Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Facebook is bombarding rightwing users with combat gear ads. See for yourself

theguardian.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

61–70 of 106 posts

Re: Facebook is bombarding rightwing users with combat gear ads. See for yourself

#61

Post by filoleg »

notacoward wrote: post #40
filoleg wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Why does facebook do this rather than let third party advertisers advertise? I think that's exactly what FB is doing, to be honest. They are simply letting third party advertisers advertise. Historically, dem president in power has always been an indicator of increased spending on guns (because hardcore gun people become afraid that the dems will make guns more difficult to purchase, so they stock up). And increase…

> They are simply letting third party advertisers advertise. I don't think it's quite that simple. Facebook controls the juxtaposition of ads with content, and with each other. This can reinforce the power of the individual ads, or attenuate it. In this case, it's pretty clearly creating a "caravan" of ads because that's more effective than letting each stand alone. Disclaimer: I used to work at Facebook, but I was i…

>Facebook controls the juxtaposition of ads with content, and with each other. This can reinforce the power of the individual ads, or attenuate it. In this case, it's pretty clearly creating a "caravan" of ads because that's more effective than letting each stand alone.

Oh, totally agreed on this one. FB fully controls the layout and where ads are displayed. When I said that FB doesn't control things, I meant that they don't control and decide which ads get shown to you, it is all down to what advertisers advertise, and whether you fall under those specific target audiences.

Re: Facebook is bombarding rightwing users with combat gear ads. See for yourself

#62

Post by filoleg »

tartoran wrote: post #41
filoleg wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Why does facebook do this rather than let third party advertisers advertise? I think that's exactly what FB is doing, to be honest. They are simply letting third party advertisers advertise. Historically, dem president in power has always been an indicator of increased spending on guns (because hardcore gun people become afraid that the dems will make guns more difficult to purchase, so they stock up). And increase…

How much can one stock up on guns? Every 4-8 years when the political cycle changes they stock up but after a few cycles the demand should grind to a halt. It's not like guns are advancing a lot either. So I really wonder if republicans are scared when a democrat is in office and subsequently buy guns because of that or whether they are scared into buying more guns by mere marketing.

>How much can one stock up on guns? Every 4-8 years when the political cycle changes they stock up but after a few cycles the demand should grind to a halt. It's not like guns are advancing a lot either.

A lot of people who own guns also collect them. It is kind of a hobby. Guns might not be advancing, but people like having multiple different kinds, swap attachments, get some rare handgun from WW2 era from Czechoslovakia, etc.

Plus, it isn't all just about guns themselves. A lot of it is in the adjacent stuff, like ammo (which inevitably runs out, if you go to a gun range on a regular basis).

I prefer to think of it similarly to an audio gear enthusiast hobby. How many headphones/amps/synths/keyboards/guitars/etc. one might need? People spend enormous amounts of money on audio gear for decades, without actually "needing" most of it, and it isn't like the actual acoustics or technology in audio changes that much (with exception of a few specific categories, like midi controllers).

>So I really wonder if republicans are scared when a democrat is in office and subsequently buy guns because of that or whether they are scared into buying more guns by mere marketing.

I don't know about you, but I have plenty of politically left-leaning friends who bought their first firearms this year. So, I think, covid and protests are, at least partially, definitely fueling that increase in sales all across the political spectrum.

Re: Facebook is bombarding rightwing users with combat gear ads. See for yourself

#63

Post by davmar »

pageandrew wrote: post #27
davmar wrote: post #15

Yep, here's one for an AR-15 chamber lock that I got a couple weeks ago: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=364409318216958 I was shocked. What's suburban dad doing getting out of his SUV in a mall parking lot with an AR-15??? Full disclosure: I'm not on the right wing or even remotely close.

What makes you think the guy in the ad is a "suburban dad"? These companies sell to police, private security companies, military, and yes civilians. That segment of the ad looks like its targeted to more of a private security/police application.

there are no markings on either men in the ad that imply they are private security or police.

plain clothes, plain car. also the ad is targeted at me, and i'm not part of any of the other target markets you mentioned.

Re: Facebook is bombarding rightwing users with combat gear ads. See for yourself

#65

Post by smt88 »

slibhb wrote: post #5
smt88 wrote: post #3

> "A few months into maintaining my Trump online identities, I started feeling that I needed to buy guns. I knew it was irrational and impractical given my lack of training and urban lifestyle. Nonetheless I was convinced I needed them. When I told my girlfriend, her perplexed response made me realize how deeply my mind had been manipulated by my pro-Trump Facebook feeds." Exactly the kind of effect Facebook is selli…

Funny, when I read that part my reaction was "this has to be a joke".

You don't think it's possible that ads make people want things they don't need?

Or to put it another way, you believe advertising is not effective at all on anyone?

Re: Facebook is bombarding rightwing users with combat gear ads. See for yourself

#66

Post by chrisco255 »

pageandrew wrote: post #27
davmar wrote: post #15

Yep, here's one for an AR-15 chamber lock that I got a couple weeks ago: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=364409318216958 I was shocked. What's suburban dad doing getting out of his SUV in a mall parking lot with an AR-15??? Full disclosure: I'm not on the right wing or even remotely close.

What makes you think the guy in the ad is a "suburban dad"? These companies sell to police, private security companies, military, and yes civilians. That segment of the ad looks like its targeted to more of a private security/police application.

You're right, this is pretty sexist. My suburban ex girlfriend has an AR-15 and they clearly think they're only for men.

Re: Facebook is bombarding rightwing users with combat gear ads. See for yourself

#67

Post by gnu8 »

filoleg wrote: post #61
notacoward wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They are simply letting third party advertisers advertise. I don't think it's quite that simple. Facebook controls the juxtaposition of ads with content, and with each other. This can reinforce the power of the individual ads, or attenuate it. In this case, it's pretty clearly creating a "caravan" of ads because that's more effective than letting each stand alone. Disclaimer: I used to work at Facebook, but I was i…

>Facebook controls the juxtaposition of ads with content, and with each other. This can reinforce the power of the individual ads, or attenuate it. In this case, it's pretty clearly creating a "caravan" of ads because that's more effective than letting each stand alone. Oh, totally agreed on this one. FB fully controls the layout and where ads are displayed. When I said that FB doesn't control things, I meant that th…

So what is the argument here? Facebook should manipulate their advertising marketplace to prevent this? You can buy ads to sell your gun supplies and body armor but when it comes to targeting the ads, you can't choose the demographic groups that are buying this stuff up like it is going out of style?

I think Facebook is awful, but this how their business works. I can't see them going out of their way to not serve their customers and not make money, outside of public outcry or government regulation forcing them to.

Re: Facebook is bombarding rightwing users with combat gear ads. See for yourself

#68

Post by slibhb »

smt88 wrote: post #65
slibhb wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Funny, when I read that part my reaction was "this has to be a joke".

You don't think it's possible that ads make people want things they don't need? Or to put it another way, you believe advertising is not effective at all on anyone?

I don't believe the author's bizarre story that, while pretending to be a Trump supporter on the internet, he was brainwashed into wanting to buy a gun by nefarious advertisers. People are susceptible to advertising but we aren't that susceptible.

I bet the author is very concerned about "internet radicalization". I bet he's so concerned that he began to feel the stirrings of his own radicalization while pretending to support Trump on the internet. The article is a fantasy brought on by what the author expected to feel.

All respect, but if you didn't find the part of the article you quoted funny, your bullshit barometer needs to be recalibrated.

Re: Facebook is bombarding rightwing users with combat gear ads. See for yourself

#69

Post by Ancapistani »

yao420 wrote: post #36
pageandrew wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What makes you think the guy in the ad is a "suburban dad"? These companies sell to police, private security companies, military, and yes civilians. That segment of the ad looks like its targeted to more of a private security/police application.

Not a chance. Cops and security don’t generally carry ar-15’s and those that do certainly are using locks. The site also doesn’t mention a single law enforcement client which is something they would be bragging about. Maybe it’s because I’m a Texan but suburban dads are probably the largest gun owning demographic. Ive so many engineers show up to the range with a $4k ar-15 and shoot a couple hundred bucks in ammo. At…

> Cops and security don’t generally carry ar-15’s

You’re in for a surprise if you ever look in a patrol car. Every agency I know of, even in a very rural state, has an AR as standard equipment - either in the cabin, or in rare cases, in a trunk lid mount.

Post reply on HN