Is suggestions in FB a form of tracking?

[peekaboo17]

I have a question. If i visit a profile a lot ( profile of a person I don't know and don't have any friends in common) is it possible that after a while I will appear in that person's suggestions?? I've been paying attention to my own suggestions almost all of them are friends or friends, but sometimes it appear to be a couple of people who I know but we don't have any friends in common... how did FB find out that I know this person even though we don't have any friends in common ( maybe this person looks at my profile a lot).. Does anything like this has happened to any of you? Thoughts?

[justy]

no, all it does is a rotation of mutual friends. nothing to be paranoid about   we still have a tracker that we a are keeping secret atm. if we go viral, it gets patched.

[angelfire]

I googled "Facebook suggestions" and it turns out that a LOT of people have wondered about how it works, for similar reasons. There's a ton of queries, discussions, blogs and articles about it over the last couple of years, some very recent.

Here's one discussion from last year that's pretty typical of the majority of them (the same theories show up in a lot of other places):

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/omni/967747-how-does-facebook-come-up-friend-suggestions.html

Common networks, schools, workplaces, interests, etc are believed to play a part along with friends of friends, but there's also a lot of speculation and anecdotes concerning e-mail lists. Even though it's all anecdotal, it's interesting reading.

[peekaboo17]

Thanx angel fire and Justy... I'm like phewww!! it just seemed odd that from all people that exact person showed up excelent article ,and there is a tracker?? I didnt know it worked !! good for u guys hope u can share it soon!!

[freezey]

so weird peekaboo, I was just coming here to ask that question.
The same thing happened but i have NOTHING in common with this person. no school, job, friends etc

The weird thing some of that person famlii also showed up as a suggestion. I t really freaked me out. I figured that was too much of a coinsendence so i figured someone must have had FB look through their emial contact list.


Would my FB page also show up on there suggestions too, if so If they X'ed me out would that person dissapear from my suggestions? They were there and then they were gone...what do you guys think?

[Angry Johnny]

Suggestions are weird.  I have a fake account, and, all of a sudden, all my friends are showing up as 'people you may know'.  The email is different, different country, nothing in common; somehow, one of my friends even requested to be friends with the fake (I told her about it afterward, had a good laugh, but still).  Here's my thought: if you look up the person or visit their profile, there's a tracking cookie within facebook that they suddenly will start showing up.  Also, if you checked to see who blocked you or what not from a fake, and they are showing up in the fake (when you see 'who I know on facebook' using your real email), and then they suddenly keep showing up, the cookie seems to hold true.  I hope this make sense.  It seems facebook is tracking us, unbeknown to, well, the public (darned 1984 reference).

[freezey]

Suggestions are weird.  I have a fake account, and, all of a sudden, all my friends are showing up as 'people you may know'.  The email is different, different country, nothing in common; somehow, one of my friends even requested to be friends with the fake (I told her about it afterward, had a good laugh, but still).  Here's my thought: if you look up the person or visit their profile, there's a tracking cookie within facebook that they suddenly will start showing up.  Also, if you checked to see who blocked you or what not from a fake, and they are showing up in the fake (when you see 'who I know on facebook' using your real email), and then they suddenly keep showing up, the cookie seems to hold true.  I hope this make sense.  It seems facebook is tracking us, unbeknown to, well, the public (darned 1984 reference).

I truly believe FB is doing so many things without our knowledge

[deecbee]

I have been doing a LOT of experimentation with different fake accounts trying to figure out all the factors that go into this. I know for a fact if you let FB into your email contacts, those people will show up in your suggestions.  If you search for someone enough times, this will also make them show up in your email account.  If someone has you in their email contacts OR searches for you often, they will show up in your suggestions.

I also think IP is a factor.  My fake accounts have somehow found all of my real friends and suggested them... there is NO other connection except that I'm using the same computer.

[E]

@ justy. you have a tracker for facebook? wow!! can we pay to get this? you can trust me!

[rb9398]

@ E...agreed!

[peekaboo17]

same here!

[JenniferN]

yes I would love to know more about the tracker and I would pay for it too...if it actually works.

[brilsent]

I would also love to know more about this tracker and maybe even try it out.