So. Maybe you read Michael’s rant about FriendFeed being like syphilis. His point was that its brilliant technology which facilitates real-time discussions is also perfect for mobs. Mobs that rally around hot topics, and get whipped up into saying fairly awful things about people they don’t really know. I’ve written similar things in the past as well. Anyways, a mob situation came up led to us pulling our FriendFeed account.
Today at our Real-Time CrunchUp, Michael sat down with FriendFeed co-founder Bret Taylor and Robert Scoble, one of the service’s leading cheerleaders. Scoble has disagreed with Michael in the past that FriendFeed commenting could lead to a problem. But today, he agreed with him when put on the spot. But the more interesting part of the discussion was Taylor also admitting that the mob-mentality (though he wouldn’t use those words) was more or less a problem. And they’re working on a solution.
One solution Taylor laid out is that users should be able to shut down comments for specific threads on FriendFeed. This way, if a conversation is getting out of control, you can just shut it down. Currently, you can moderate comments on a thread, but only on a one by one basis, this would shut things down in one fell swoop. But another more interesting thing Taylor said they were talking about is only allowing comments from users in your social graph.
Sounds good to us. We’re reopening our FriendFeed account. It’s not ready yet, but stay tuned. And watch the video below for some of the hilarity. And the one below that for what this really is all about.
friendfeed belongs in the deadpool. I have yet to find someone who uses it that is not from techcrunch.
that’ll be sad, but it’ll happen. Its a brilliant service, but fuck man..who the hell wants to follow their friends SO much? Come on, don’t people have anything better to do (like commenting on TC posts?)
I suppose they have to really push frienndfeed to the mainstream web users. Right now it’s still pretty niche. Watch when CNN reference news from FriendFeed insteat of Twitter… maybe then, there is still hope.
they should make comment tree just like here on TC, 2 level tree is enough. So duplicate comments and yay-nays to a comment will be as reply to single comment.
I use it and i am not from TechCrunch.
Clearly.
How about some tools for the unfortunate recipients of the mob to defend themselves? I’m not saying the mob does not form for a reason but plenty of times the mob goes way overboard, posting personal info etc.
What if the mob instigator is not inclined to shut things down? How is FF going to deal with that? So FF has stayed away from lending a hand, at least saying “that’s enough. etc.”
I really dislike friendfeed. Especially when someones twitter post just points me to their same comment on friendfeed.
Wrong.
I love friendfeed, hate twitter.
Twitter is a sewer. Friendfeed is a useful aggregation service which is brilliant and ‘Just works’.
Also, I don’t work at TechCrunch and think by and large techcrunchers are the chumps of the industry.
Overall, Bret Taylor was a disappointment. Could you stand behind your product any less? With that said, in terms of this post. A misleading title. I didn’t hear anything from Bret Taylor in agreement with the analogy ’syphilis’ nor ‘penicillin.’ Just improvements. He also said he’d prefer not to call FF users “mobs.” Where’s the objectivity? Yes there are problems, some of those you can trace back to Arrington’s personality and some of the inflammatory things he says. When you have someone constantly stirring the pot, people do get out of control. That’s unfortunate, he should be able to express his opinion, whatever it is, without worrying about the mob mentality, especially when it comes to threats. FriendFreed is a useful social aggregate tool, but for conversations, useless. The realtime chat feed is horrible.
mobs is the plural of trolls?
I’m going to use their groups instead of a forum in my new site.
It seem to be pretty useful for this purpose.
I can’t find any useful application for Twitter. It’s just a stream of BS coming out of more or less professional BSers, you can’t put it to any use, period.
Penelope Jenkins says this sucks
..you know, this is a real cry baby mentality, ug. come on guys, grow up!
“the ppl on friendfeed are mean to me, wahhh”
..the same thing can happen on twitter, or anywhere else. Mike was rude to Leo, and we all took point to it. Just deal with the consequences of your actions, like a grown up… and wait for ADHD to kick in and everyone to chase something else.
In case you want to rant about this person his Twitter account is http://twitter.com/seanmacdhai
Enjoy the ranting and the Mobbing. *Lights Torch*
LOL… arse whole.
..and you can find Matt at
http://twitter.com/199S
Think they know that, dipshit. It’s in my name.
I was just making sure. deepsheet.
You need to watch the cursing. I think that bothers Arrington. He is sensitive you know.
(j/k guys, don’t get uptight)
what’s amazing to me about this whole comment thread is that MacDhai is open on his twitter about being a HR employee at EA. He also twittered “Arrington needs to get over his victim mentality and grow up a bit. Ppl are not always gonna like what you say bro.”
it is a huge problem that people are willing to make comments like this with their own brand and their employer’s brand behind them.
within a day of reading that article I witnessed this very mob culture – but using the comments on facebook.
I lady appeared to be disraught because she felt she was being slandered/ her reputation being ruined by “haters” – I put in a small kind of “that terrible, the best method for dealing with haters is to ignore them” etc. but within minute she had a swarm of friends offering to sabbotage the website and reputation of the “hater” and indeed some had already taken action on the haters website calling her a *@3$! etc.
- In my brain I just thought okay, exit this is turning into one of those “Arrington Mobs” !
so is Norm Macdonald = Robert Scoble?
Scrolling past the TC article to the TC comments is making me feel like it is a pre-1999 Slashdot.
Hi kids. I’m old enough to remember that. Get off my lawn.
[sits down to take another Geritol]