Re: npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2017/01/25/511641939/facebook-tweaks-its-trending-topics-algorithm-to-better-reflect-real-news

Tweaked Trending Topics Now Show Stories by Region. Laura Sydell, NPR, reporting on Facebook’s recent change to its Trending topics algorithm:

As of Wednesday, the company has once again changed its trending algorithms. Personal preferences are now out of the equation. “Facebook will no longer be personalized based on someone’s interests,” Facebook says in a press release. “Everyone in the same region will see the same topics.” For now, a region is considered a country, so everyone in the U.S. should see the same topics.

Considering how individualized Facebook attempts to make its products, this is a huge pivot for Trending topics. Although region-based topics are the big story here, the Trending section will also now display the original headline and originating source for every story. Good stuff.

Thursday, 26 January 2017