How does Facebook work?

[Michael Delamar]

thank you for asking this question because I constantly shout and get wound up with facebook because of the operating problems I have with it. its so awkward and frustrating.

the worst is when looking through photos and it stalling and crashing.

I do have some similar problems with rmweb but not as bad, I know little about how computers or websites work but its as if it is sending too much info.

what I dont get is why if you click on something it either takes a few clicks for it to wake up and do something or you get the circle hour glass and it takes a few seconds to do something.

other older style websites and forums I have no problems with.

the computer has very little memory used so it must be down to the internet I guess.

[Tony_S]

In answer to Martin's  question, when logged in to Facebook I can see the RMweb post. I "like" RMweb and  the "Show in News Feed" is ticked.

Tony

[Oldddudders]

When RMweb is having a bad day/hissy-fit, my first recourse is to Andy Y's Twitter page, which I "saved" ages ago. I am not a member of Twitter, but the chap has invariably posted a message with a Facebook link. I click on that, and I am in my wall, with Andy Y's message clearly displayed. Today he was busy elsewhere when the balloon went up, so when the page wouldn't load I clicked on Facebook and found beast's message saying things weren't right, with which I was able to concur. Tony S and others joined in soon after. Andy Y posted something new a short while later.

[martin_wynne]

In answer to Martin's  question, when logged in to Facebook I can see the RMweb post. I "like" RMweb and  the "Show in News Feed" is ticked.

 

Hi Tony,

 

Are you on the page to which Andy provided a link? (i.e. in the address bar below). When I go there this is what I get. As you can see, I have "Show in News Feed" selected, but still I cannot see any of Andy's posts since Saturday:

 

 

If I log out from Facebook, his today's post appears. But then, being logged out, I can't add a reply/comment.

 

I've tried clicking everything I can see. I don't have a box showing the number of Likes, and I don't have a link labelled "New".

 

Is anyone else seeing exactly the same as this? That question still hasn't been fully answered in so many words. If the answer is no, we can just assume it's something on my system and forget it. I don't actually want to use Facebook and never have -- I just want to see Andy's messages when he posts them, and be able to add a comment if I wish.

 

Many thanks for all the replies so far.

 

Martin.

[Adrian]

 

 

If Andy posts a message on Facebook about RMweb, how can I be sure to see it?

 

At present the only way is to make sure I'm logged out from Facebook, which seems utterly counter-intuitive. You would think it would be the other way round.

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately I believe that the only way that you will see Andy's post is as you have found is by being logged out.

 

Yes it is counterintuitive but that is Facebook for you. I don't know the details but their algorithm will filter posts to give you want it wants to promote. I seem to remember last year there was plenty of news articles about a posts not reaching all their fans, some sites saying that 

 

Facebook told me in February that the average Page reaches 16 percent of its fans with each post. That’s because some fans aren’t online when the post is published, a specific post hasn’t gotten much engagement from the people Facebook already showed it to, and because if you don’t interact with that Page when you do see its posts, Facebook will only show you them every once in awhile.

 

So there is no guarantee that a post will reach every one - for the individual it seems that the best thing you can do is to "like", comment or view every single RMWeb posting on Facebook. That way Facebook might choose to show you more content from RMWeb but again not guaranteed.

 

And folk chunter about this software. I honestly can't give an answer to the problem, all I do is post in the status box and I don't select any options from my end. It's a bit annoying if people have taken the trouble to save or Like the page and then can't see the message I'm trying to send to them.

 

I'll consider if there's a better way.

 

It depends how you define better! Promoted posts will ensure your posts get to more "fans" allegedly but it costs money.

[Oldddudders]

My Facebook page doesn't look remotely like yours, Martin. Some time ago there was a big hoo-ha about something called Timeline. I didn't opt for it.

[Adrian]

Hi Tony,

 

Are you on the page to which Andy provided a link? (i.e. in the address bar below). When I go there this is what I get. As you can see, I have "Show in News Feed" selected, but still I cannot see any of Andy's posts since Saturday:

 

fb_rmweb_full.png

 

If I log out from Facebook, his today's post appears. But then, being logged out, I can't add a reply/comment.

 

I've tried clicking everything I can see. I don't have a box showing the number of Likes, and I don't have a link labelled "New".

 

Is anyone else seeing exactly the same as this? That question still hasn't been fully answered in so many words. If the answer is no, we can just assume it's something on my system and forget it. I don't actually want to use Facebook and never have -- I just want to see Andy's messages when he posts them, and be able to add a comment if I wish.

 

Many thanks for all the replies so far.

 

Martin.

 

As mentioned  - if you are logged in to Facebook that what you see will always be slightly different to anyone else. It's not you it's Facebook post filtering that it doing it. You either need to be logged out or train Facebook to give you the posts you want by pressing like and commenting on all of the RMWeb posts. What you see will be governed by what you have viewed in Facebook, what you have commented on and what you have liked. Probably also what your "friends" like as well.

 

Fortunately you don't need a Facebook account to view the RMWeb stream, you just don't have the option to comment.

[martin_wynne]

My Facebook page doesn't look remotely like yours, Martin.

 

Hi Ian,

 

But that isn't MY facebook page. As far as I know I don't have one. It's ANDY's facebook page. The page to which he provided a link. What do you see when you go there:

 

 http://www.facebook.com/pages/RMweb/205398459548735

 

I can't seem to get this point across to folks.

 

Martin.

[Adrian]

Hi Ian,

 

But that isn't MY facebook page. As far as I know I don't have one. It's ANDY's facebook page. The page to which he provided a link. What do you see when you go there:

 

 http://www.facebook.com/pages/RMweb/205398459548735

 

I can't seem to get this point across to folks.

 

Martin.

 

But if you are logged in then it is YOUR Facebook view. I won't call it a page because it isn't a static page like a website. When you are logged in Facebook is trying to guess the "best" things to show you. If you have a very limited interaction with the RMWeb stream then Facebook will not show you all of the posts from RMWeb. Hence why when people logout then we all see the same thing, at that point Facebook does not know, allegedly, who is viewing the RMWeb stream so will stick all of the posts in the stream.

[martin_wynne]

Unfortunately I believe that the only way that you will see Andy's post is as you have found is by being logged out.

 

Hi Adrian,

 

Many thanks. I don't pretend to understand how that makes sense.

 

But if that's how it is I can live with it.

 

Andy, how about an ordinary bog-standard web page somewhere? Your ISP probably gives you some free web space with your broadband package.

 

regards,

 

Martin.

[Oldddudders]

Yes, that's RMweb's Facebook page. Mine is a quite different format - not designed by me - and Andy's message this morning merely appeared at the top of my list of latest items, just as beast's message had done previously. As I have zero security, anything posted by anyone I've ever heard of appears in my update list. I never log out, any more than I do with RMweb, although the occasional mains outage here means I sometimes get logged out by the whole world....

[martin_wynne]

But if you are logged in then it is YOUR Facebook view.

 

Hi Adrian,

 

You have lost me. Surely MY Facebook view is what I see at http://facebook.com , which is this:

 

 

I'm asking about what I see on Andy's URL, which is the screenshot I posted previously. Why is it so difficult to get this point across? I'm lost.

 

Thanks anyway.

 

Martin.

[martin_wynne]

Yes, that's RMweb's Facebook page. Mine is a quite different format

 

Hi Ian,

 

And on RMweb's page, not your own, if you go there now, do you see the post which Andy made today?

 

Thanks,

 

Martin.

[Mikkel]

I can see it, both when logged in and not logged in.

 

The issue that Adrian mentions is the source of much confusion among Facebook users - but in this case I don't think it would have an impact. It is normally always possible to see someone's status update when you got to their page (as opposed to your stream) - unless they have selected that only a particular group should see that update.

[Guest Natalie Graham]

 I don't have a box showing the number of Likes, and I don't have a link labelled "New".

The box with the number of likes is the one with the thumbs up symbol and the big number 400 in your screenshot on your original post. My mistake for the 'new' button. It does say 'now'. Sorry for the confusion due to a combination of small laptop screen and bad eyesight.  

 

Facebook's targeting should not affect what you see on someone else's page, just what gets shown on your own. 

 

I don't suppose this is one of those cases where clearing your cache and restarting your computer would help?

[Pugsley]

You have lost me. Surely MY Facebook view is what I see at http://facebook.com

To rephrase the point that Adrian is trying to make, when you are logged in Facebook will only show you the things that it thinks you want to see, based on whatever algorithms they use. This view is customised to you, so for some reason Facebook has chosen not to show you Andy's post based on whatever criteria they use.

 

When you are not logged on, Facebook doesn't know that it's you and won't hide the post based on that criteria, so you can see it. For the others that can see the post when logged in, the algorithm has decided that they might like to see it, so they can.

 

Does this make it any clearer?

 

Edit - I think this is related to why status updates aren't necessarily in chronological order on your feed, and why some people click 'like' on something and then it is put in your feed as so and so shared this, when they didn't know they had. I'll see if I can find the article I read about it, it was quite interesting and it also told you how to limit its effect.

 

Edit - Linky:

http://lifehacker.com/5987248/how-facebook-is-using-you-to-annoy-your-friends-and-how-to-stop-it

[martin_wynne]

To rephrase the point that Adrian is trying to make, when you are logged in Facebook will only show you the things that it thinks you want to see, based on whatever algorithms they use. This view is customised to you, so for some reason Facebook has chosen not to show you Andy's post based on whatever criteria they use.

 

When you are not logged on, Facebook doesn't know that it's you and won't hide the post based on that criteria, so you can see it. For the others that can see the post when logged in, the algorithm has decided that they might like to see it, so they can.

 

Hi Martin,

 

Yes, I understand all that perfectly. I have written web software to implement such things. But on other web sites, what you see is determined by what settings you yourself make -- in a User Control Panel, for example.

 

In this case I have made no settings at all. I am seeing some of Andy's posts and not others, for no reason that I can understand or find any settings to change.

 

When I asked the question to start this topic, I expected a mass rising of RMwebbers telling me not to be so silly, and it's all quite simple. After all, millions of people worldwide use Facebook every day, so it must be very easy to understand.

 

It turns out that no-one is much the wiser than me, and no-one can actually tell me why I'm not seeing Andy's post.

 

So perhaps we should just leave it there. And suggest to Andy that maybe an ordinary basic web page on a server other than RMweb would be a more reliable way of keeping members informed about any RMweb problems.

 

Many thanks to all who replied.

 

Martin.

[Adrian]

But on other web sites, what you see is determined by what settings you yourself make -- in a User Control Panel, for example.

 

In this case I have made no settings at all. 

 

Actually you do update your settings every time you use Facebook - not everything is on a user control panel. Every time you view a page, click a like, comment on a post, absolutely every single interaction you make with Facebook updates your profile.

[BG John]

This is what I see. I'm logged in on Firefox on the left, and not logged in on IE on the right!

[martin_wynne]

This is what I see. I'm logged in on Firefox on the left, and not logged in on IE on the right!

Untitled-1.jpg

 

Hi John,

 

Thanks. So when logged in you see my post on the left as if it was made by Andy, and when not logged in you DON'T see Andy's post today, nor mine.

 

I give up.

 

Martin.

[BG John]

I think I remember seeing Andy's post in my newsfeed thus morning!

 

That's why I said earlier that life's too short to worry about Facebook's little quirks!

[Mikkel]

Not logged in:

 

Logged in:

 

 

So there is no difference for me at all (except that the language changes, but that's just due to my location).

 

I have only ever visited the RMweb facebook page 2-3 times, in fact I've just noticed that I haven't even liked it.

 

I do think you are right Martin, ie that this is not a targetting/stream issue, for the reasons mentioned by you, me and others above.

 

Given the extraordinary amount of inconsistencies in Facebook navigation and the lack of consequence when changes are made, perhaps this is just a good old bug?

[martin_wynne]

RMweb went offline about 1am and came back running very fast. And it's still running like a train now.

 

Well done to whoever did what. Maybe Andy won't need to post on Facebook ever again?

 

Martin.

[Oldddudders]

Hi Ian,

 

And on RMweb's page, not your own, if you go there now, do you see the post which Andy made today?

 

Thanks,

 

Martin.

Yes.

[James]

I created some fictitious name with a birthday 1 Jan 1900 and immediately seemed to be bombarded by people wanting to befriend me like a lost puppy.

It was probably becuase people were intrigued by a 113 year old using Facebook and wanted to be friends with such an elderly person who was on Facebook!!!