.” I’d say I’d have to agree with that and most social media in general.

seannx · #30 10-04-2021, 03:16 PM

The WSJ has a very informative series of articles, including one about the whistleblower's experience as a Facebook employee.

Basically Facebook's business model depends on user generated content and engagement. In the US, membership has pretty much reached its limit, and isn't growing. That makes increasing user engagement essential to maintaining and generating more revenue from advertisers, monetizing user data, etc.

Their AI showed that engagement was highest with inflammatory, negative, and controversial posts and responses that generated the strongest emotional responses. Subsequently algorithms were changed to generate more engagement, with values placed on user reactions and responses. For example a positive like was worth one point, an angry emoji five, negative and contentious responses, shares, and reposts were valued much higher. The prioritizing and promotion of that content, was then noticed and tracked by political advertisers and and companies like Buzz Feed, that in turn modified their content to be more extreme, sensational, and divisive to stay visible on Facebook.

This was known internally, and teams and groups dedicated to minimize hatred, division, misinformation, etc. were marginalized or even disbanded, as reported by the whistleblower and supported by internal FB documents.

Even more disturbing, is that over 90% of FB users are international, in developed as well as developing countries. Use of FB has been implicated in human trafficking, and other unsafe practices. This is where Facebook has the greatest potential to add more users, with even less supervision, transparency, or accountability.

Regarding IG, one issue was internal research showing adolescent and teenage girls suffering from increased emotional distress from body dysmorphia.

Sadly, it's hard to conceive of how FB's business model can have a different outcome, as revenue and profit are dependent on user engagement. This isn't political, religious, has nothing to do with climate, or other banned topics. It's also not a surprise to anyone who currently is or has been a FB member. Unlike FB, this forum's rules and procedures (like "Be Nice", etc.) make it a safe and positive place.

At present our business depends heavily on IG for messaging, virtual sales appointments, and customer communications. It's been incredibly useful, and the communications are very positive and respectful. But as it's owned by FB, plus some of the negative effects previously mentioned, we are concerned about the future. If the negative effects of IG continue, we plan to shift client communications and virtual appointments to alternative platforms like Zoom and Signal.