{"id":340223,"date":"2017-05-06T04:50:22","date_gmt":"2017-05-05T20:50:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/techcrunch.com\/?p=1486072"},"modified":"2017-05-06T04:50:22","modified_gmt":"2017-05-05T20:50:22","slug":"facebook-debuts-a-twitter-like-latest-conversations-feature-that-shows-public-posts-about-buzzing-topics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/facebook-debuts-a-twitter-like-latest-conversations-feature-that-shows-public-posts-about-buzzing-topics\/","title":{"rendered":"Facebook debuts a Twitter-like \u2018Latest Conversations\u2019 feature that shows public posts about buzzing topics"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Facebook is rolling out a new feature called \u201cLatest Conversations\u201d in its search results that will show the most recent public posts about timely topics that a lot of people across its network are discussing. The unit gives you a wider view of what people are saying about a news story or other subject by exposing you to sentiments being expressed outside your social circle.<\/p>\n

The ability to see public posts is not necessarily a new thing for Facebook, but this \u201cLatest Conversations\u201d unit is different from what was available previously. Before, when performing a broad keyword-based search on Facebook, the main search results page would display a mix of news articles, photos, videos, public posts, pages, groups and apps (if\u00a0applicable) associated with the search term.<\/p>\n

\u201cLatest Conversations,\u201d however, appears as its own section within the search results and includes a running \u2014 and live-updating! \u2014 counter showing how many people are talking about\u00a0the topic right now.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This counter gives you an idea of how widely discussed the topic is on the Facebook network. It\u2019s common to see a subject that more than a million users are actively posting about, for example.<\/p>\n

The feature is not exactly an ideal means of understanding the news, or getting a sense of how most users feel about a topic. Often, the\u00a0posts returned in \u201cLatest Conversations\u201d won\u2019t only\u00a0be in your native language, and will be from users around the world. (Offering a \u201ctranslate\u201d button here could go a long way.)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The addition comes at a time when Facebook is trying to pop users\u2019 \u201cfilter bubbles\u201d<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 meaning expose you to views outside of your\u00a0self-selected network of friends, who often share the same values and mindset as you.<\/p>\n

Facebook\u2019s algorithms have become smart enough to know which topics a user wants to see and will engage with, leading the company\u00a0to optimize a user\u2019s News Feed for those types of posts. But this also means you\u2019re no longer seeing what the opposing side may believe, and that has led to disastrous results.<\/p>\n

The company was criticized about the\u00a0echo chamber it creates\u00a0following the U.S. presidential election, as it became apparent that users are\u00a0only shown media and news that reinforced their existing views<\/a>, rather than informed them.<\/p>\n

\u201cLatest Conversations\u201d doesn\u2019t\u00a0go far enough to pierce through that filter bubble, though. The public posts it returns aren\u2019t ranked in a way that could help you understand what the wider world thinks about a subject, as it\u2019s instead a simple reverse chronological stream of public posts on the matter.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

If anything, the feature feels more like Facebook\u2019s attempt to step into Twitter\u2019s territory by allowing users to see a feed of public commentary about a timely subject.<\/p>\n

But unlike Twitter, once you\u2019ve clicked through to see the full stream, it doesn\u2019t update with new posts as they come in, the way Facebook\u2019s News Feed does. News Feed will pop up a \u201cNew Posts\u201d alert that will scroll you back to the top to see the latest content. \u201cLatest Conversations,\u201d ironically, remains a static page.<\/p>\n

To see new posts, you have to tap to go back to the main search results where the unit appears, then tap again on the \u201cSee All\u201d link to refresh the screen with the latest\u00a0posts. That\u2019s odd, given that the post counter at the top of the page continually updates \u2014 the expectation is that the stream of posts would, too.<\/p>\n

The unit doesn\u2019t appear for all search queries, only those that are seeing a lot of activity at the time of the search.<\/p>\n

While the feature feels more experimental, Facebook confirmed with TechCrunch that it\u2019s rolling out to users now. We\u2019re currently seeing it in Facebook\u2019s mobile app, but not on the web.<\/p>\n

(h\/t @fbjag<\/a> on Twitter)<\/em><\/p>\n

Featured Image: Twin Design<\/a>\/Shutterstock<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"\" Facebook is rolling out a new feature called “Latest Conversations” in its search results that will show the most recent public posts about timely topics that a lot of people across its network are discussing. The unit gives you a wider view of what people are saying about a news story or other subject by exposing you to sentiments being expressed outside your social circle. Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

\n<\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a> <\/img><\/a>\n<\/div>\n

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