Facebook plans to change its site governance model

FacebookIn a Wednesday announcement, social network Facebook revealed that it was bringing about some changes to its 2009-launched site governance model which it is currently following, and which gives the Facebook users a voting right on the issues pertaining to site governance.

With Facebook having announced that a number of updates are being made to its site governing policy, it is being speculated that the company's move away from user votes on governing policy will eventually limit the ability of the Facebook user community to strike down any policy change made by the social network.

Since Facebook clearly wants users to abolish their right to vote on site governance changes, the company will evidently be removing that portion of its `Statement of Rights and Responsibilities' which details the terms that govern the use of Facebook services. In addition, the company also apparently intends making changes to its Data Use Policy, which pertains to the collection and use of data.

Elaborating on Facebook's plans to abolish the user voting system, Elliot Schrage - Facebook's VP of communication and public policy - said that since the voting method is set off by a particular number of comments, 7,000 "substantive comments" comments to be precise, it was leading to a system which "incentivized the quantity of comments over their quality."

Schrage further added that the voting mechanism was being eliminated to give way to "a system that leads to more meaningful feedback and engagement."