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

Dickhead of the Week: Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri

daringfireball.net

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

111–120 of 202 posts

Re: Dickhead of the Week: Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri

#111

Post by glial »

HeckFeck wrote: post #57
ptest1 wrote: post #15

I might be one of the few, but I like the ads I see on Instagram and have purchased lots of things via IG ads. I can’t think of any other app/site where the ads have sucked me in. I realize this is besides the point, but I thought it was worth sharing in terms of how they might be doing personalization. For me, it’s so good that it actually works.

You may see it that way, but the overall effect of this on humanity is bad (see https://voxeu.org/article/advertising-major-source-human-dis... ). From my experience, I don't enjoy relentless targeted pressure to give up my money for goods I don't really need. I don't like wasting precious time consuming adverts, each braying for my attention in one way or another. I don't think it's ethical treatment of impulsive ty…

Even worse, advertising incentivizes business models whose primary goal is to create addictive behavior, because the side effect is that you see more ads. So, for example, social media companies will do anything they can to increase “engagement”, even if it means spreading conspiracy theories and inflaming politics. Advertising is the root of this problem, because it is the funding mechanism.

Re: Dickhead of the Week: Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri

#112

Post by tpush »

scarface74 wrote: post #95
stonith wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Epic wants to sell digital gambling (loot) boxes to children Fortnite hasn't had loot boxes like this for about 18 months. The contents of the box are visible and change each day. https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/01/fortnite-puts-an-end-...

And Epic has been found guilty since then of illegally convincing minors to spend money in Fortnite. https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20191008/08591443147/epic-...

The linked article neither found Epic guilty (they settled) nor was it even about Epic convincing minors to spend money, but about Epic suing Fortnite cheaters, one of whom apparently was a minor.

Please don't willingly spread misinformation like this.

Re: Dickhead of the Week: Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri

#113

Post by TheSpiceIsLife »

scarface74 wrote: post #95
stonith wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Epic wants to sell digital gambling (loot) boxes to children Fortnite hasn't had loot boxes like this for about 18 months. The contents of the box are visible and change each day. https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/01/fortnite-puts-an-end-...

And Epic has been found guilty since then of illegally convincing minors to spend money in Fortnite. https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20191008/08591443147/epic-...

The article you linked says no such thing, it talks only of an out of court settlement.

Re: Dickhead of the Week: Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri

#114

Post by colejohnson66 »

parsimoniousplb wrote: post #47
orev wrote: post #35

Watch “The Social Dilemma” on Netflix, see how far off the rails the industry has gone, then come back and tell me that Apple is the bad guy here. Someone needs to start standing up for what’s right, and Apple is probably the only one with the size and cash reserves to be able to do it. For all the free market cheerleaders, remember this: we already have laws in place preventing or regulating businesses from engaging…

There are no democracies being "toppled" via instagram, there are only some liberal parties being voted out of office as their policies have been massive failures, which is democracy working as intended.

Their policies are only failures if you’re looking through the eyes of a conservative. The left sees the world differently than the right, and, as such, focus on different issues. To the left, Trump has been an absolute failure, but the right adores him. Who’s right?

The right hates Gavin Newsom; They’re on their third recall attempt. But he wasn’t elected for no reason; He was elected because his campaign promises were what the people who put him there wanted.

That’s democracy working as intended as well.

Re: Dickhead of the Week: Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri

#115

Post by srtjstjsj »

jeromegv wrote: post #97
beaner wrote: post #52

> And give me a fucking break with bringing the pandemic into this. It’s especially infuriating coming from Facebook, of all companies. Maybe if they weren’t the main vector for the disinformation and anti-science nonsense that has prolonged the pandemic by turning it into a needless culture war, their “concern” would ring more true. If companies are responsible for the content posted on their platforms, wouldn't tha…

Nope Companies like Facebook not only show you content, they use algos to show you more of certain content. They provide an editorial choice over what content you should see. Sure Apple could ban Facebook, but I know you’re just making a stupid argument for sport, not that you actually believe that makes sense and that they should.

Gruber believes Apple should regulate iOS content, which they do all day every day. Apple has banned Gab because of user content.

The question is why they make an exception for Facebook but not for Gab.

Re: Dickhead of the Week: Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri

#116

Post by UnpossibleJim »

CalChris wrote: post #80
veeti wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple cares so much they will take 30% of those loot box profits.

'would' not 'will'. Since they banned the loot box, Apple cares so much they actually 'are' giving up that 30%.

Loot boxes became illegal, as they were determined to be a form of online gambling. It wasn't a stance that Apple took to protect their customer, it was a federally mandated action handed down from the courts.

Re: Dickhead of the Week: Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri

#117

Post by srtjstjsj »

lol768 wrote: post #6
m90 wrote: post #5

I'd be way more interested in actually reading this if the headline didn't contain pointless profanities. Like this, I tag it Fanboi-ism and move on.

Eh, it's a reasonable post if you look past the headline. The profanity likely comes about from frustration with facebook (particularly for playing the pandemic card) which I don't think is particularly unjustified or from a place of fanboy-ism.

Frustration is fine. But a professional with an audience of millions should proofread their work. Content that isn't allowed in HN comments shouldn't be in HN posts either.

Re: Dickhead of the Week: Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri

#118

Post by beaner »

jeromegv wrote: post #97
beaner wrote: post #52

> And give me a fucking break with bringing the pandemic into this. It’s especially infuriating coming from Facebook, of all companies. Maybe if they weren’t the main vector for the disinformation and anti-science nonsense that has prolonged the pandemic by turning it into a needless culture war, their “concern” would ring more true. If companies are responsible for the content posted on their platforms, wouldn't tha…

Nope Companies like Facebook not only show you content, they use algos to show you more of certain content. They provide an editorial choice over what content you should see. Sure Apple could ban Facebook, but I know you’re just making a stupid argument for sport, not that you actually believe that makes sense and that they should.

I don't see what's different about it. Apple quality control is also just a type of algorithm. They have an algorithm that filters apps with algorithms. It is an editorial choice as well. Stopping after Facebook but before Apple is arbitrary.

Re: Dickhead of the Week: Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri

#119

Post by CalChris »

scarface74 wrote: post #99
floatboth wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The anti-competitiveness is even before that: when Apple decided not to allow sideloading. Remember when Microsoft was sued for bundling IE with Windows? Now imagine if they blocked other browsers from existing on Windows back then.

And in the US, that lawsuit went nowhere and they never stopped bundling IE. MS was sued for a number of things including forcing OEMs to pay a license fee for each PC sold whether or not it was shipped with Windows and not allowing third parties to ship alternative browsers.

Yes, not allowing third parties to ship alternative browsers, that was anti-competitive behavior because MS was in the browser business. Now if Apple had a loot box in their game and wouldn't allow Epic to have a loot box in Epic's game, that too would be anti-competitive. But not allowing anyone to have a loot box at all, isn't.

Re: Dickhead of the Week: Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri

#120

Post by dylan604 »

srtjstjsj wrote: post #108
dylan604 wrote: post #66

> But Facebook has 2.5 billion users and Instagram 1 billion — and they’re the sole gatekeepers of their own massive platforms. What's good for the goose, not the gander type of mentality at play here. However, using these numbers 2.5 BILLION users for FB and 1 BILLION users for Insta. Even if these platforms have to go with non-targeted ads, that's still a huge pool of potential eyeballs for an advertiser. If you we…

This is a minor variation of the "spammers fallacy" of believing 1% is the smallest number. What it it's 0.1%? Or 0.00001%?

You're missing the larger point. I'm very well aware that numbers are smaller than 1%. I just used 1% as easy number to do math with larger numbers. The FB/Insta platforms are such a large market for an advertiser. As with all advertising, you can spend as much as you want to hit your numbers.
Post reply on HN