There is always that surreal moment in a conversation where
someone asks if you saw what happened recently on Facebook. Facebook has become
such a touchstone in our day to day lives that we fully expect to be contacted
through the site instead of through our phones (which we use to access the
mobile version of the site). I originally
joined Facebook as a college student in 2004 using my school email address. I
soon shut my account down as I didn’t see a point in it. All my friends were on
campus with me and spent plenty of time talking about our lives over lunch. By
2009 it was pointless to stay away, all my distant family members and friends
were using it to keep in touch and it was easier to join than to fight the
tide. Facebook’s founder, Mark Zuckerburg only expected 400-500 people to join
in 2004. From that point their user count has grown beyond the total population
of the United States, become more popular than Google, and 1 in 12 people are
on Facebook.
Even the White House has joined Facebook to let people
comment directly to them (although the response looks to be little to none). The
Facebook Obsession also mentioned that Facebook has become an identity registry
for companies to use. As personal information is gathered and stored companies
can begin tailoring their ads to individuals more likely to purchase their
products, users are beginning to wonder where the line is? Target actually
gained national attention because of this kind of marketing activity. They sent
an ad for baby supplies to a teen before she had the chance to talk with her
father about her new pregnancy. Will this become the standard practice? I was
unaware exactly how much information Facebook was gathering about me to then
use to target ads to me. This isn’t anything any other company can’t do;
however Facebook can do so as you register. A company like Sears would need you
to come to their website for a survey or volunteer to take a survey at a mall. Many users are disgruntled at the secretive nature
of their information gathering.
Facebook has become a part of the groundswell because it is
where companies can connect to their customers. Bands can connect to their audience
and promote a show; photographers can display their work and get new models.
60% of users come back daily which displays how Facebook won’t go away. Even as
users suffer from Facebook fatigue and sign off for weeks at a time, other
users fill in the gap and keep the site going. Until another social networking
site becomes a better version of Facebook, people will continue to connect on
the site. The recent team up with Skype also looks to challenge how people call
one another and give massive cell phone carriers a run for their money.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2012/02/16/how-target-figured-out-a-teen-girl-was-pregnant-before-her-father-did/
Hi Amanda,
ReplyDeleteRemember the saying...."Nothing is ever really free?"
Although Facebook doesn't charge a fee to join it's basic membership, they sure seem to be able to cash in just becuase of your existence on their site. Facebook is utilizing cookies to track previous sites you've shopped. From here Facebook collects your data and "sells" to the retailer who markets directly to you.
I realize Facebook has to make money. It only makes sense that retailers and social networks find a way to work together to generate revenue. But at what expense? At the expense of a father finding out his daughter is pregnant before she can talk with him? The expense of someone's personal information being disclosed in a way that might be personal, such as HIV status or other health related issues?
I feel that the way Facebook and retailers are going about soliciting information is secretive and nearly malicious to a certain degree.
Thoughts?
-Re-
http://gizmodo.com/5947901/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-way-facebook-makes-money-off-your-life