Facebook on Thursday announced a major update that will put friends and family above pages or celebrities in a user’s news feed — and likely result in people spending less time on the leading social network. The change to the way Facebook ranks posts will put more weight on social interactions and relationships, according to News Feed product manager John Hegeman. “This is a big change,” Hegeman told AFP. “People will actually spend less time on Facebook, but we feel good about that because it will make the time they do spend more valuable, and be good for our business in the end.” For example, a family video clip posted by a spouse will be deemed more worthy of attention than a snippet from a star or favorite restaurant. “We think people interaction is more important than passively consuming content,” Hegeman said. “This will be one of the more important updates that we have made.” Facebook co-founder and chief Mark Zuckerberg has said that bringing people together and strengthening communities in the real world are priorities. The news feed ranking update, which is set to roll out globally in the coming weeks, is expected to support that goal. “As we roll this out, you’ll see less public content like posts from businesses, brands, and media,” Zuckerberg said in a post at his Facebook page. “And the public content you see more will be held to the same standard — it should encourage meaningful interactions between people.” Google, Twitter and Facebook… [Read full story]
(AFP/Leon Neal) NEW YORK: Facebook on Tuesday began serving up video ads that pop up and play when users check their news feeds. The leading online social network said it is testing the new advertising technique this week with a clip teasing the new film "Divergent". "Since September, we've been testing a way to make videos more engaging on Facebook, and as a result we've seen views, likes, shares and comments increase more than 10 per cent," the California-based firm said in a blog post. "We're beginning to test a similar video viewing format for advertisers." Video ads will play…... [read more]
Only the passion for the job can retain the officers and keep them working at the zoo. Everyone here understands well that making friends with beasts is a very dangerous career. The people who make friends with beasts (part 1) Wild beasts, by the nature are always aggressive, and they would be even more cruel when they give birth and get ready to protect their babies. Therefore, the officers at the zoo say they have to “live with fear.” Nguyen Van Dien, a worker there, said that he has been picking up sweet potato buds and elephant grass to feed…... [read more]
Facebook is updating its data use policy in an attempt to give people more clarity on how the company uses information they share. As part of the changes, Facebook is also signaling that it may start showing people ads on sites other than Facebook, targeting the pitches to interests and hobbies that users express on Facebook. The move comes a week before Facebook Inc.'s expected initial public offering of stock. Facebook held events with potential investors this week, including one in Silicon Valley on Friday, and it has posted a version of its road show online. The offering could value…... [read more]
Microsoft and Twitter also agreed to participate in the "Trust Project" with some 75 news organisations to tag news stories which meet standards for ethics and transparency."In today's digitised and socially networked world, it's harder than ever to tell what's accurate reporting, advertising, or even misinformation," said Sally Lehrman of Santa Clara University's Markkula Centre for Applied Ethics, the project leader."An increasingly skeptical public wants to know the expertise, enterprise and ethics behind a news story."Each online platform will develop "trust indicators" to help readers "assess whether news comes from a credible source they can depend on," Lehrman added.News organisations…... [read more]
VietNamNet Bridge – As for the workers at the Dai Nam Zoo in Binh Duong province, the happiest moments in their lives are the ones when they can see with their eyes the hippos and tigers begin labor and give birth. When hippo gives birth Duong Thanh Phi, Director of the Dai Nam Zoo, was so proud when showing a video clip showing a hippo giving birth. “Here you can see the hippo baby which has just been brought into the world. Its body was still covered with blood,” Phi said, pointing to the screen. “And here it opens its…... [read more]
