S12E02: Facebook & Content Moderation

[Lantern7]

I never wanted to go on Facebook. Really, I didn’t. But I was part of a website’s coverage of an event, I had to get it to coordinate with the other writers, and I never gave it up. I like keeping in touch with friends I have and have never met in person, bitching about current events, and sharing cute animal clips, among other things.

With that said, I totally see why Facebook would be seen as a problem even before Zuck decided to expose his belly to the President. Moderating the site had to be a nightmare, but now we’re getting more disinformation than usual. Personally, I've had to mute right-wing posts that popped up on my feed. I’m not sure that’s directly linked to Zuck rolling over, but it is discouraging. I don’t know if there’s an alternative that could satisfy me. Bluesky gets touted, but that seems to be more for Twitter ex-pats.

Nice skit featuring Cecily Strong and Ronnie Chieng. I wonder how many FB users will use the “FUCK IT” graphic on their feeds.

ETA: I'm sorry for the title changes. I've been going by the title of the clip on YouTube.

Edited February 25 by Lantern7

[Annber03]

"I can't legally say what I want to see happen here, but I will say that I am thinking it really hard." 

I read you loud and clear, John. And I wholeheartedly agree with your thoughts. God, Musk just gets more and more despicable with each passing day, doesn't he? 

I only ever joined Facebook because my friends and family wanted to connect with me after my mom and I moved back here to Iowa. I did use it for a time early on back in 2010/2011 or so, but I am ultimately just not good at keeping up with those kinds of social media sites in general, and I haven't been on there in ages. Seeing it being used as it has for political disarray and insanity just adds to my reluctance to go back. I keep talking about wanting to delete my account , I really should just go ahead and do it. I also should look at that link John provided to keep sites from tracking my online data, or at least, having a harder time doing so. 

Honestly, at this point I'd be fine with people just abandoning social media en masse, partly because less access to at least one avenue of misinformation (it won't solve the problem completely, obviously, but it can't hurt), and partly because I douldn't think of a better hit to Zuckerberg et al's bottom line. 

Also, people really need to relearn what hte actual concept of "free speech" means, and when it's actually being violated and when it isn't. 

Aso, also, the gold thing. And Trump's reaction to the Social Security stuff. Dear god, what a moron. 

[ebk57]

I inherited my sister's FB and Twitter accounts when she died.  I can't actually use the FB account because it would freak out her friends...and, I've come to discover that FB is useless and boring.  So after her birthday next week, I'll save any lovely messages that come her way, then delete the account.  Because FB is stupid.  But in the meantime, I've bookmarked the rat erotica site and will change the settings on the account.  Because - FUCK IT!!!

Twitter was better because I could change the screen name, but then...it was ruined.  So I signed up on BlueSky and I pretty much like it. 

[kittykat]

Facebook has nosedived so hard the last few years.  It went from Friends list and a few recommended sites to all random pages I don't follow, a bunch of AI generated garbage and a random friend post.  I seriously don't know why I still have it.  

Mark Zuckerberg is such a poser with his ring kissing and clearly trying to keep his head above water on the so called right side of business. And no we should not forget that Facebook literally started as a ranker for college girls because Zuck got dumped. He's not Bezos level of maniacal but he's still pathetic.

And yes how can DOGE still be called that when they have been inefficient at firing people.  And I see people on...you guessed it... Facebook praising Trump and Musk for saving so much money.  For who?  That shit is not going to you buddy.

Glad we got another all too relevant takedown of everything that sucks.  What will next week bring?

Edited February 24 by kittykat

[Affogato]

There were Carrie and Pet cemetery remakes?  Seriously, folks, I’ll see myself out. No, I actually remember the ‘Carrie’ one.  Never saw it. I assume it is available to buy or stream uncut, should anyone care? People who are desperate to see boobies will know the limitations on the site and go to another, and there are others.  Not that I care if my theoretical toddlers see breasts. 
 

but this isn’t really in the same class with hate speech and disinformation. Children dying because a site is their parent’s main source of information in vaccinations and it is loudly screaming that vaccinations are bad things, that is a whole other issue. 

[peeayebee]

9 hours ago, Annber03 said:

Also, people really need to relearn what hte actual concept of "free speech" means, and when it's actually being violated and when it isn't. 

Amen. For one thing, you have the right to say things, and I have the right to tell you you're an idiot. Slander? Prove me wrong. (Of course not directed at you, @Annber03 :) )

 

8 hours ago, kittykat said:

And yes how can DOGE still be called that when they have been inefficient at firing people.  And I see people on...you guessed it... Facebook praising Trump and Musk for saving so much money.  For who?  That shit is not going to you buddy.

It's so transparent. Any money is going to the billionaires. 

 

1 hour ago, Affogato said:

There were Carrie and Pet cemetery remakes?  Seriously, folks, I’ll see myself out.

I'm coming with you. No idea these were remade.

I have an account at Facebook but don't use it much. I get apparently random emails that a "friend" has posted, so I look at it out of some obligation. I sometimes check on people when something big is going on in their lives (like an illness or a newsworthy event in their area). I may try to look someone up. But I don't post. I don't get my news from there. 

I will definitely use John's link to find out how to change my settings.

I used to be on Twitter before Leon bought it. I'm on Bluesky now. I've never posted anything, but I like to read what's going on and see cute videos.

Oh, on Twitter I was following Nunes's Cow. 🤣

I really feel for those moderators who review disturbing images. It reminds me of police and FBI who work on child abuse cases. I couldn't do that. A couple of months ago on Bluesky a child porn gif popped up. (There was some blurring, but you could see what was happening.) For days the image kept recurring in my mind. It has faded somewhat. 

When John was showing the clips of Republicans saying social media was censoring them, I said Give an example. Seems the only example was Hunter Biden's laptop, and that didn't even qualify as a valid example. I absolutely hate when someone states something as a fact without anything to back it up, and then millions of people eat it up without question.

DOGE providing a printout of all the money they saved pisses me off. John explained part of the problem with that, but there's more. The database was originally written in COBOL. I'm not well-versed in computerese, but IIRC if there's no birthdate for a person, it defaults to 1875, I think. That's where all the people over 150 years old come from. The SSA did fix some of the problems but decided that it would be too expensive to fix it all. They know that these dead people are not receiving SS. 

Loved John saying, "It doesn't take a genius to draw a conclusion, and in fact, 
it DIDN'T take one," referring to Trump.

I could google this, but I'll ask here: What was Zuckerberg's necklace? I couldn't make it out.

Also, in the opening title sequence, what's up with Hooters?

Loved the Can't Touch This video the Park Rangers did. BTW, I was hoping that John would show the pic of an upside-down American flag hanging in Yosemite.

I enjoyed the clips of Frankie Jupiter. "I'm just here so I don't get fired."

[DoctorAtomic]

I have to laugh about Facebook. There's such massively fake accounts and demonstrably false information, I've only got one comment removed because they tried to dox me. 

And I'm not talking about actual people with an opinion. 

I can get that it's nearly impossible job, but to imply Facebook is censoring discourse is preposterous. 

I feel like the media has finally caught up to the current atmosphere. "Where would the gold have gone?" is exactly the right question to ask. 

Edited February 24 by DoctorAtomic

[ebk57]

2 hours ago, peeayebee said:

Oh, on Twitter I was following Nunes's Cow. 🤣

She's on BlueSky now.  Love her!

2 hours ago, peeayebee said:

Also, in the opening title sequence, what's up with Hooters?

They just declared bankruptcy.  My stance on Hooters is that if I were dying of hunger and the only place to eat was Hooters, I'd just go ahead and die. 

[Lantern7]

The original Carrie pops up on cable TV from time to time. I think the remake was for people allergic to Seventies hair. Everyone involved in that production should be embarrassed, if not outright ashamed.

4 hours ago, ebk57 said:

[Hooters] just declared bankruptcy.  My stance on Hooters is that if I were dying of hunger and the only place to eat was Hooters, I'd just go ahead and die. 

I’ve never been there. I take heed to Chris Rock: “No one goes to Hooters for wings.” And as much as I like stuff other than wings, I would just be in the mood for wings.

[peeayebee]

My late husband used to go to Hooters with guys from work. He said he liked the wings. 🙄

[ebk57]

3 hours ago, peeayebee said:

My late husband used to go to Hooters with guys from work. He said he liked the wings. 🙄

Mr. ebk says if you want to go to a strip club, go to a strip club (I agree with that sentiment).  Sometimes, the food there is quite good, although I have no firsthand experience to confirm.  Hooters, OTOH, is just exploitative.  

[tearknee]

Sorry, all, my emotions can overwhelm nme

[iMonrey]

It saddens me to think I may not be able to watch this show much longer. For the same reason I find myself turning off my favorite podcasts about halfway through. It's all so horrible, so senseless and so depressing. And there's not a damn thing anyone can do about it except watch it all happen. Project 2025 coming to life right before our eyes. Sometimes I feel like the only thing I can do is look away.

[peeayebee]

I know what you mean. I'm torn betw wanting to know what's going on and feeling bliss thru ignorance. It really is unbelievable what's happening.

[andromeda331]

I never really got into Facebook. My mom did and so did most of my family. I see the fun of checking in on relatives and seeing what their up too. Most of the time I just forgot. The only time I really found it useful was when ever there was a big fire in the area because it updated a lot faster then the news. I did like when they'd mark posts that were big lies and misinformation. 

I do get how it can be hard to decide sometimes which is "legal" bad. I agree with @Annber03 people really need to learn what free speech actually means. And it doesn't mean your free of consequences or push back from other people. Like Republicans whining about being sensored. It makes me sometime wish we could make politicans take a test on the laws and Constitution before being nominated. 

My mom took my brother and I to Hooters a few times. They did have good food. I've been to Vegas where waitress walking around in sexy clothes while serving drinks. It would be nice to see a few waiters walking around in sexy boxers or something. On their honeymoon my brother and sister-in-law went to strip club in Vegas. 

I love John's remark that it doesn't take a genius to figure it out." Then a picture of Trump. "In fact it didn't." 

[tearknee]

Andromeda: "It would be nice to see a few waiters walking around in sexy boxers or something".

My impaired filter and damaged brain i apologize for in advance, but i saw your words and thought of how a native American Tumblr blogger commented that "our sacred items and beliefs such as feathered headdresses are fetishized and commercialized but the things that we want to share with non-natives are not part of popular culture. Nothing is valued if it is free."

Edited February 28 by tearknee

[peeayebee]

8 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

My mom took my brother and I to Hooters a few times. They did have good food. I've been to Vegas where waitress walking around in sexy clothes while serving drinks. It would be nice to see a few waiters walking around in sexy boxers or something. On their honeymoon my brother and sister-in-law went to strip club in Vegas.

True about Vegas casino drink servers. I think the thing about Hooters that always bothered me is the name.

[Affogato]

On 2/28/2025 at 8:59 AM, peeayebee said:

True about Vegas casino drink servers. I think the thing about Hooters that always bothered me is the name.

The owls are not what they seem. 

[taanja]

I deleted my Facebook account about 2 years ago. 

They make it difficult to delete. When I discovered how convoluted they (Facebook) made it to delete - I became even more determined.

So good luck to all who want to get rid of FB.  They make it hard for a reason -- they hope you give up!