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Facebook Loses Top Executives, Including Chris Cox

nytimes.com

41–50 of 414 posts

Re: Facebook Loses Top Executives, Including Chris Cox

#41

I just don't understand how anyone can believe his vision for "a privacy-focused social network" is even possible this late in the game. There is too much money riding precisely on the reductions of privacy Facebook has enabled for this to be realistic anymore. The ad dollars come from knowing you, not concealing you. Plus, once you're a public company, the rules change—you have shareholders to honor—and if you got t…

Some theories: 1. Rebranding Facebook as secure and private 2. If this increases usage, more opportunity to display ads 3. Their data shows they gain more information by monitoring what people publicly share, not say in private 4. Removes all responsibility to work with law enforcement and governments for illegal activity, since it's encrypted

Could you ever consider that Zuck has enough money, and that he really believes in making a product to connect people for the greater good and use ads to make it available to everyone?

Re: Facebook Loses Top Executives, Including Chris Cox

#42
post #22

> But after 2016, we both realized we had too much important work to do to improve our products for society "Primum non nocere." I cannot help but laugh at this statement. I think Facebook has done, and is still doing, way more harm than good for society. Like many other addiction-based services, it generated massive revenues for very few people, at the expense of society.

The doublespeak is staggering. Fb is in the business of destroying people’s privacy, robbing them of their attention, and manipulating political choices for the highest bidder. It walls off people’s relationships and communication and focuses on making its product as addictive as possible.

Even if we don’t mention some of the darkest practices like defrauding children of money, FB is intentionally evil, and they know it.

I just re-watched Cal Newport’s talk on social media and I’m enjoying my second week without fb and Twitter.

Highly recommended.

https://youtu.be/3E7hkPZ-HTk

Re: Facebook Loses Top Executives, Including Chris Cox

#44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some theories: 1. Rebranding Facebook as secure and private 2. If this increases usage, more opportunity to display ads 3. Their data shows they gain more information by monitoring what people publicly share, not say in private 4. Removes all responsibility to work with law enforcement and governments for illegal activity, since it's encrypted

Could you ever consider that Zuck has enough money, and that he really believes in making a product to connect people for the greater good and use ads to make it available to everyone?

No, because Facebook is a public for-profit company, not a non-profit seeking to benefit society.

Re: Facebook Loses Top Executives, Including Chris Cox

#45
post #40
post #27

Chris Cox is a huge loss for Facebook. His first day speech is still the reason Facebook has the strongest culture in the valley.

I'm not familiar with this. Kind of a big assertion to make. What was his first day speech?

At FB you have your first-day orientation and as a part of this Cox came in and gave a speech. I have no idea if it is the same speech to every week's 'class' or an evolving variation on the same themes, but it was a pretty good speech and is probably one reason why people are so eager to drink the kool-aid for the first few years.

Re: Facebook Loses Top Executives, Including Chris Cox

#46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some theories: 1. Rebranding Facebook as secure and private 2. If this increases usage, more opportunity to display ads 3. Their data shows they gain more information by monitoring what people publicly share, not say in private 4. Removes all responsibility to work with law enforcement and governments for illegal activity, since it's encrypted

Could you ever consider that Zuck has enough money, and that he really believes in making a product to connect people for the greater good and use ads to make it available to everyone?

If someone had told me 15 years ago that Bill Gates would become one the greatest philanthopists of our generation, I would've laughed in their face.

Re: Facebook Loses Top Executives, Including Chris Cox

#47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some theories: 1. Rebranding Facebook as secure and private 2. If this increases usage, more opportunity to display ads 3. Their data shows they gain more information by monitoring what people publicly share, not say in private 4. Removes all responsibility to work with law enforcement and governments for illegal activity, since it's encrypted

Could you ever consider that Zuck has enough money, and that he really believes in making a product to connect people for the greater good and use ads to make it available to everyone?

As a person, maybe if I squint very very very hard.

Legally, he has a duty to maximize value for his board and investors. And there hasn't been a business model that provides a free consumer web product without monetizing user data.

Re: Facebook Loses Top Executives, Including Chris Cox

#48

“privacy-focused social platform” See also: “sobriety-focused keg party” “health-focused donut shop” “quality-focused downvotes”

This sort of thinking fits into the old mindset of how people envisioned facebook. Just a year or two ago the prevailing consensus was "don't post it if you don't wan't it public".

But people have since realized that facebook collects far more than what you give them. It pays for data. It mines data from millions of web sets. It follows you around in ways people don't understand.

maybe "key part where the host sneakily follows you around on a daily basis to better understand your drinking habits" would be more appropriate.

Re: Facebook Loses Top Executives, Including Chris Cox

#49

I just don't understand how anyone can believe his vision for "a privacy-focused social network" is even possible this late in the game. There is too much money riding precisely on the reductions of privacy Facebook has enabled for this to be realistic anymore. The ad dollars come from knowing you, not concealing you. Plus, once you're a public company, the rules change—you have shareholders to honor—and if you got t…

>The ad dollars come from knowing you, not concealing you.

Advertising dollars are far more lucrative if you think you can trust where you're sharing your deepest, darkests...

Imagine what people would share between themselves if it wasn't "public for the world to see". Imagine how many more data points that would produce for targeted advertisements on the Facebook platform, alone.

Edit: Including necessary reference to Bill Hicks[0].

[0] - https://youtu.be/GaD8y-CGhMw

Re: Facebook Loses Top Executives, Including Chris Cox

#50

Interesting spin from the NYTimes ("Facebook Loses Top Executives, Including Chris Cox"[0]): "The departures follow two years of scandals for Facebook around data privacy and disinformation. The issues have buffeted the Silicon Valley company, causing internal turmoil and a redirection in strategy." [0] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/14/technology/facebook-chris...

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