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Facebook is nearing a reputational point of no return

economist.com

121–130 of 609 posts

Re: Facebook is nearing a reputational point of no return

#121
post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The argument being made isn't that people will stop using Facebook. It's that Facebook won't be able to hire the talent it needs. That's a longer, but more damaging feedback loop, assuming you believe it (the counter argument is they will be able to pay people enough to hire them anyway).

Yeah I dunno, I'd happily take an existing Facebook US salary if all the good engineers stopped working there.

Whether facebook has to pay by raising compensation or by settling for worse engineers, it's still a premium.

Re: Facebook is nearing a reputational point of no return

#122
post #5
post #3

No. That’s what people like us and all the main stream media hope for. But: most people I know don’t have the slightest clue that Insta and WhatsApp belong to the FB group. And even worse: most of them don’t give a shit about the reputation of FB. They just want to send messages and share pictures through those apps.

This. 73 yo dad is not quitting Facebook anytime soon. He genuinely uses it to find old friends and coworkers and goof around in the comments.

As Harley Davidson has learned, you can't lean on an aging population long-term, as they tend to stop aging.

Re: Facebook is nearing a reputational point of no return

#123
post #3

No. That’s what people like us and all the main stream media hope for. But: most people I know don’t have the slightest clue that Insta and WhatsApp belong to the FB group. And even worse: most of them don’t give a shit about the reputation of FB. They just want to send messages and share pictures through those apps.

To go a bit further MSM's ad revenue is being hollowed out by Facebook et al. Why would anyone pay to advertise in Economist when they can advertise to "people interested in economics, earning over 150k, last thought about cigarettes three weeks ago" etc. Similarly, if you were an advertising exec at pfizer, would you choose to pay millions of dollars to advertise your meds to a continuously shrinking audience on som…

This has always been pretty clear. But, also effective. Lots of congresspeople and MPs still read the NY Times, Guardian, etc.. Facebook also has no political 'country', being a big company (left wing hate) based in San Francisco with liberal views amongst its workers and ownerss. (right wing hate)

Re: Facebook is nearing a reputational point of no return

#124
post #93
post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Glenn Greenwald wrote an article arguing that yes, it is a power grab. https://greenwald.substack.com/p/democrats-and-media-do-not-...

Glenn Greenwood in my opinion is not a neutral party here. In recent times he clearly has chosen sides.

You know what, I'm willing to take you up on the offer of "eliminate all biased media".

Re: Facebook is nearing a reputational point of no return

#125
post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where will that young liberal staff go work for? I suspect once too much of good life perks are not available at FB maybe their outlook itself change a bit.

They'll go work for the AANG in FAANG. If they're good enough to get into FB, they've good enough for the other 4+. FB transferred from a "change the world" to a "change my finances and make my resume" place several yers ago. Several other companies fill in the latter qualification. Also, and ya I know how this sounds, but if Coinbase keeps it up they and similar companies will and are grabbing some of the same talen…

Ah right. All moral quandaries get resolved while working for AANG.

Re: Facebook is nearing a reputational point of no return

#126
post #3

No. That’s what people like us and all the main stream media hope for. But: most people I know don’t have the slightest clue that Insta and WhatsApp belong to the FB group. And even worse: most of them don’t give a shit about the reputation of FB. They just want to send messages and share pictures through those apps.

To go a bit further MSM's ad revenue is being hollowed out by Facebook et al. Why would anyone pay to advertise in Economist when they can advertise to "people interested in economics, earning over 150k, last thought about cigarettes three weeks ago" etc. Similarly, if you were an advertising exec at pfizer, would you choose to pay millions of dollars to advertise your meds to a continuously shrinking audience on som…

> Why would anyone pay to advertise in Economist when they can advertise to "people interested in economics, earning over 150k, last thought about cigarettes three weeks ago" etc.

Because they don't trust that that data is accurate.

https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/pdf/10.1287/mksc.2019.118...

Re: Facebook is nearing a reputational point of no return

#127
post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not like the web has a high entry barrier, how come these embedded systems developers turn web developers that are so great haven't made anything? Am I missing something? Are there secret web apps that are oh so good but just not darn popular enough?

I’d say inertia and unawareness of the FAANG salary market on the supply-side, and ageism and preference for demographic diversity over experiential diversity on the demand-side.

For some reason I think places like Microsoft have plenty of old white highly experienced embedded engineers that could work on a web app if they wanted to, I just don't think they could do any better.

Re: Facebook is nearing a reputational point of no return

#128
post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where will that young liberal staff go work for? I suspect once too much of good life perks are not available at FB maybe their outlook itself change a bit.

Some other tech giant with similar issues that are not getting as bad a press at the moment.

Agreed. What's the point of me being liberal if I can't my explain illiberal choices glibly.

Re: Facebook is nearing a reputational point of no return

#129
post #3

No. That’s what people like us and all the main stream media hope for. But: most people I know don’t have the slightest clue that Insta and WhatsApp belong to the FB group. And even worse: most of them don’t give a shit about the reputation of FB. They just want to send messages and share pictures through those apps.

To go a bit further MSM's ad revenue is being hollowed out by Facebook et al. Why would anyone pay to advertise in Economist when they can advertise to "people interested in economics, earning over 150k, last thought about cigarettes three weeks ago" etc. Similarly, if you were an advertising exec at pfizer, would you choose to pay millions of dollars to advertise your meds to a continuously shrinking audience on som…

CPC[0] ads, maybe. CPM[0] and CPA[0] probably still benefit from ads in publications.

[0] Cost-per-[Click, Mille/thousand, Action]

Re: Facebook is nearing a reputational point of no return

#130
post #72

I don't really know much about US politics, but could this recent attack on Facebook be a political move and a power grab? Attack FB so they block certain groups / certain topics and promote what the regulators want? I listened to the whistle-blower's testimony and I didn't hear any reasonable solutions (in my opinion at least; I am a software developer myself). Also, it seems there might be some regulations imposed.…

Glenn Greenwald wrote an article arguing that yes, it is a power grab. https://greenwald.substack.com/p/democrats-and-media-do-not-...

I think he jumped his own shark a while ago when he left The Intercept [1] and has been writing some articles that sound reasonable but then veer into BS pretty quickly.

"And that is Facebook's only real political problem: not that they are too powerful but that they are not using that power to censor enough content from the internet that offends the sensibilities and beliefs of Democratic Party leaders and their liberal followers, who now control the White House, the entire executive branch and both houses of Congress."

This is just fringe, nutty stuff. The media is indeed doing what he says they are nut they are doing it because that is what they always do when they have a story they want to be a part of to try to feed off the popularity.

It is insidious and messed up in almost exactly the reasons he mentions but not for the reasons he thinks.

[1] https://theintercept.com

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