The Student Room Group

Does anyone know exactly how facebook works out who to suggest you chat to?!?!

Hi, just curious about this really. You know on your facebook homepage, and on the left hand bar it says "friends online" and it has a list of suggestions of who you should speak to? Well that's what I'm asking about.

Because basically, for me it had always been a list of people I comment a lot on fb or chat to a lot. HOWEVER, recently it's been weirding me out a little.

For example, the other night I was out with my friends and I bumped into an old friend who I hadn't seen for ages and we chatted for quite a while. I log on the next morning and he is on the suggestions bit, despite the fact I have not so much as looked at his profile in at least 6 months! And he's been on my suggestions ever since. Another thing, my friend has been bringing his girlfriend to a few parties this week, and I've spoken to her quite a bit. Log on today and she is a suggestion, despite the fact I haven't been on her profile pretty much ever and never ever have wrote anything on her wall etc.

Basically, how does it know??!?! Because I just find it really weird that they seem to know who I've been talking to a lot recently irl :colonhash:
Reply 1
It just knows. I can't say more than that, sorry.
Reply 2
Lol they're stalking you!

It's just people you haven't spoken to on fb recently.
*Sparkle*

It's just people you haven't spoken to on fb recently.

Oh right? Because usually it is a list of people I do speak to regularly. And the hundreds of other people on my fb I don't speak to haven't come up haha :P Just seems a bit weird, s'all.
Reply 4
pomme de terre
Oh right? Because usually it is a list of people I do speak to regularly. And the hundreds of other people on my fb I don't speak to haven't come up haha :P Just seems a bit weird, s'all.


Shhh. Stop asking questions.
No-one knows? :colonhash:
Reply 6
It's a mystery .. :ninja:
Reply 7
pomme de terre
Hi, just curious about this really. You know on your facebook homepage, and on the left hand bar it says "friends online" and it has a list of suggestions of who you should speak to? Well that's what I'm asking about.

Because basically, for me it had always been a list of people I comment a lot on fb or chat to a lot. HOWEVER, recently it's been weirding me out a little.

For example, the other night I was out with my friends and I bumped into an old friend who I hadn't seen for ages and we chatted for quite a while. I log on the next morning and he is on the suggestions bit, despite the fact I have not so much as looked at his profile in at least 6 months! And he's been on my suggestions ever since. Another thing, my friend has been bringing his girlfriend to a few parties this week, and I've spoken to her quite a bit. Log on today and she is a suggestion, despite the fact I haven't been on her profile pretty much ever and never ever have wrote anything on her wall etc.

Basically, how does it know??!?! Because I just find it really weird that they seem to know who I've been talking to a lot recently irl :colonhash:

Suggestion algorithms are quite clever. The algorithm will have spotted that your friend was probably checking out your profile for the first time in a little while and has suggested that you check out his and talk to him. If this behaviour is unusual, the algorithm will assume that something must have caused your friend to check out your profile in the first place and 9 times out of 10, that'll be because you bumped into them.

Neat eh?
Reply 8
:colonhash:
Reply 9
Malsy
:colonhash:


Did you get the grades for Dentistry?
Reply 10
come online then. pm inbox is full.
Reply 11
Malsy
come online then. pm inbox is full.


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