Facebook is all set to add another update in its friend suggestion algorithm. It will add people you see most often — at bar, office, café or the like — in your People You May Know section.
Has this ever happened to you that you see the same girl every time you walk in to the coffee shop, but, never had a chance to talk to her or ask her name? I have seen this happening to a lot of guys, including me!
It’s never easy to break the ice. Especially when you don’t even know her name, have no information of interesting conversational topics to begin with. And to top it off, your dose of confidence is kissing the floor while you’re overwhelmed with her cuteness.
You feel like approaching Kim Jong Un. And the café, well of course, the North Korea. A hell tensed situation. Well Facebook seems to have an axe to break this ice.
Really, you ask?
Facebook is well-known for its amazing yet scary data mining algorithms and machine learning features that suggest you friends and other posts. It compares all the information you offer to suggest you connections. For example, you see people from your high school, from the same living area, your interests, mutual friends, and even people from other networks as well in suggestions.
In addition to that, Facebook has taken a step ahead in guessing who can become your friend from the places you often go.
A patent by Facebook reveals the concept of suggesting connection based on mutual network connectivity options. If you and a person have been using the same Wi-Fi network for some time, you will see their faces appearing in People You May Know section.
This seems both creepy and innovative at the same time to me. I will explain why I think so later in today’s post. Let’s first see how this is going to work –
Whenever you’ll enter into a Wi-Fi network, Facebook’s app will launch a data packet (either by Bluetooth or NFC) containing a little info about you and your device. Your smartphone will also receive data packets released by other Smartphones on the same network. These packets play central role in tailoring the suggestions.
So, if two people are using the same network, Facebook’s app will recognize it. Hey, don’t get startled you strong heart. Your “people you may know” feed isn’t going to be flooded by everyone sitting in that coffee shop or Bar.
Facebook is enough smart on that front. It will filter people using criteria like, how often both of you enter into a particular place, let say café, at the same time, your distance from that person (based on signal strength), and the like.
If you both get together at the same place several times, it is likely that you’ll see them in your Facebook suggestions.
Now, let me come to the point why this new friend suggestion algorithm by FB is both creepy as well as good for you.
Yeah agree that this method, for sure, is going to suggest some people you hate so much that you don’t even want to see their faces. Your ex, for example, or that guy who messed with you in that coffee shop once, I don’t know who broke whose nose, but I am assuming that you’re a black belt.
Grass sometimes use to be greener from the other side. That is to say: though this feature is creepy, but it can be awesome for you. You may, for example, want to approach that beautiful girl who sips coffee every day at table no 3 while reading John Green’s Looking for Alaska.
And if you’re also looking for your Alaska, then Facebook can help you in your hunt. Hey, at least you will know her name. And the chances of you sipping coffee with her are damn high if she accepts your friend request!
Everything aside, this new friend finding method of Facebook is quite innovative when it comes to Social media networks. What are your views about this new method? How is it going to affect interactions on Social media? Let me know in the comments.
Besides that Facebook will soon introduce multi-posts stories features that will convert your multiple posts into a story.