The FB Crackdown Is Underway. And There’s Some Seriously Shady Stuff Happening.

We have told you for several weeks now about Facebook’s recent algorithm changes, aimed at preventing our followers from seeing our content. You can read the details about that right here and right here.

We have been getting TONS of comments on our wall, and via email, about these changes. Anytime we post a Facebook live video, invariably someone comments, “This is the first time I’ve seen you in my feed forever!” It’s happening more and more. In fact, these are posts on our wall from just the last 10 days or so:

I try to answer every one of those messages to let y’all know to make sure to follow our Facebook GROUP in addition to our page (you can join the group right here), but honestly, the very best, Facebook-proof way to solve this issue is to stop relying on Facebook to get you here.  Just bookmark our website, and visit once a day (at least.)  And then you’ll never miss a post, guaranteed!

But you guys, it’s not just about not seeing our posts in your timeline anymore.  Facebook apparently is doing other weird stuff.  Check this out:

Um, say WHAT?  That’s disturbing.  And then there was this:

We’ve seen articles that reference this practice and in fact mentioned it in this post.  But this next one is really interesting:

This is the kind of stuff that just completely makes no sense, for all of the reasons Angie listed.  That is some shady crap right there.

And what it leads to, when Facebook starts asking people to weigh in on how much they trust a website, is this. According to that sourcelink:

On Jan. 19, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that, to help improve the quality of sources in news feeds, users would be polled on the trustworthiness of different outlets. They would occasionally be asked, “Do you recognize the following websites,” and then, “How much do you trust each of these domains?” Users would then be given five options —from “not at all” to “entirely”—to rate their trust.

Facebook was knocked by some for the poll’s brevity, while others wondered whether partisan bias would affect the trust ratings for mainstream news outlets—particularly those that have come under heavy political attack by Trump.

So for any liberal who saw the name of our website, how do you suppose they’d answer the question? We’re different than Daily Wire, or InfoWars, or sites that use the names of their founders (Pamela Gellar, Breitbart) in that we showcase our idealogy RIGHT IN THE NAME OF THE SITE. So it’s instantly clear, from the name of our site alone, which way we lean.

OF COURSE any liberal will see that and immediately say we’re not trustworthy.

And then what happens? This crap:

Most trusted PARTISAN news outlets:
• @realDailyWire: 0.20 (on a 1.0 scale)
• @BreitbartNews: 0.17
• @FDRLST : 0.16
• @InfoWars: 0.15

Least trusted outlets:
• @PalmerReport: 0.12
• @ChicksOnRight: 0.11
• @PamelaGeller: 0.10
• @HeatStreet: 0.10https://t.co/VF8aKIsvd0

— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) February 8, 2018

We get idiotic Yale professors classifying us as an untrustworthy news site, when in fact, WE ARE NOT A NEWS SITE. We LINK to news sites, and offer our opinion on their stories. That’s a pretty big distinction.  So like, I guess we can be mildly flattered that we’re known enough to be included in this stupid study, but we shouldn’t be.  We are NOT A NEWS SITE.

But what will happen as a result? Facebook will be all, “Ooooo – COTR isn’t trustworthy, therefore we won’t show their followers any of their content.”  That’s what’ll happen.  There’ll be sheep who see Luntz’s post and think, “Oooo – those Chicks are lying to me.”

We’re not lying.  We’re sharing our opinions.  You can agree with us or disagree with us – but we will ALWAYS provide you a source for the information we’re sharing.  And whatever that source is, is likely the news site.  And it’s on THAT news site’s article that we’re providing commentary.

I can’t believe this requires explaining.

Anyway, the squelching is happening, full force, and we just wanted to remind you that there are workarounds, the best of which is to simply come visit this site once a day without relying on Facebook to get you here.  Second best is to join all the cool people in our FB group, which is now 26,000 members strong!

You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram!