26 Friends Facebook hoax

Yep you guessed it… False.

In December 2017, rumours of a new Facebook algorithm hit the social media network. The algorithm stood accused of restricting the number of friends whose content appears in users’ newsfeeds. Some of this fake news also stated you will only see news from 24 or 26 of your most active friends.Most posts contained pleas for more interaction by liking or commenting on a post  Pleas usually contained misinformation along with “Can everybody do me a quick favor, pretty please??” Some versions even claimed, inaccurately, that fact checker website SNOPES had verified that the purported new Facebook algorithm exists.

 The truth is that the changes in Facebook’s algorithm are intended to increase (not limit) interactions with friends and family. This update is instead meant to affect content “engagement bait,” or posts that ask users to like, share, or comment or tag a friend.

In a press release, the social network said that users had expressed distaste for “spammy posts [which] goad them into interacting with likes, shares, comments, and other actions.”

So all of it is changing for the better – now under Facebook scrutiny;

“vote baiting” or using reactions as an informal poll.

 “react baiting” polling with choices of – like a post to express one reaction or share to express the other.

 “share baiting” which sounds like a broader category . Here sharing of a post was rewarded in the form of a contest or other inducement. This reminds me of the contest rules guidelines I first remember.

So if you get this message, feel free to ignore or flag it. Whatever you do, don’t pass it along to anyone. Meantime, if you’re unhappy with the news feed the new algorithm is providing you, there is something you can do about that. On the left side of your Facebook page click “newsfeed” and change your feed to “most recent”.

Oh…and Yes there are always going to be ads on Facebook……so enjoy that it’s FREE.

You can find confirmation of this facebook feed hoax research by searching in Forbes magazine online or at snopes.com.