Catholic Info
Traditional Catholic Faith => Computers, Technology, Websites => Topic started by: Matthew on January 02, 2025, 01:47:42 PM
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I posted on a FB group 9 days ago. The group supposedly has "1.2K members".
After 9 days, the post has been seen *drumroll*...
15 times.
Yes, 15 times.
Does anyone actually browse FB anymore? Even one's "feed" isn't viewed much, it would seem. Even less are the average posts in a given group (which don't make the "cut" a.k.a. favored by The Algorithm)
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It's gone through a few shifts. First it was popular with young people, and then it became popular with middle aged people and the young people moved away. Then massive growth in the Third World hid declines in activity in the West. Now I'm not even sure if the remaining activity is even driven by humans or if it's 100% just bots talking to each other.
Some of the AI-generated content on there is so absurd that anyone of sound mind would spot it, and yet nevertheless gets hundreds of thousands of likes.
(I haven't checked the example below to see if it's a parody page or not, but there are countless real examples)
(https://i.imgur.com/syGpFLL.jpeg)
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Most people I talk to use Facebook to sell stuff.
Before you could see different accounts but most accounts have limited views unless you sign up.
Then there has been huge change where many people are leaving social media altogether.
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One could stay in a FB group but unfollow it so they don’t see the posts in their feed. If they’re in many FB groups, they might want to limit to following just the important ones.
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Some of the AI-generated content on there is so absurd that anyone of sound mind would spot it, and yet nevertheless gets hundreds of thousands of likes.
(I haven't checked the example below to see if it's a parody page or not, but there are countless real examples)
(https://i.imgur.com/syGpFLL.jpeg)
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That's fascinating. If I had just seen that picture, I would have thought it was real, even though it seems a little hard to believe a little kid in Africa would have more sculpting talent than Michelangelo himself, if I had thought about it.
So you're sure it's fake?
This is very interesting. Very soon it will be impossible to tell what is real and what isn't, on the internet, anymore. This will probably have tremendous consequences in society as well. It's a little scary to think about.
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…Then massive growth in the Third World hid declines in activity in the West. …
Interesting observation.
In my recent trips to Asia I have searched for restaurants and stores. It surprised me that many did not have their own websites, but instead simply had Zuckerberg pages. My reaction was, "How can this be a serious business?" I don't expect street vendors to have websites, but for brick-and-mortar restaurants, clothing, and electronics stores to have only Zuckpages struck me as bogus, so I patronized none of them.
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That's fascinating. If I had just seen that picture, I would have thought it was real, even though it seems a little hard to believe a little kid in Africa would have more sculpting talent than Michelangelo himself, if I had thought about it.
So you're sure it's fake?
This is very interesting. Very soon it will be impossible to tell what is real and what isn't, on the internet, anymore. This will probably have tremendous consequences in society as well. It's a little scary to think about.
AI gets hands wrong a lot. Maybe it's intentional, but the kid has 5 long fingers.
Who'd want anything to do with FB or even random AI generated YT videos?
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Interesting observation.
In my recent trips to Asia I have searched for restaurants and stores. It surprised me that many did not have their own websites, but instead simply had Zuckerberg pages. My reaction was, "How can this be a serious business?" I don't expect street vendors to have websites, but for brick-and-mortar restaurants, clothing, and electronics stores to have only Zuckpages struck me as bogus, so I patronized none of them.
Third world here. It's the same.
There are many good and respectable business only with "Zuckpages" simply because that's what works. People don't spend money and effort on a website that no one will look.
Now that I think of it, social media pages are sometimes more trustworthy because people can complain about poor service or products in the comments section.
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I'm not a social media guy...not by virtue; rather, by temperament (once had to create a LinkedIn profile and it was PAINFUL). It seems that there are still some worthy things available on facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/cardinalbacci/
Back in the day, that's the kind of thing that would be posted on a blog (blogspot, wordpress). I don't know, but it seems that at some point, search engines quit "promoting" blogs and their demise followed.
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That's fascinating. If I had just seen that picture, I would have thought it was real, even though it seems a little hard to believe a little kid in Africa would have more sculpting talent than Michelangelo himself, if I had thought about it.
So you're sure it's fake?
This is very interesting. Very soon it will be impossible to tell what is real and what isn't, on the internet, anymore. This will probably have tremendous consequences in society as well. It's a little scary to think about.
It wasn't a very good example - when I wrote the comment, I initially I used an example photo of an AI pic featuring Jesus as that was the trend I was familiar with, and all those posts were much more absurd and very obviously fake while having even crazier like-counts. But, despite the fact that the posters and commenters seemed to be "Christians" (Prods) with intent to revere rather than mock, the images are so ridiculous that sharing any of them seemed borderine blasphemous and so I replaced it just before posting.
The image I replaced it with is much more believable so the comment reads a little strange now, but it is nevertheless fake and part of a widespread engagement farming trend. Here's another example from the same trend:
(https://i.imgur.com/avyEM1e.jpeg)
The accounts posting these never even get banned. What's interesting about them too, come to think of it, is that the images in each trend seem to get less and less realistic as time goes on. As if the AI models start learning from each other rather than real pictures.
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AI gets hands wrong a lot. Maybe it's intentional, but the kid has 5 long fingers.
Who'd want anything to do with FB or even random AI generated YT videos?
It's not just the fingers. It's the way his whole "arm" and "hand" is positioned. Just look at it!
AI gets things *so* wrong sometimes. Not surprising, considering ZERO intelligence is involved...
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Third world here. It's the same.
There are many good and respectable business only with "Zuckpages" simply because that's what works. People don't spend money and effort on a website that no one will look.
Now that I think of it, social media pages are sometimes more trustworthy because people can complain about poor service or products in the comments section.
Since I resist having a Zuckpage account, I cannot get to the reviews. At most I usually can see the hours of operation and location.
It's not just the fingers. It's the way his whole "arm" and "hand" is positioned. Just look at it!
AI gets things *so* wrong sometimes. Not surprising, considering ZERO intelligence is involved...
Indeed, it is really Artificial Stupidity.
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I don't like Facebook and I do not have an account. Privacy concerns. I don't do LinkedIn for the same reason. For tax reasons, I can't work this year (retired), but I may try to get something part-time in 2026 to supplement my income. I guess I'll just have to get a job the old-fashioned way, because I'm not putting myself out there.
I have found recently that when you go to a Facebook page as a visitor (not logged in), after two or three scrolls down the page, it kicks you out and won't allow you to scroll further. That's pretty off-putting for someone who wants to use Facebook to look at a business, a restaurant menu, and so on.
I never cease to be amazed by the people who use their Facebook pages as a vehicle for sharing pictures of themselves, their families, and so on. It's as though they have no concept of privacy, or that these pictures could fall into the wrong hands. All they are thinking is "all of my friends can see my pictures". I don't get it.
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It is true that the 20 something crowd doesn't use Facebook like they did 15 years ago, but the platform seems far from dead. I enjoy keeping up with friends, their adventures, how their kids are doing. The cat videos are really fun also, LOL. I've never had a paranoia about privacy, and I've never had a problem, it's just not an issue. I've never used Facebook marketplace, so I don't know how that works.
Some of the groups I follow are Amtrak's Empire Builder, Amtrak's Coast Starlight, Breviary and Divine Office Discussion Group, The Librarianologist, Funeral Home & Mortuary History, Bicycle Touring for Beginners, Frank Lloyd Wright Nation, St. Patrick's Parish, and several others. The ones I've mentioned typically have several posts a day ... VERY FAR FROM DEAD. Some of the groups you have to join before you can post or even see who is a member. Some, like The Divine Office group will let one ask questions as an anonymous.
I agree that a Facebook profile doesn't work well as a commercial or organization web site, unless a business or organization regularly posts new content or events. Unless one has a Facebook account and is logged in I don't really see the point of trying to use it, but I glean a LOT of useful information through the groups I'm a part of, and in that regard it can be a lot more convenient than a string of e-mails.
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…but I glean a LOT of useful information…
Exactly the point.
Faceberg was going nowhere until the massive investment of In-Q-Tel (CIA's investment front) money.
As the saying goes, "If it is for free, you are the product."
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I'm not a social media guy...not by virtue; rather, by temperament (once had to create a LinkedIn profile and it was PAINFUL). It seems that there are still some worthy things available on facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/cardinalbacci/
Back in the day, that's the kind of thing that would be posted on a blog (blogspot, wordpress). I don't know, but it seems that at some point, search engines quit "promoting" blogs and their demise followed.
I really like this one: https://www.facebook.com/CatholicDevotionalArt (https://www.facebook.com/CatholicDevotionalArt)
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I posted on a FB group 9 days ago. The group supposedly has "1.2K members".
After 9 days, the post has been seen *drumroll*...
15 times.
Yes, 15 times.
Does anyone actually browse FB anymore? Even one's "feed" isn't viewed much, it would seem. Even less are the average posts in a given group (which don't make the "cut" a.k.a. favored by The Algorithm)
It seems to me that the algorithm has seriously downgraded posts within groups, and if your post didn't include an image, it's as good as non-existent.
OTOH, the groups page is majorly improved in that it pretty much just shows posts from your groups, no more "suggested groups", and gives precedence to groups you've visited recently. So, it works for me, but that's also on a desktop and I don't know what it would look like on a phone.
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I never used FB from the beginning. I only got an account a few years back for Marketplace ( which I love)
It was a great datamining operation for a long time and I guess it served it's purpose for TPTB.
Now X is gathering up all the αnтι-ѕємιтєs! LOL
I'm sure I'm on the list- oh well
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I really like this one: https://www.facebook.com/CatholicDevotionalArt (https://www.facebook.com/CatholicDevotionalArt)
And that's just it. I scrolled down three times and it kicked me out, asked me to sign in, which I cannot do, as I do not have an account, and as I noted above, I don't want one.
Those who wish to serve the general public with a website need to find another platform.
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And that's just it. I scrolled down three times and it kicked me out, asked me to sign in, which I cannot do, as I do not have an account, and as I noted above, I don't want one.
Those who wish to serve the general public with a website need to find another platform.
I have this experience a lot and I honestly cannot see the business reasoning behind it. If I'm linked something from your website and you let me browse it, then I will scroll through and see many of your ads, and you get your revenue. But if, after scrolling for half a second, I'm barred from seeing anything else, I'll just click away. How is the latter more profitable than the former?
I understand that at one point you want people to actually register, but how is kicking millions of users to the curb more profitable than just letting them browse for a while until they want to register?
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I have this experience a lot and I honestly cannot see the business reasoning behind it. If I'm linked something from your website and you let me browse it, t
I understand that at one point you want people to actually register, but how is kicking millions of users to the curb more profitable than just letting them browse for a while until they want to register?
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I know next to nothing about generating revenue, but I think that if the SITE gets your "view" for 2 seconds hey, they can chalk it up and show advertisers how many millions visited their site. == more $$.
I wonder how many more registered users they get per day? Cathinfo apparently gets about 1.23 souls.
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I have this experience a lot and I honestly cannot see the business reasoning behind it. If I'm linked something from your website and you let me browse it, then I will scroll through and see many of your ads, and you get your revenue. But if, after scrolling for half a second, I'm barred from seeing anything else, I'll just click away. How is the latter more profitable than the former?
I understand that at one point you want people to actually register, but how is kicking millions of users to the curb more profitable than just letting them browse for a while until they want to register?
It's a limitation apparently hard-coded in by TPTB at Facebook. It's not the idea of those who have Facebook pages, many of whom are business owners who certainly don't want anyone impeded from looking at their FB pages in full.
This is very tone-deaf and obtuse on the part of Facebook.
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but for brick-and-mortar restaurants, clothing, and electronics stores to have only Zuckpages struck me as bogus,
Those who wish to serve the general public with a website need to find another platform.
I agree, I don't think Facebook was designed to be a commercial or organizational web site, especially with e-commerce seemingly being so important, I don't think payments can be processed on Facebook. It is mostly a place for family, friends, acquaintances, and people with mutual interests to interact and share information and pictures. I suspect some businesses use Facebook in lieu of a web site because they probable aren't "web savvy" and / or don't want to pay someone to build and host a commercial web site ... Facebook is no-cost to them. Some may use Facebook as a way to direct traffic to their commercial website ... I've had web search results where a business or organization's Facebook shows up but not a web site, but if they also have a web site the URL will likely be listed on their Facebook.
Another reason a business or organization might use Facebook is for it's "push factor" (if I'm using the right phrase). My regional library had both a web site and a Facebook. As I "follow" their Facebook I get notifications of upcoming holiday closures (and weather closures) and special events "pushed" to me when I open Facebook. I otherwise may not know about these unless I had seen flyers at a library branch or checked their website daily, which isn't practical. The same thing can be done by joining e-mail or text message lists, but I don't want those communication pipelines jammed up with notifications, I find Facebook better suited for that kind of information.
I suppose it comes down to a situation of (1) If Facebook has information or communication features that one finds useful to them, they will have an account so as to take advantage of those features ... or ... (2) If they don't find it useful, or don't like how it operates, then just don't use it ... the information and communications features exist in other venues and by other means.
But Facebook is definitely NOT dead.
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It's a limitation apparently hard-coded in by TPTB at Facebook. It's not the idea of those who have Facebook pages, many of whom are business owners who certainly don't want anyone impeded from looking at their FB pages in full.
This is very tone-deaf and obtuse on the part of Facebook.
Oh I know; I meant the business readoning for Facebook. Surely it just loses them a ton of traffic.
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I suspect some businesses use Facebook in lieu of a web site because they probable aren't "web savvy" and / or don't want to pay someone to build and host a commercial web site ... Facebook is no-cost to them. Some may use Facebook as a way to direct traffic to their commercial website ... I've had web search results where a business or organization's Facebook shows up but not a web site, but if they also have a web site the URL will likely be listed on their Facebook.
That is no doubt true in some cases, but I find time and again that various organizations --- businesses and even religious entities --- use Facebook as their sole means of Internet presence, seemingly because, as you note, it doesn't require web expertise and is free. That was fine until TPTB at Facebook decided to do this "three scrolls and bomb out" thing.
This would be a golden opportunity for someone to come along with a type of free web hosting that works like Facebook, has the same look and feel, but allows anyone to use it, whether logged in or not, without such limitations.
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That is no doubt true in some cases, but I find time and again that various organizations --- businesses and even religious entities --- use Facebook as their sole means of Internet presence, seemingly because, as you note, it doesn't require web expertise and is free. That was fine until TPTB at Facebook decided to do this "three scrolls and bomb out" thing.
This would be a golden opportunity for someone to come along with a type of free web hosting that works like Facebook, has the same look and feel, but allows anyone to use it, whether logged in or not, without such limitations.
It's also due to search engine placement. The FB page for a business will often appear higher in Google results than their actual website. A business trying to compete with that isn't going to succeed without some major change in Google's search results.
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It's not just the fingers. It's the way his whole "arm" and "hand" is positioned. Just look at it!
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Yikes!!! I didn't even notice that until I looked at it again after you mentioned it. That's freakish!! Thanks a lot, Matthew, that's going to give me nightmares now! :trollface:
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It's not just the fingers. It's the way his whole "arm" and "hand" is positioned. Just look at it!
AI gets things *so* wrong sometimes. Not surprising, considering ZERO intelligence is involved...
Clearly the boy broke his arm because he was working so hard on the sculpture :laugh1:
... or maybe double-jointed elbows are his secret to sculpting so well.
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It's not just the fingers. It's the way his whole "arm" and "hand" is positioned. Just look at it!
AI gets things *so* wrong sometimes. Not surprising, considering ZERO intelligence is involved...
Yeah, it looks like someone is hiding behind and reaching around him. Also, the boy's face looks a lot like a black Zuck.