Facebook begins abusing its members
Posted
Nov 07 2007, 10:47 AM
by
Kim Peterson
Rating:
Facebook is going to have its members start shilling for products. The idea is brilliantly evil.
How does it work? If I tell Facebook that I like Diet Coke, all my friends on Facebook will start seeing ads for Coca-Cola with my picture and the fact that I like Diet Coke.
What's more, companies will be able to track what Facebook users are doing on the Web and send them targeted ads. If I buy something from a retailer like Amazon, my friends will know about the transaction.
I've never seen a company go so far in forcing viral marketing among its users. But why would any of us want to be involved in this? My friends don't want to see me hawk Toyotas. I don't want anyone to know that I just bought mascara on Amazon.
Shame on Facebook for trying to turn its members into hacks. If this is a blooming success I'm divorcing the Internet. This marks the start of irreconcilable differences.
Here's what others have to say:
Broadstuff: "It marks the point at which Planet Advertising finally left Planet Earth."
Nicholas Carr: "There is no intimacy that is not a branding opportunity, no friendship that can't be monetized, no kiss that doesn't carry an exchange of value. The cluetrain has reached its last stop, its terminus, the end of the line."
CNet: "I already feel paranoid and exposed as a blogger, but the idea that my casual and personal details and conversations can end up as advertising dollars is freaky and unnerving."
ZDNet: "To users this ad platform is probably the future–you won’t escape advertising anywhere. And to folks that hate advertising that’s an issue. However, if Facebook customers don’t care the social networking up-and-comer is dangerous."
