Gawker
And it's gone! It appears that the mysterious Facebook stalker feature—that allowed you to call up the names of five people who (we think) were searching for you most, just by pressing the down arrow in the search field—has been disabled. Our post on the feature went up shortly after 1:00; by 4:30 (or possibly earlier, based on our comments), it was no longer working. They're quick! We have an email in to Facebook to find out exactly what happened. How could they take it down without even explaining what it was? They mystery is eating us up inside. We will find the truth. [UPDATE: As noted in the comments, it looks like simply typing a period (".") in the search box will still bring up the same list of five people. Hope is not lost!]
Gawker Kills Facebook Stalker Feature?
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4:42 PM on Tue May 13 2008
By Hamilton Nolan
12,462 views
75 comments
Comments
ahhh... now i'm left with five profiles that haunt me... who's stalking who!?!? the answers are really important- please someone solve the mystery!
justt use "." instead of the down arrow - it still works H
Damn, that's like what Clooney tried to do to GawkerStalker a few summers ago but failed at miserably and just made more people read both the site & the feature he wanted people to ignore.
Except, you guys were successful and he wasnt. Though he is dating that hot ex-cocktail waitress, so I guess he always wins...
put a period instead
@CarolKat: I know, this quandry is getting LOST in its epic-ness.
Well now I kind of miss it.
I'm pretty sure you deserve an award of some sort of this really is the case.
@allyzay: AHHHHH!
Those fuckers! I mean, yay!
You guys are still fucking talking about this? Losers.
@blogissuchanuglyword: Yes, too soon for all the back-patting, it still works.
Its gone, but not before a really uncomfortable g-chat between me and my ex (who apparently reads Gawker as well.) Thanks for nothing, fbook.
Yeh, it is confirmed. If you put the period in and hit the down arrow key you can definitely still see the 5 names. And my names have not changed and people have been on my page since this am, so it is not the 5 most recent stalker-theory.
@LadlySack: Don't judge.
Definitely still works with a "." but I'm now of the theory that it is a non-random intentionally mysterious group of 5 people designed to make you talk about facebook. Good job Gawker, you just provided facebook with a platform for viral advertising 2.0!
ok... that's a weird combo of people. i think it's five random friends, and FB is rolling on the floor about this.
My ex, she reads BoingBoing. So here's hoping there was no cross-posting going down, and that maybe our planned "let's be friends" dinner later this week will be heavier on the vinaigrette than the mace. For once.
@Diglett: or are they ROFL? because ROF doesn't sound that fun.
It also does it for a single quotation mark, apostrophe, and the dash key.
some of you people have EX issues.
CUT THE CORD! DO IT! you'll feel better. promise.
Press the space bar instead.
@blogissuchanuglyword: SHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Mine still works. Too bad I only have five friends.
@hypocriteoath: yeah, srsly. i don't even speak to my exes, the rest of y'all are weirdos. she's just keepin' you around as back-up, dudes! self-esteem insurance! don't be that guy!
@Multiphasic: BoingBoing? PU, Good riddance
If you type in "##:~~" the lights flicker.
Yep, period still works. And they are just five of my facebook friends.
Look does ANYONE see any names that aren't already on their friends list?
(And, if you think the answer is "yes," are you sure you didn't just forget they're on your friends list? Or are you sure you have at least five friends? Or any friends?)
Because I think the list is just five of your friends. And I don't understand what the big deal is.
damn.....is facebook being really slow and sucking for anyone else today!!? these posts just make the suspense that much worse.
fucking facebook. I hate but I neeeeeeeeed you......
hate *you*
Mine also still works, but I can't make heads or tails of the people it brings up.
@hypocriteoath: :(
I only look when I'm drunk. And I'm always drunk.
@hypocriteoath:
you shut your mouth.
@Conbon: Right? it's totally weird and inexplicable, and potentially really creepy, and yet I don't want it to go away. It's sort of the Sanjaya of facebook.
@hamburgerhotdog:
if your into bitter drinking, films and new media...party at grassroots!
woo!
@Incher_George: Point well taken, as is the point that the part of my brain dedicated to remembering which fucking blogs my exes follow should be, if not freed up for use curing cancer in kittens, then at least obliterated with Stoli and rohypnol.
@MisterHippity: yeah it's 5 of your friends but WHICH five of your friends??
Also... regardless of how little I think about an ex, if it turns out that this IS the 5 people who look at your page most, it'd be quite a joy to find out that that dickwad I dated freshman year is still obsessed with me. Because, then I win.
relationships ARE contests, we're all clear on that, yes?
@VirusWithShoes: If you type ==>, everybody on Facebook can see your genitals.
So whatever you do, don't ... well hello there.
@hamburgerhotdog: haha. that's totally fair, I guess.
@mitchel_stevens: i'll take that as an admission of guilt!
also, has anyone noticed that you can scroll over people's stars [if they have them] and their connectedness index number shows up? weird. it's like facebook knows we're talking about it.
@jann9884:
Word.
For me:
1) Current Girlfriend (expected)
2) Ex-Girlfriend (huh!?)
IT's the last five people's pages that I have commented on.
definitely NOT random. but to be honest it looks like the list of people that i stalk.
@VirusWithShoes: if you type "/.--" a list of everyone you have slept with gets forwarded to your boss, parents, and current b/f
@hypocriteoath: When I scroll over your star, Dolph Lundgren pops up and tells me he's going to eat me after a couple hours of moderate to heavy petting.
@mitchel_stevens: Is that a place? Because I usually just do my drinking and stalking directly from my bed. Where all the problems originated.
I think my lights are broken.
@arguablythemostfamous: Or a bug zapper.
@VirusWithShoes: Only the lights that are actually surveillance cameras.
The next time any of us here sees some crazy, off-their-meds person at the 7-11, ranting about the secret government camera implanted inside their brain, we should all be thinking, "There but for the grace of God..."
Whoops...too late!
Goddamit!!! this explains why all the girls on my ex's friends list made their profiles private!!! Damn you Facebook!
A friend and I have speculated that it is an index of ones sexual past and a peak into its future.
If you type in <==3 you'll cum on everyone's face
Wouldnt the easiest way to solve this be for any one of us to get the balls to just e-mail these 5 people and ask them 'Hi - How often do you look at my profile?'
I call 'Not it'
My list is as such:
1. VERY recent ex
2. crush i stopped pursuing for said ex
3. see 2
4. a friend i rarely see but who has a crush on me
5. random girl i know very tenuously
Number 5 is famous in my mind for inviting me to way too many applications. I have maybe searched for her twice after forgetting who she even is. That makes me sure the list is of people looking at my page.