Facebook's Lookback | Hacker News Reader

Facebook's Lookback

facebook.com

83 points_samjarman124 comments

This is a lot like Google's auto-awesome videos they came out with last year. On New Year's Eve I got a push notification from Google+ on my Android phone that said something like "Happy New Year!" and when I touched it I got a video that showed an auto-curated video of stuff that happened in 2013 based on my videos and pictures that auto-upload to G+. Pretty well done -- I showed it to my family and they were impressed.

After I saw the version they made for me, it let me pick the background music and re-rendered it to match the music I picked.

Wow. I found this rather poignant. I've been on Facebook for 6 years, and it struck me that most of the events it picked out were closer to the start of those 6 years than the present.

I definitely found it the reverse. I've been using FB for 8 years and I found it very poignant too but most of the images seemed to be from the last year or two.

I don't know if this correlates with the amount I posted those years or is just the effect of randomly picking a fairly small pool of images and events. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clustering_illusion

My video ended with the "Sky.NET" meme image that we were joking about when Microsoft bought Skype. Talk about mood-destroying.

I found it funny, because of the mismatch between the "this is supposed to feel poignant" style of background music and the completely-lacking-in-poignancy material I tend to post on Facebook.

I was laughing almost all throughout.

Maybe you (and your friends) used Facebook a lot more 6 years ago. I'm sure that's a big part of the algorithm: picking out the posts that got the most interaction.

Nicely done - kind of made me realise how unimportant a lot of the stuff I post on Facebook is though! The photos were nice to see but all but one of the status updates were dumb things that only had relevance the day they were posted and had no lasting nostalgic value.

I'm guessing this was quite a technical challenge to produce a 1 minute HD video for every user on Facebook and have them all available today.

If you have important, meaningful things to say, a Facebook status update is probably the wrong platform. :)

I don't see why that has to be the case. My posts it showed were about a new job I got in town, when my girlfriend got her first full-time teaching job, the completion of a really difficult junior year. I was impressed with how many interesting things it pulled out while avoiding drunk posts and party pictures.

On the contrary, Facebook is a great platform for important, meaningful things. It's just that most people don't think to use it that way. But I also think most people want to consume important, meaningful things, which would mean there's room for important, meaningful posts.

Am I missing something? It's just 6 photos that I've uploaded, 4 of which are from the past month. It looks like people here are talking about music, but the page is not playing music in Chrome.

Yes, mine is just a few photographs on a page. No video. I guess you need to have a certain number of photos uploaded/tagged on Facebook to create a video, whereas I make an effort to not upload any such content.

I don't think it makes a difference. I've been on Facebook since 2004 and have about 950 photos and videos.

what are your privacy settings? I think that is the big differentiator.

You may be on to something. I have turned off Platform (and so no applications work for me), and have set almost all other things to Friends only. All I get is six recent photos.

i think im missing something too...

Same here just six pix no music nada

Same for me and I have been a user for 4-5 years with a few hundred photos and at least a few dozen statuses. Facebook managed to completely fail to impress me yet again.

It's not playing on Internet explorer. Mozilla is working fine.

Could someone please describe this for those of us that don't have a Facebook account?

Its a auto curated video of your time on facebook, using your most popular posts/photos etc.

It's a video showing some of your photos from the duration of your time on Facebook set to music.

Unless you are like me and self-delete posts after a day or two. Then you get a picture of your cover photo and profile pic plus the message

"Thank you, [name]

10 years ago people started using Facebook to connect with each other in a new way. Thanks for being a part of it.

Mark and the Facebook team"

That's exactly what you want, right?

Yeah, basically. I mean, I'd prefer nothing but...

I do not self delete, but I got the same page.

Here's an example of the type of video that get's made for you using your Facebook posts and images:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWoBAjovHT4

As someone who doesn't participate in memes, uploads a fair number of photos, and has been consistently on Facebook since 2006, my Lookback video was actually pretty awesome. The music matched the flow of the content, and even the mood of the content.

I like this. Good job, Facebook team.

I agree and had the same experience. Was very impressed, this is one of the more personalized and emotional experiences a company has created for me.

I've been on Facebook for 9 years (apparently) and this actually did a pretty amazing job picking out the most important moments from my life over that period of time. It actually managed to jerk a tear from my eye as well but it cheated by showing a picture of my mom who passed away last year. YMMV, obviously, but for people who have been diligent about providing Facebook with curated content from their lives this will most likely hit home for them.

Does anyone have any information regarding the logistics of rendering 800+ million videos like this for each user on Facebook? I'm pretty sure it's not rendered on the fly.

I'm part of the team that built this which came from different parts of FB. I think we'll be getting some much needed rest after today, then I hope we can start telling the story of how we built it.

Please do.

Please share on HN when you can!

I sign up too for any info :) I'd be very interested the rendering stack you picked.

Hi pls can someone tell me why two hours ago I had a video and now the only thing I have its jus a "Thank you Leey..." Really want my video back ? :(

Will we be able to create a new video again? I deleted pics out of my album because I forgot they were even there and then the video disappeared and all I get is the thank you one...GREAT JOB though, what a wonderful idea. I have enjoyed so many people's videos

Ok that's probably what happened to me. After I viewed the video, I deleted some pics in my albums and I'm afraid it affected the video... and I would actually like to request for a new video.... please? Thank you!

The same as me :( theres no way to recover it?

Hi I viewed the fb lookback video that was made for me but I couldn't share it at the time of viewing since I was at work. When I went back to try to view it, it's no longer a video but looked more like a thank you message with a bunch of previous profile pictures... I was wondering how I could retrieve the video as I would like to share it? Thank you in advance!

How long did it take to process?

Also, is there a reason the video becomes unavailable on /lookback after the first time you watch it? Damn near broke my heart when it vanished... had to get it back from cache.

I accidentally deleted my Facebook movie on an iPad. Now Facebook won't let me see it again. Is there a way to recover it?

Same here - hope to get to see it again, though. Is it some way to recover it?

As much as it was oddly enjoyable to see my life as a 1990's British chick-flick movie trailer, I did not relish all of the details. Like my most liked post in 7 years having 18 likes. Or digging up photographic memories of things long repressed.

How are they rendering these so quickly? There was no noticeable delay in the page load. The HD version is a 4.15MB mp4, with 1.19billion active monthly users that's 4.939PB of video to prerender. I thought perhaps they were rendering it either in the browser and passing a bytestream to the SWF (they're not), or starting the render on the server and streaming it down before it completed (unlikely as the video is coming from akamai). Anyone know?

Here's the solution to get your Facebook "Lookback" Video back.

To those who have deleted a picture or post from their Timeline, in hopes of "Editing" their "Look Back Video" you have to go into your cache and get the original link. Here are two possible Chrome Fixes:

Type "about:cache" without " signs on your chrome search bar (provided that you don't clear history/cache after you close your browser) You will see a list of links on your window, just click Ctrl F or ⌘ F to and search "lookback" in the Find searchbar Look for the link that will have something like https://lookbackvideo7-a.akamaihd.net/hv... and so on. Click that link. After you clicked the link, you will see on your window a bunch of text with white background. Ignore that. LOOK AT YOUR URL BAR. You should be able to see something like chrome://view-http-cache/https://lookbackvideo7-a.akamaihd.net/hv... etc etc. In the long string of url, DELETE THIS PART: chrome://view-http-cache/ then press enter. You should be able to see your video again...

You know what? I found it! I played it and I downloaded it to my computer. To share on facebook I simply copied the url and posted it as my status. Although it doesn't play through on facebook, it opens as a new window and plays. :)

i did what you said with cache but i can only found my friend's videos that i have seen!

WORKS. Awesome suggestion and hack.

Sounds great, but I saw the video on my iphone, and shared it before accidentally deleting it. Is there a way to get it back, even though it was on my iphone? I am so sad to have lost that touching video! Also, why has facebook not allowed people to regenerate it if deleted? thanks :)

same problum do u got any solution

Same here, help pls.

Thanks! Tried this, it worked! Downloaded mine as well :-)

I already do it but the answer is access denied....

I find it a bit funny that you can't share your video on Facebook.

Indeed. I still tried to share the page, to encourage friends to look at theirs, but there's not thumbnail of the link or any description!

Careful, the video has photos that might be restricted.

But the sharing is per the user's privacy policy so what restriction can there be?

You can share it, it make take u viewing it a number of times before the share your movie button appears but it will

This is a very beautiful idea and it's brilliantly executed.

Kudos to people who helped making this page, it put me in a somewhat emotional state.

Also, this reminded me another page called "Museum of Me"[1], that was nice too.

[1] http://www.intel.com/museumofme/r/index.htm

Great, photos of all my ex-boyfriends, in sequence, set to sentimental music. Just what I've always wanted.

"Depending on how much content you have shared and how long you have been on Facebook, you will either see the personalized video, a collection of photos or a simple thank-you card, the spokesperson said.

Facebook said users will be able to share the video on their pages after 12 noon ET on Tuesday. The videos will only be available for about a month unless you share them on your Timeline. Only you will be able to view your video if you don’t share it."

So I guess if you don't share it the first time you watch it, you won't ever be able to. I really enjoy the videos and it sounds like they built each one so I appreciate that but it also sounds like a lot of people got skipped over and they kind of dropped the ball on not being able to share past the first view. Hopefully after they have a rest they will change that.

I've been on fb for 9 years, with 900+ photos and easily 500+ posts, but all I got was 6 photos, 4 from the past month... I guess other people are a LOT more social networky than I am.

Awesome..I was smiling when i am seeing my lookback video, remembering the moments.

Still i need to agree that some of my best pictures are missing in the video.

> Sorry, this page isn't available

Do you need to be logged in?

Yes, it's a personalized video for your profile.

I'm logged in but still get the error, although my account has very little activity (i only use it for dev purposes).

See my previous comment (made a minute or two ago) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7177239

I got the error, too, until I didn't and this (see link) popped up.

Worst error message ever.can't they be more informative ?

Edit: It's still the same even after logging in.

> Edit: It's still the same even after logging in.

Same for me

This is actually pretty awesome. Good work Facebook.

Ok, yes, I post way too many cats. Way too many.

I'd like to know how to make my own. Facebook should make thus a new feature. I like it, but would have picked other Most Liked photos for example. All the wonderful photos of my son and my family, and the Most Liked photo they fb team picked, to stay up the longest I might add, was a picture of my cousins, that didnt even include me

1 point by ratna 0 minutes ago | link | edit | delete

Plzzzzz accidently :'( I delet my vedio,it was accident.my lil baby was playing with computer. I viewed the fb lookback video it wasss asesome.that was made for me but pictures... I was wondering how I could retrieve the video as I would like to share it? Thank you in advancc.plzzzzz help Me out :'(

you just make it again. :p

I found the handwritten Mark Zuckerberg signature a little pretentious. Maybe that's because of The Social Network, but I don't feel like other CEO's are using their own brand like that. It's like a fashion designer or even an artist signing their work... My video was not THAT good.

I don't see anything but a message thanking me. Even on mobile, no video whatsoever. Why's that?

I didn't see anything, either. There is my cover photo and a placeholder for profile picture. At first, I thought it was an adblocking extension in Chrome, so I tried it in vanilla firefox and saw the same thing.

Unlike others in the thread who delete everything they put on facebook, I do not.

yah, mine too! there's no video.. :(

I haven't been over-posty on facebook for a while, but my most liked posts are the birth of my two daughters, and a picture of my older one that climbed up on the window sill. anyone find a way to save the flash video? usually you can view source and find it pretty easily...

If you open the Network tab of Chrome Developer Tools and start the video, you can find the request for the video and open it in a new tab.

Using Google Chrome, you can open developer tools, click in network, then, click in the "HD" button in player and find for mp4 file.

Awesome! I wonder how much computer power FB used to generate the videos for all of their users.

THIS IS AWESOME!!!! I HAVE WATCHED 7 SO FAR TODAY AND I HAVE CRIED DURING 4 OF THEM!!!! THIS IS THE EXACTLY THE REASON MY MAJOR IS IN PHOTOGRAPHY TO BRING HAPPINESS TO PEOPLE BY SHARING THEIR HAPPIEST TIMES!!! GREAT JOB MARK AND FB TEAM!!!!

They say in the news articles that you can tap some "edit my movie" button, but I am unable to find any such button. Also, I don't see an option to share the video on facebook. Can anyone give me some directions? Thanks!

But where did you find your own video? I just see a couple o pictures :(

do a Google search for "a look back facebook" and there will be a link in about any article. Here's one: http://thenextweb.com/facebook/2014/02/04/facebook-unveils-l...

just click on the link and your video should pop up. I did see something in one article that based on the content of your facebook (the quantity of your pictures and posts) you may either see a video, a collection of photos, or just a "thank you" note.

Thank you! Its just two hours ago I saw my video but I lost it! Could be cos I delete one picture that appears in my video? :(

By the way, I htink I remember theres a green button up at the right that says share with friends, but im not sure, :(

there isn't a green button on my screen. I found a link to a similar compilation called "Year in review" and there is a green "share" button on that, but "A look back" doesn't have it. Does anyone else have any advice?

View ur movie over and over it will eventually produce a share your movie button

I didn't have a share button either. I typed in this link and it worked. Hope that helps some of you. https://m.facebook.com/lookback/share

Interestingly enough, I was in a relationship with my ex for pretty much all of the last 9 years... and yet they didn't highlight a single post or picture of her in the lookback. Can't be coincidence.

Anybody knows how to restore my lookback video once it was deleted from the wall where I shere it? Now when I click on the Facebook/lookback link it show me only a few photos!

i'm having the same problem!! someone please tell me how to get the video back!

You have to hit the share button in upper right hand corner the first time you visit the page ...no going back or it won't be there

I can't seem to make the new video that has just been offered on FB... I made one earlier and posted and then deleted it from the wall because photos wouldn't show. Now when I go to https://www.facebook.com/lookback/ all I see is some static pictures and a greeting that says what's on the file attachment.. I really want to make a lookback video... can anyone help???? I did hit the share button and then deleted from the wall.. I don't see any video in my photo album..

The same has happened to me and I really want a video lol any suggestions on how to get a video again??

I posted a question to the community forum regarding the "LookBack" video that was sent out. I can't get mine to work... The question is at https://www.facebook.com/help/community/question/?id=1020322.... Is there anything anyone can do??? I'd REALLY like to have a video of my own...

Totally having the same issue.. It is driving me insane! I never had the share button from the first time i watched it, then i went refreshed and it was just 6 random images.. :(

DO NOT view your video then go to photos and delete the ones in the video you don't want and expect to get a new video...that is why people are ending up with no video and just 6 pics and a thank you...I learned the hard way and lost the fb video of my journey of 4 years to adopt my little girl.

Wow. I found this rather poignant. I've been on Facebook for 6 years, and it struck me that most of the events it picked out were closer to the start of those 6

Is this generated real time? I had some very recent posts appear and it's impressive if they pre-generate 1.25billion .mp4 files in such a short time!

I was wondering the same. Because there is no "building" or "loading". It just plays.

Ya, i am on my phone using sprint's crappy 3g data that cuts out every 2 mins and it played without buffering one bit, i get that its a 30 sec video, but when vines or gifs dont play...

Thanks, but I already frequently revisit my most popular posts to bask in the glory days of old. Is Facebook not keeping track when I creep myself?

I laughed. At one of the song's dramatic points, it showed a picture of a fork that you can split in half to become chop sticks.

I loved it, made me laugh, I need to share it!

Man, now I wish I hadn't deleted 2 years worth of posts/images/etc back when I first got on.

Hi all .. i want to exchange specific pic , how can i do this ?? thanks for your replying .

Can you do a lookback page for a company page that you are an administrator on?

I've been much more impressed with Google Plus's Auto-Awesome videos.

I deleted mines by accident. How can i restore it back on my fb page?

Where can I find the song that was used in this?? I love it!!

It's pretty lame when you only have 5 pictures on FB.

I deleted my video by accident, how do I get it back .?

Same here, :'( I delet my vedio ,i was accident.my lil baby was playing with computer.

I viewed the fb lookback video it wasss asesome.that was made for me but pictures... I was wondering how I could retrieve the video as I would like to share it? Thank you in advancc.plzzzzz help Me out :'(

is anyone having trouble getting the video? mine simply's not generated at all. i just find a bunch of pics, no movie, no share button.

anyone?

I tried to watch my facebook LOOKBACK video, first of all it didn't show up when I wanted to watch it and it threw an error message, but it was able to be shared. That's what I did and when it appeared on my timeline it wasn't able to be watched again, so I erased to tried it again, but when i clicked the link it showed up 6 pics and an explanation that I am kinda inactive on facebook, what I am not, and I used constantly since 2006. I want to watch this beautiful gift and retrieve my video. Can you help me? I've heard people who did it and it worked, but I did it from my windows phone internet explorer and I don't want to make a mistake.

Thank you,

Caroquito,

That is so corny.

My did not play...how come? Patsyhaggerty

my friend deleated the tha flash back now he is not able to do again what to do?????? plz reply

i did what you said with cache but i can only found my friend's videos that i have seen!!

it's awesome. But what is the background song ? i really want to know it.

i canceled my account today.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com