one should in this context also remember the political economy of facebook: it collects information about users from other sources in order to better target its advertisements and to commodify and economically exploit the users. therefore it's privacy policy says for example: "We may institute programs with advertising partners and other websites in which they share information with us". the policy also says: "We use your profile information, the addresses you import through our contact importers, and other relevant information, to help you connect with your friends, including making suggestions to you and other users that you connect with on Facebook". The formulation "and other relevant information" is so general, it can be everything, even a database purchased somewhere that contains personal information. Which information Facebook exactly holds about a user is intransparent, nobody knows - except the Facebook Big Brother... This is not not magic - it's capitalism. Best, Christian
Dear all,
does anyone understand the Facebook friend suggestions algorithm?
Last night, my stepson joined Facebook. Immediately, it suggested he be friends with his mother, his grandfather, and his granduncle.
How could Facebook know they were related? They had no friends in common, and didn't share friends-of-friends either. His last name is common in Norway (and his granduncle has a different name). He didn't enter any phone number or postal address.
He used his gmail account when he joined Facebook, but did not allow the book to search his e-mail contacts (and he doesn't know his uncle's e-mail address).
Does anyone understand how Facebook pulls this trick?
--anders
-- Anders Fagerjord, dr.art. Associate professor, Head of Studies
Department of Media and Communication, University of Oslo P.O. Box 1093 Blindern N-0317 OSLO Norway
http://www.media.uio.no http://fagerjord.no
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