Facebook explains why it briefly toyed with users’ emotions

Ever since word got out that Facebook had briefly manipulated some users’ News Feeds to see how their feelings changed, a number of questions have popped up: just why did the company feel compelled to experiment in the first place? How noticeable was it? And was it worth the effort? As of today, we have some answers to those riddles. Study co-author Adam Kramer explains that Facebook was worried people would stop visiting the social network if they saw too many emotional updates — a lot of negative posts could scare some people off, while a surge of positive vibes would leave others feeling left out. That’s not what happened, however, and Kramer stresses that the company “never [meant] to upset anyone.”

He also suggests that Facebook won’t repeat history any time soon. The results of the circa-2012 field test may not have justified the “anxiety” that followed two years later, he says. Also, Facebook has been refining its “internal review practices” ever since, and it’s taking the public’s current response into account. Kramer doesn’t say whether or not similar experiments will take place again, but it’s clear that the company will be treading more carefully if it does. As it stands, there was only just enough of a change to suggest that the altered News Feeds had an effect.

While those are reassuring tidbits, they aren’t going to satisfy everyone. There are calls for Facebook to meet scientific ethics standards when conducting research like this; critics argue that it should at least tell users they were part of an experiment, and ideally offer a chance to opt out ahead of time. Facebook assumed that it had permission because of a basic “research” clause in its Data Use Policy, but that’s supposed to be used for product improvement, not academic papers. While the project did little if any harm, there’s a worry that this lack of explicit consent could cause some real psychological damage should future tests get any more aggressive.

[Image credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu]

Filed under: Science, Internet, Facebook

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Source: Adam Kramer (Facebook)

Facebook experiment proves that social networks can alter your mood

Before you begin stalking a frenemy’s tragic life on Facebook to feel a sense of schadenfraude, know this: that depression could rub off on you. At least that’s the conclusion Facebook’s researches came up with when they turned 689,000 users into guinea pigs for seven days, gaming what they could see on their News Feeds to see if it influences their moods. According to a paper recently published in PNAS, the social network used software to identify positive and negative words in status updates and to segregate posts into the two categories. Facebook then massaged the subjects’ News Feeds to show mostly positive or negative posts. In the end, the company’s researchers proved that emotions can be contagious even without direct contact on social networks, and even if you’re only reading words on a screen.

By the end of the experiment, those who’d been subjected to positive status updates posted happy ones of their own, and vice versa. Those mostly exposed to posts that were neither positive nor negative in nature, though, were also less emotional (on the social network, anyway) in the following days. If you’re wondering, this experiment took place way back in January 2012 — and yes, it’s perfectly legal, even if it sounds like a huge invasion of privacy. Facebook claims it used machines for the whole process, and none of the researchers actually saw people’s posts themselves. Also, you apparently all agreed to be the social network’s lab rat the moment you accepted the website’s terms of service.

Filed under: Internet, Facebook

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Via: AVClub, Animal New York, New Scientist

Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Facebook now lets UK users choose from over 70 gender options

Four months after it did so in the US, Facebook is now letting UK users choose new gender options. After working with two UK organisations, Press For Change and Gendered Intelligence, the social network added over 70 new terms, allowing you to select one of the new custom genders or add your own. Users can also choose a preferred pronoun: male (he/his), female (she/her) or neutral (they/their), which is reflected in birthday notifications and suchlike. As with all profile information, Facebook lets you hide anything you’re not comfortable with sharing and says it will not disclose gender selections to advertisers. To update your profile, click the ‘About’ tab, then hit “Edit” next to the “Gender” option in the “Contact and Basic Information” section.

[Image credit: Facebook]

Filed under: Internet, Facebook

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Source: The Independent

Damon and Affleck revive ‘Project Greenlight’ filmmaker search on HBO

We’re going to bet that everyone has probably daydreamed of making a movie at least once in their life. To help those Scorsese flights of fancy come true, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are back in the saddle of HBO’s Project Greenlight, the reality series that follows a film project from start to finish. Compared to the show’s initial run (in the early 2000s, before options like Red Digital Cinema or YouTube were popular), though, this will be a bit different. The duo (along with a cadre of production talent) is only looking for directors for this season — scribes need not apply — and wannabe Finchers must submit their three-minute-or-less clip via the show’s Facebook page. Should your sample get accepted, you’ll have to endure the typical day-to-day of a director: dealing with prima donna actors and heat from the studio, staying on schedule and hopefully not deviating from the budget. Sound like the gig for you? Then get cracking: the submission window runs from July 24th to August 8th this year.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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Source: Project Greenlight (1), (2)