MetaChat - Curious facebookery.

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07 April 2011

Curious facebookery. One of my contacts, a contributor to this site, posted this article and its corresponding Metafilter thread to her Facebook page. Of course, it showed up on my News Feed.→[More:]

I went and checked it out, and when I returned to my FB page, it was gone. I haven't noticed posts disappearing from my list after I followed links in the past. So what's going on?

I mean, I love a conspiracy theory, but I'm ready to believe it's just how it works, that FB routinely makes links I've followed disappear from my News Feed. I don't think it's cool, but I understand -- most of the purposes of FB are aimed at other people, so it makes sense that it suit their needs and not mine -- however, if there's some algorithm (or *cackles with paranoia* person) deciding to wipe certain politics from my News Feed and leave me with the usual frivol, they have me pegged wrong.

I fully realize that the benign explanation is much more likely, but I'll believe anything of Facebook and our corporate masters.

post by: Hugh Janus at: 10:50 | 19 comments

Could it be that your contact decided to remove the link to the article and MetaFilter?

posted by deborah 07 April | 11:27

I'd tell you what happened, but then I'd have to kill you.

posted by JanetLand 07 April | 11:39

I've seen it happen. And I've done it. Sometimes I remove a post after I post it, which means it disappears from people's feeds. Usually what I'm trying to do is edit some mistake I made in the caption. Sometimes, though, I'm just thinking better about it - you know, why give my insane conservative relatives another apoplexy.

But I've also noticed that FaceBook has these weird hiccups from time to time. Usually I just give the site a rest and go back and check later.

posted by Miko 07 April | 11:45

Could it be that your contact decided to remove the link to the article and MetaFilter?

I thought of this earlier, and checked it out, and it was still there on her page. I'm pretty convinced it's just the way Facebook works and that I'd know this if I used the site more, but it struck me as strange that the only time I've seen this occur was with an article about my country's civil and human rights abuses.

posted by Hugh Janus 07 April | 11:52

I still see what I'm guessing is the same post from the same contributer in my News Feed. But Facebook is weird, and the News Feed being wonky is often the first sign that new changes are coming or old changes are busted.

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 07 April | 12:58

I'm just bummed Hugh hasn't friended me. *sniff*

posted by terrapin 07 April | 13:01

Wiki page on Facebook hasn't been updated since 2009.

posted by terrapin 07 April | 13:03

Hugh, leaving that link in your feed didn't increase their ability to sell your personal information to advertisers, so they took it down.

posted by apoch 07 April | 13:03

The phrase curious facebookery reminded me of the song "Silent Lucidity" by Queensryche.

Earworm. You're welcome.

posted by rainbaby 07 April | 13:24

Now I'll have Pink Floyd running through my head for the rest of the day; thanks a lot.

posted by Hugh Janus 07 April | 14:37

In the upper right hand corner, is Top News or Most Recent bold? If it's top news, I'd say that Facebook just decided that the story wasn't that important to you anymore and no longer included it in the feed. If Most Recent is bold, I vote conspiracy theory.

posted by youngergirl44 07 April | 14:54

You're my hero, youngergirl44! I changed to Most Recent, and it reappeared. I'm glad to know it was just an attempt to replace my brain, not to control it. Thanks!

posted by Hugh Janus 07 April | 14:59

Unless of course youngergirl44 is in on the plot . . . .

posted by JanetLand 07 April | 15:03

WOOO! I helped!

posted by youngergirl44 07 April | 15:05

I'm smiling next to you...

posted by Atom Eyes 07 April | 15:18

I have nothing to say except that you're talking about me!

posted by gaspode 07 April | 15:33

"Silent Lucidity" by Queensryche.

Ha. Never heard it. . .how can it be an earworm?

Good try, sister!

posted by danf 07 April | 15:41

Because, danf, you are going to go home and find it on youtube tonight because you are curious, and that'll be all she wrote.

posted by rainbaby 07 April | 15:46

...and then "Comfortably Numb" will ring around your brain for a week.

Hi gaspode! Thanks for the link, helluva read, damn shame it is.

posted by Hugh Janus 07 April | 15:48

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