DISQUS

Vonbrucken · 1 month ago

I like this kind of humour , and if facebook recommends to reconnect with a dead friend, open a beer and drink to the good old memories !

jdawkinsatl · 1 month ago

Well I'm sure there are several options Facebook can do to remove these types of scenarious but here are my thoughts.

1. The algorithm CAN'T account for the deceased. There is merely no way to tell. One option is to suspend users after a certain amount of inactivity (several months maybe?). Therefore some user profiles can be available for memorial or reference purposes but would put them in an "inactive" status. This status will allow them to query against the user in the db and exclude them from the algorithm. Another option is to include the behavior of the suggested user. If they haven't logged into Facebook (mobile, iphone, anything) in 6 or 7 months it's for a reason, and it's clear they have no intentions of connecting with anyone on Facebook.

2. The algorithm has no idea that your break up with an ex was a bad one (or a good one). Maybe they should poll you when you sever the relationship status. LOL!! The only flaw in that is that many don't put their relationship status out there for everyone else to see, so Facebook knows you're "in a relationship" (maybe) but it doesn't know who, therefore to Facebook they will forever be a "friend." Also not all relationships end badly, and if they do why not just remove them as a friend. Otherwise reconnecting may not be a bad thing.

3. As for inactivity with your wife or husband why not take a moment to post something romantic, sexy or funny on their wall. It would at least remove the recommendation for a while.

That's just my 3 cents.

bob · 1 month ago

Wait... natalial's dog has a facebook profile?

Flowsion Shekar · 1 month ago

It's good. You can delete those you forgot about that you don't want to reconnect with.

haris · 1 month ago

You can't really blame Facebook for not knowing that some people are dead. In fact it'd be even creepier if they did know …

elizabeth obih-frank · 1 month ago

This is rather unfortunate and I, like Mashable, suspect it's unintentional... I do hope they correct it soon!

Steve · 1 month ago

I'm not sure how Facebook is supposed to know who has died. The users are worse than the service itself.

advocatus · 1 month ago

Facebook's recommendation engine has been broken for months. It's just in a prominent spot with the UI tweaks and everyone is noticing now.

Cat · 1 month ago

Facebook has suggested dozens of times that I add a person as a friend who has been dead for approximately 18 months now. I find this somewhat disturbing. I would have mentioned this well before now on Twitter, but as some of this person's family are mutual friends on Twitter it could be insensitive to mention it.

This has probably been an issue for a while but people do not mention it out of respect for others.

advocatus · 1 month ago

I'm not referring to the exact two problems mentioned in the article. The issues I was talking about are:
1). Repeatedly suggesting the same friend half-a-dozen times (in a row), even when I click the x.
2). Suggesting completely random people that have like 6 friends, and none of them are mutual.

brian fanslau · 1 month ago

That is a sad and unfortunate algorithm

juststartit · 1 month ago

Never saw this from any of the feeds. Where on earth does it appear???

Monika Runstrom · 1 month ago

It is on the top right side under suggestions. You may need to hit 'home' a few times to get these types of suggestions.

juststartit · 1 month ago

Hi Monika, still hasn't seen it. Anyhow, it's not that important. Just curious about all this reconnect thing.

carolynfoland · 1 month ago

RECONECT ME TO FACEBOOK thats what i want to see! i havent been able to log on for 2 days and my friend 2285+ are no longer"friends". i have tried to contact various ppl. HELP! is this bc of the CHANGES? i am at a loss. i miss my friends and their lives far away and i miss my business page for sales! geez facebook i miss you

LoveTheCool BLOG · 1 month ago

Dozens of incidences, when you are talking about tens of millions of users, would still be considered isolated - no?

Phoenixheart · 1 month ago

Wait, isn't this algorithm from the guys that once claimed to have search results better than Google's?

KristenB · 1 month ago

How would Facebook know that someone was dead? I don't think they can update their status...

Steven Rossi · 1 month ago

Yeah, it's actually recommended 3 times that I reconnect with a dead friend, which is interesting because no other friends have been repeated as far as I can tell.

Bonochromatic · 1 month ago

Seriously, you like the new Live Feed? Is that before or after smoking copious amounts of crack? Pete, I just lost a great deal of respect in you.

Name · 1 month ago

Does facebook have an Ouija Board App? FAIL!!!

christopher copywriter · 1 month ago

I like connecting... Facebook's a just a website, not exactly like havin' distant relatives and desirably avoided (ex) friends over sitting watching TV in my living room and raiding the fridge.. It's interesting to see where people end up. Bad feelings (if there was any) can be sorted out with a bit of understanding.

maxions · 1 month ago

Facebook algorithm is not a god algorithm to know who you want to or don't want to reconnect with... This is all the same as other algorithm on the internet including Google, Bing, Twitter and etc.

AshliT · 1 month ago

I feel so sorry for all the people that get the reconnect with message re deceased loved ones and friends, that is so sad. Facebook suggested that I reconnect with my own brother. Honestly what is the purpose of this feature anyway??!!

Michael Bauser · 1 month ago

It's to make you interact with more people, so you'll spend more time on Facebook, see more advertisments, and buy more virtual gifts.

In other words, it's to make you make more money for Facebook. It is a business, you know.

Gina · 1 month ago

I have almost 200 people in my friends list that I knew way back or exes...lol

Michael Bauser · 1 month ago

1) People who tweet about their Facebook accounts should not be taken seriously as representatives of the human race. People who tweet about their DOG'S Facebook account should be subjected to a three-day psychiatric hold.

2) If you don't want to be reminded that you're friends with you ex, DON'T BE FRIENDS WITH YOUR EX.

3) If Facebook thinks you're neglecting your spouse, please tell me so I can mock you.

4) Yeah, the dead friend thing is kind of sad. Has anybody TOLD Facebook that those people are dead?

jms coupons · 1 month ago

Awfully, is facebook a census engine???

cm867 · 1 month ago

I hate how "reconnect" implies I've lost contact with these people somehow.

Obviously being asked to get back in touch with someone who's died is distressing, but I think the big picture here is that FB's made a really annoying faux pas in acting as though facebooking constitutes social interaction, instead of supplementing it.

Yeah, maybe a few people don't engage in many other types of social interaction these days -- but it's a bad move piss off the rest of us by devaluing the really strong relationships I have with coworkers who aren't as "into" facebook as I am, or my Navy friend who's underwater for a good chunk out of the year.

Henry · 1 month ago

Facebook is a good way to connect with your friends
But as you mention above,How would Facebook know that someone was dead?
anuway,thanks for the sharing

Lily Grozeva · 1 month ago

It's simply an interruption in one's life. Do your job, Facebook, let my life be mine.

Guest · 1 month ago

Facebook Needs a Face Lift

ws · 1 month ago

what's all the fuss about? i can't imagine Facebook having a "Dead" or "Died Recently" as a Status option. who would change em anyway? they're simply asking us to reconnect with Facebook friends (from our list) whom we obviously haven't kept in touch with for a while. they wouldn't know who has passed away or if that person was your ex or whatever. quit blaming FB for everything and every changes they make cause you know you can't live without FB (or rather the apps). no matter how sucky / awesome the changes may be, we're all still stucked to FB. :)

wardell latham · 1 month ago

I get where they where going with the idea but I think they should rebrand the feature, instead of telling people they should reconnect , which does seem a little invasive in pushy. Maybe a simple list of friends names who have actually logged onto the site in the last month would do the trick.

Michèle Ménard · 1 month ago

Same thing happened to me. A friend of mine is in hospital since July, after a car accident: you bet I want to reconnect with him!

Σχολή Χορού · 1 month ago

OK these things happen. My opinion about Facebook changes intact.

burningfencepost · 1 month ago

Been thinking about leaving Facebook for a while now, it always feels like I'm playing a game to someone elses rules. Things like this do not help..

Rob K · 1 month ago

This happened to me. FB recommended I connect with me deceased mother, with whom I share no friends and very few common traits. I blogged about it here http://bit.ly/2eBSIQ

People Search · 1 month ago

Maybe trying to get you to reconnect with dead friends is Facebook's social network version of Paranormal Activity for Halloween.

John Rosenfelder · 1 month ago

good example of the structure of the web not adding up on the aesthetic-cultural side.

iTbay · 1 month ago

ouch

Liz · 1 month ago

I think it's a nice feature. There are actually friends, in the 34873948753 that everyone claims to have on Facebook, that you may not have spoken to in a while. They get lost in the numbers.

edw3rd · 1 month ago

Do you really think it was well intentioned?

I think they are simply trying to goose their active user numbers.

milkfish · 1 month ago

Perhaps it could score some points in certain quarters by advising people to reconnect with the God of their youth, Who is probably on Facebook. Repent!

Lucy Beer · 1 month ago

This is just another example of how clumsy Facebook is being of late (the way they try and filter my News Feed for me is yet another). Perhaps they should focus on using FB as a discovery tool for finding new people that you have something in common with, rather than trying to tell me which of my current relationships I should be paying closer attention to. I can figure out that part for myself ;)

Ash · 1 month ago

If people don't want to "reconnect" with their exs why the hell do they have them as Facebook friends??!

chrishoskins · 1 month ago

Fair enough that it's a bit insensitive to be recommended to reconnect with a friend who has passed away. But to be fair, how is facebook supposed to know they have passed away? And ex-lovers? If you don't want to maintain a relationship with them as friends then why on earth are you friends with them on facebook? surely the point of friends on facebook is that it is a group of people you want to connect with? no? Is it just me?

jaucremann · 1 month ago

Actually, Facebook does have a system in place where the deceased's family and/or friends can report their death so that their profile can be "memorialized".
They just posted a note to remind everyone of this function. http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=16309104...

Name · 1 month ago

Actually, first I was annoyed by these suggestions, but now I like them because they prompt me to realize a bunch of dead wood exists in my friends list -- I see a suggestion, then go and remove them as a friend. Never would have remembered they are even in my friends list -- thanks Facebook!

nsummy · 1 month ago

I fail to see what the big deal is. If you really do not want to message someone or are so mortified that facebook suggests you reconnect with an ex, why are you even friends with him or her?

If there is one thing I've learned by being on twitter, its that people will bitch about any little thing. It all snowballs & if one person complains about something others will piggyback on their statement. No on cares. Facebook is a social media site, heaven forbid it attempts to get people to communicate instead of just lurking.

raymond8505 · 1 month ago

once they get the special dead people profile settings going, they can tweak the reconnect stuff not to suggest that.

donnie · 1 month ago

very unfortunate

SaharrRRRAAA · 1 month ago

I want people to reconnect with me because THEY want too not because facebook told them too!!!
It makes people out to be the pathetic friend you need to "help"

Richard · 1 month ago

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Seriously you Facebook people have no clue how stupid you all look to the rest of us.
Here's a fun game you won't find on facebook. Type the word 'facebook' into google news occasionally. You might learn something.

drodrey · 4 days ago

Facebook keeps recommending i reconnect with a guy who died about a month ago. I wasn't that good friend with him, so I'm not particularly upset, but imagine how much it would suck if his girlfriend of sister got that.