In January, Facebook introduced that it will be changing its feed algorithm to advertise customers’ well-being over time spent looking content material. That’s a comparatively new strategy for a corporation whose ethos as soon as centered round “transfer quick, break issues.”
It wasn’t all that way back (roughly a 12 months and a half earlier than the algorithm change) that Fb VP Andrew “Boz” Bosworth, revealed an inner memo known as “The Ugly,” which was circulated all through the corporate. In it, Boz made it clear to workers that connecting individuals (i.e. progress) is the primary focus at Fb, in any respect prices.
Buzzfeed first revealed the memo, which mentioned:
Possibly it prices a life by exposing somebody to bullies. Possibly somebody dies in a terrorist assault coordinated on our instruments.
And nonetheless we join individuals.
The ugly reality is that we imagine in connecting individuals so deeply that something that permits us to attach extra individuals extra usually is *de facto* good. It’s maybe the one space the place the metrics do inform the true story so far as we’re involved.
He goes on:
That isn’t one thing we’re doing for ourselves. Or for our inventory value (ha!). It’s actually simply what we do. We join individuals. Interval.
That’s why all of the work we do in progress is justified. All of the questionable contact importing practices. All of the refined language that helps individuals keep searchable by pals. All the work we do to convey extra communication in. The work we’ll probably need to do in China some day. All of it.
Fb launched in 2004 and ushered in a honeymoon interval for customers. We reveled in importing photographs from our digital cameras and sharing them with pals. We cared about every notification. We shared our standing. We performed FarmVille. We diligently curated our Likes.
However the honeymoon is over. Fb grew to 1 billion energetic customers in 2012. The social community now has over 2 billion energetic customers. A rising variety of individuals get their news from social media. The dimensions and scope of Fb is just overwhelming.
And we’ve been properly conscious, as customers and outsiders wanting in on the community, that identical to every other software, Fb can be utilized for evil.
However there was nonetheless some query whether or not or not Fb management understood that precept, and in the event that they did, whether or not or not they really cared.
For a very long time, maybe too lengthy, Fb adhered to the “Transfer quick, break issues” mentality. And issues have definitely been damaged, from faux information circulated in the course of the 2016 Presidential election to the improper use of person knowledge by third-party builders and Cambridge Analytica . And that’s probably the tip of the iceberg.
The memo was written lengthy earlier than the shit hit the fan for Fb. It was revealed following the broadcast of Antonio Perkins’ murder on Fb. This was again when Fb was nonetheless insisting that it isn’t a media firm, that it’s merely a set of pipes by way of which individuals can ship off their content material.
What’s so surprising concerning the memo is that it confirms a few of our deepest fears. A social community, with a inhabitants better than any single nation, is solely targeted on progress over the well-being of the society it’s constructed. That the ends, to be a product everybody makes use of, may justify the means.
Fb has tried to maneuver away from this persona, nevertheless gently. In late 2016, Zuckerberg finally budged on the concept Fb is a media firm, clarifying that it’s not a standard media firm. Final 12 months, the corporate launched the Journalism Project in response to the scary progress of faux information on the platform. Zuckerberg even posted full-page print ads in search of endurance and forgiveness within the wake of this most up-to-date Cambridge Analytica scandal.
Whereas that every one looks as if extra of a public relations response than actionable change, it’s higher than the stoic, rigid silence of earlier than.
After Buzzfeed revealed the memo, Boz and Zuckerberg each responded.
Boz mentioned it was all about spurring inner debate to assist form future instruments.
Zuck had this to say:
Boz is a proficient chief who says many provocative issues. This was one which most individuals at Fb together with myself disagreed with strongly. We’ve by no means believed the ends justify the means.
We acknowledge that connecting individuals isn’t sufficient by itself. We additionally must work to convey individuals nearer collectively. We modified our complete mission and firm focus to replicate this final 12 months.
If Boz wrote this memo to spark debate, it’s laborious to discern whether or not that debate led to actual change.
The memo has since been deleted, however you’ll be able to learn the complete textual content beneath:
The Ugly
We speak concerning the good and the unhealthy of our work usually. I need to speak concerning the ugly.
We join individuals.
That may be good in the event that they make it constructive. Possibly somebody finds love. Possibly it even saves the life of somebody getting ready to suicide.
So we join extra individuals
That may be unhealthy in the event that they make it damaging. Possibly it prices a life by exposing somebody to bullies. Possibly somebody dies in a terrorist assault coordinated on our instruments.
And nonetheless we join individuals.
The ugly reality is that we imagine in connecting individuals so deeply that something that permits us to attach extra individuals extra usually is *de facto* good. It’s maybe the one space the place the metrics do inform the true story so far as we’re involved.
That isn’t one thing we’re doing for ourselves. Or for our inventory value (ha!). It’s actually simply what we do. We join individuals. Interval.
That’s why all of the work we do in progress is justified. All of the questionable contact importing practices. All of the refined language that helps individuals keep searchable by pals. All the work we do to convey extra communication in. The work we’ll probably need to do in China some day. All of it.
The pure state of the world isn’t related. It’s not unified. It’s fragmented by borders, languages, and more and more by completely different merchandise. One of the best merchandise don’t win. Those everybody use win.
I do know lots of people don’t need to hear this. Most of us have the posh of working within the heat glow of constructing merchandise shoppers love. However make no mistake, progress techniques are how we bought right here. In the event you joined the corporate as a result of it’s doing nice work, that’s why we get to do this nice work. We do have nice merchandise however we nonetheless wouldn’t be half our dimension with out pushing the envelope on progress. Nothing makes Fb as invaluable as having your mates on it, and no product choices have gotten as many pals on as those made in progress. Not picture tagging. Not information feed. Not messenger. Nothing.
In virtually all of our work, we’ve to reply laborious questions on what we imagine. We have now to justify the metrics and ensure they aren’t dropping out on a much bigger image. However connecting individuals. That’s our crucial. As a result of that’s what we do. We join individuals.