Would love to present the best noise reduction ideas to FriendFeed's team. - Robert Scoble

After the item consolidation feature (where all items which link to the same post are consolidated comment/like wise) are noise reduction features. Some of this may have to do with the interface. I think that the currently available features are enough for right now though. - Brandon Titus

Best way to reduce noise? Turn off Twitters that don't have either comments or "like's" attached. That way, the shared items and other things rise up more. - Ian Betteridge

I only subscribe to around 30 but via Scoble another uh...2500? I don't find it too noisy and I like the diversity. The current feature set around "remove this" seems enough. But I'm not looking to turn FriendFeed into a one-stop-shopping for all information. Maybe with proper noise reduction it could become that, but I doubt it. - Robert Seidman

Robert, let me hear your thoughts on http://ffapps.com/flowcontrol/ - the original design was for a Greastmonkey hack, but due to the complexity involved, I'm incorporating it into ffreader.com - which is essentially a Reader interface that "extends" the default FF interface with a whole bunch of noise reduction features, bookmarking individual items, etc. I'll send you a link to test it out next week - Aviv

Two things. (1) Brandon mentions the item consolidation feature. FriendFeed co-founder Bret Taylor has a good discussion about that here (http://is.gd/dWm). (2) I like Robert's notion of the # of stars/comments as a guide. I agree. Paul posted a question about super-likes here earlier. That might be OK, but I'm not quite grokking its value. I'd also like to add - I'm enjoying the noise! It keeps it lively and addicting to tell the truth. - Hutch Carpenter

This conversation is a recurring theme here. We could talk all day about "noise" or "fractured comments", but this is the new way of the Web, period. The smart content owners will adjust. Those who want new tech to act "the old way" are going to be less relevant over time. - Louis Gray

I agree with @Louis Gray I think there are improvements that could be made but the core elements are what make me come here and drastic changes to the setup wouldn't be appreciated! - Joe Dawson

Louis - you're right, and I think this recurring theme may eventually result in FF being perceived as yet another noisy distraction in the life of a potential [mainstream] user. And that's not good, and I'm sure that in the coming weeks and months improvements by the FF crew as well as independent third-parties will help users consume their FriendFeed more efficiently and in ways that are tailored specifically for each user. - Aviv

hide is the ultimate tool for reducing noise. - Thomas Hawk

(1) Sometimes the twitter which announces an item with TinyURL has a good discussion. Be nice to include those too. (2) It's be nice when I find an item (aka put it in my del.icio.us), if FriendFeed would flag me with the already-existing discussions - maybe indent them to the right. This would allow me to get rid of many of my duplicate "likes" (which are simply the attempt to follow the interesting conversation in 5 places on the same blog post.) - Mitchell Tsai

@Mitchell either that or they could work it in a similar way to the likes - ___, ____, ____, ____ and ** other people liked this - Joe Dawson

Noise isn't too much of a problem for me in FriendFeed. However: (1) I don't try to read everything in my feed. (2) I'm following less than 300 people. - Ontario Emperor

I've cut down to following 92 people (maybe fewer when I have time). Most people I simply pop by their pages occasionally (by saving those pages in a list). Same on Twitter. I try to trim my listen-to-list to people whose interests match mine more closely. - Mitchell Tsai

Mitchell: I will start hiding people who are not providing interesting info about the tech industry. At least here on FriendFeed. I'll keep Twitter open so I can see the raw noise. - Robert Scoble

Robert: And I thought you were going to listen to 20,000 FriendFeeders, includng all the Farsi ones. :-) - Mitchell Tsai

I already hid the Farsi ones. My wife can tell me what's going on in those. Or they can translate for me. - Robert Scoble

Robert: You should run the script from internetducttape.com and import over all of your Twitter friends. That would be some noise ha! - Joe Dawson

Joe: I tried to, but it crashed. 21,000 friends proved too many. - Robert Scoble

I am keeping Friendfeed fairly quiet for myself as I have all the noise I can handle on Twitter and FB - Francine Hardaway via Alert Thingy

One other way to reduce noise? Look at just the FriendFeed items that I've commented on or liked. That will ensure you won't see my noise, but is the feed where I've found the great stuff coming at me in FriendFeed: http://friendfeed.com/scobleiz... -- I wish there were a better way to point to this in the FriendFeed UI. - Robert Scoble

Robert: The only thing I didn't like is that the script submitted a message from my FriendFeed account here http://is.gd/dZf - Joe Dawson

The problem occurs, as I see it, when the technology that is supposed to serve human aims instead passes the balance point and enslaves or demands from us. Personally, I believe that this occurs when our lives are out of balance and we are looking for the technology to do what it cannot do, and what it is not meant to do. For example, fulfilling our social needs (as when the industry (e.g. social network) group becomes one's best or only friends). (I'm friendly and make friends with people on social networks, but have a distinct life as well apart from that). When our lives are in balance, then technology fits into its proper place. It's just a tool, like a pencil is a tool, with a functon to serve. - Alex Hammer

Specifically related to noise -- best not to create it in the first place, then there is nothing to undue. I go to Friendfeed when I need to up the information/noise level. When I have enough I don't continue and I don't go back. - Alex Hammer

Robert, while I'm not claiming it's faster than the Web UI, FriendFeedMachine at http://www.friendfeedmachine.c... lets you sort by # of comments or likes, and this is yet another way. You can also "star" real friends vs. people you follow here, to filter the stream. - Louis Gray

Louis: Thanks for the FriendFeedMachine tips. - Mitchell Tsai

Thanks for the heads up Louis I wasn't aware of that either! - Joe Dawson

how are online friends lesser than face-to-face friends? That is often asserted, but rarely supported. And what about those in geographically isolated areas? or those with limited mobility? or those with mental issues that make it difficult for them? An earlier commenter said that he makes friends easily, so of course for him, he will. Not so for everyone. People have different balances. - rambn

@Aviv: Your "FlowControl" idea looks really cool, I know that I would be interested. I think the most beneficial thing for my current view of FriendFeed would be a link-centric interface. - Brandon Titus

Thanks for the FFM plug Louis. As an update, I have a chest cold atm so it will be maybe another week before a new release, however I plan on addressing the speed and also adding some extra views. - via FriendFeedMachine - Scott Goldie

Oh, and btw, any feature suggestions are most welcome and will be implemented as fast as I can if they're reasonable :) - via FriendFeedMachine - Scott Goldie