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If Logged into Facebook, Oculus VR Data Will Now Be Used for Ads

extremetech.com

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Re: If Logged into Facebook, Oculus VR Data Will Now Be Used for Ads

#81

FB ads engineer here. Every time I read these threads, I'm 1. Flattered by how sophisticated HN thinks our systems are (they're not. and we're not that smart. FB's A-team stopped working on ads a long time ago) 2. Entertained by how HN thinks ad targeting works (we don't want to know everything about YOU. we want to know basic info about all of our users.) Hypertargeting doesn't work. Targeting small audiences doesn'…

[deleted]

Re: If Logged into Facebook, Oculus VR Data Will Now Be Used for Ads

#82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>FB ads engineer here. Just wanted to stop by and say that your work is actively making the world a worse place to live, and you should feel bad about it. I hope those RSUs are worth your soul.

You know what really makes the world a worse place - in-app purchases. Ads meh, I can take them or leave them (I pay a lot for content), but in-app purchases show no mercy.

IMO there’s nothing wrong with IAPs, just pay-to-play (or even pay-to-win). If a developer wants to release more levels, but wants an extra dollar for them, I’ll probably be willing to fork it over.

Re: If Logged into Facebook, Oculus VR Data Will Now Be Used for Ads

#83

FB ads engineer here. Every time I read these threads, I'm 1. Flattered by how sophisticated HN thinks our systems are (they're not. and we're not that smart. FB's A-team stopped working on ads a long time ago) 2. Entertained by how HN thinks ad targeting works (we don't want to know everything about YOU. we want to know basic info about all of our users.) Hypertargeting doesn't work. Targeting small audiences doesn'…

> Also, ethics

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... having a laugh aint ya!

Re: If Logged into Facebook, Oculus VR Data Will Now Be Used for Ads

#84

FB ads engineer here. Every time I read these threads, I'm 1. Flattered by how sophisticated HN thinks our systems are (they're not. and we're not that smart. FB's A-team stopped working on ads a long time ago) 2. Entertained by how HN thinks ad targeting works (we don't want to know everything about YOU. we want to know basic info about all of our users.) Hypertargeting doesn't work. Targeting small audiences doesn'…

>FB ads engineer here. Just wanted to stop by and say that your work is actively making the world a worse place to live, and you should feel bad about it. I hope those RSUs are worth your soul.

Wow. I can’t imagine hating someone simply because of who they work with.

Is everyone working at BP complicit with the Gulf oil spill? Is everyone working at PG&E responsible for the fires? No. That’s absurd.

Anyways, I’m not a mod, but I did flag your comment because you’re breaking two site rules:

> Be kind. Don't be snarky. Comments should get more thoughtful and substantive, not less, as a topic gets more divisive. Have curious conversation; don't cross-examine.

> When disagreeing, please reply to the argument instead of calling names. "That is idiotic; 1 + 1 is 2, not 3" can be shortened to "1 + 1 is 2, not 3."

Re: If Logged into Facebook, Oculus VR Data Will Now Be Used for Ads

#85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>FB ads engineer here. Just wanted to stop by and say that your work is actively making the world a worse place to live, and you should feel bad about it. I hope those RSUs are worth your soul.

Wow. I can’t imagine hating someone simply because of who they work with. Is everyone working at BP complicit with the Gulf oil spill? Is everyone working at PG&E responsible for the fires? No. That’s absurd. Anyways, I’m not a mod, but I did flag your comment because you’re breaking two site rules: > Be kind. Don't be snarky. Comments should get more thoughtful and substantive, not less, as a topic gets more divisiv…

Telling someone that what they do for a living makes the world a worse place is neither a personal insult nor hating.

Social pressure is one of the principal ways we stop people from making self-interested decisions that are detrimental to the group.

Re: If Logged into Facebook, Oculus VR Data Will Now Be Used for Ads

#86
post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow. I can’t imagine hating someone simply because of who they work with. Is everyone working at BP complicit with the Gulf oil spill? Is everyone working at PG&E responsible for the fires? No. That’s absurd. Anyways, I’m not a mod, but I did flag your comment because you’re breaking two site rules: > Be kind. Don't be snarky. Comments should get more thoughtful and substantive, not less, as a topic gets more divisiv…

Telling someone that what they do for a living makes the world a worse place is neither a personal insult nor hating. Social pressure is one of the principal ways we stop people from making self-interested decisions that are detrimental to the group.

It is an insult because you’re attacking them for what they do.

Re: If Logged into Facebook, Oculus VR Data Will Now Be Used for Ads

#87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>FB ads engineer here. Just wanted to stop by and say that your work is actively making the world a worse place to live, and you should feel bad about it. I hope those RSUs are worth your soul.

Wow. I can’t imagine hating someone simply because of who they work with. Is everyone working at BP complicit with the Gulf oil spill? Is everyone working at PG&E responsible for the fires? No. That’s absurd. Anyways, I’m not a mod, but I did flag your comment because you’re breaking two site rules: > Be kind. Don't be snarky. Comments should get more thoughtful and substantive, not less, as a topic gets more divisiv…

Is everyone working at BP complicit with the Gulf oil spill?

Anyone with an option to work elsewhere, yes, though keep in mind, there's a difference between "Working at Facebook" and "Working on Surveillance Dragnet at Facebook."

Workers have power, and workers at Facebook have a lot of power. It's not like they can't get a job elsewhere. That they haven't quit, or unionized and forced Facebook to stop the, frankly, evil things they're doing, is a mark against their moral character.

Working on ad systems actively makes the world worse, and hating a person for working on something that actively makes the world worse will always be reasonable (and justifiable).

Re: If Logged into Facebook, Oculus VR Data Will Now Be Used for Ads

#88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>FB ads engineer here. Just wanted to stop by and say that your work is actively making the world a worse place to live, and you should feel bad about it. I hope those RSUs are worth your soul.

Feels pretty good to subsidize internet access in the developing world and serve as the primary growth engine for millions of small businesses who wouldn't otherwise be able to reach their customers at such a low cost.

If the point about small businesses was true, we'd see a worldwide surge in their numbers. I don't think we do.

It makes sense, too — the overall pile of disposable income didn't meaningfully increase thanks to Facebook, so it's a zero sum game between small businesses and Coca-Cola. We know who wins that in the long term. Although now with local papers out of business, gutted by facebook.

Re: If Logged into Facebook, Oculus VR Data Will Now Be Used for Ads

#89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>FB ads engineer here. Just wanted to stop by and say that your work is actively making the world a worse place to live, and you should feel bad about it. I hope those RSUs are worth your soul.

Feels pretty good to subsidize internet access in the developing world and serve as the primary growth engine for millions of small businesses who wouldn't otherwise be able to reach their customers at such a low cost.

> subsidize internet access in the developing world

Are you talking about Facebook's abuse of power to strengthen its monopoly position in developing nations?

If so, 83% of voters in the USA thinks what you are describing as "subsidy" should be illegal here[1], and it would better be described as neo-colonialism than a subsidy.

Is there some other way in which facebook is "subsidizing internet access"?

[1] https://thehill.com/policy/technology/364528-poll-83-percent...

Re: If Logged into Facebook, Oculus VR Data Will Now Be Used for Ads

#90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>FB ads engineer here. Just wanted to stop by and say that your work is actively making the world a worse place to live, and you should feel bad about it. I hope those RSUs are worth your soul.

Feels pretty good to subsidize internet access in the developing world and serve as the primary growth engine for millions of small businesses who wouldn't otherwise be able to reach their customers at such a low cost.

It's like a cult, isn't it? In no world can what Facebook's ad system teams are doing be summarized by that level of autofellatio but Facebook. Hacker News is for intellectually stimulating discussions, not marketing-speak to mask false claims. For the record, your claims are primarily false. They pulled out of most of those countries a long while ago, after they realized "colonizer killing net neutrality" is a bad look.

https://theoutline.com/post/4383/facebook-quietly-ended-free...

And the "small businesses" you describe are mostly MLM and anti-vaccine snake oil sellers, so I'm not sure why you feel good about it.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/02...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2019/11/15/majority-an...

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/anti-vaccination-group...

With all the respect due, you've got blood on your hands. We have a word for that in civilized society; I think it's "murderer," but maybe they call it something different at Facebook.

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