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

Facebook is nearing a reputational point of no return

economist.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

81–90 of 609 posts

Re: Facebook is nearing a reputational point of no return

#81

Post by rickspencer3 »

shoto_io wrote: 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.

While I agree with this in terms of users, I think that their reputation does influence how they are treated by regulators, law makers, and law enforcement. Being considered a bad actor and habitual liar by the government is problematic. I was working at Microsoft during the whole "DOJ says Microsoft is a monopoly" madness, and I can tell you that it had an impact.

Re: Facebook is nearing a reputational point of no return

#82

Post by teddyh »

It bothers me when media reports on somebody’s (or a company’s) reputation, like it’s the weather or something. The media is entirely responsible for somebody’s reputation. Grassroots rumors or gossip can only have very limited spread, and nobody puts much stock in them if the media contradicts them. If the media has now decided that Facebook has a bad reputation, that’s how it is, since the media is the entity defining reputation.

Re: Facebook is nearing a reputational point of no return

#83

Post by teg4n_ »

kongin wrote: post #55
mchanson wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Article doesn't disagree with your take: "The firm risks joining the ranks of corporate untouchables like big tobacco. If that idea takes hold, Facebook risks losing its young, liberal staff. Even if its ageing customers stick with the social network, Facebook has bigger ambitions that could be foiled if public opinion continues to curdle."

Facebook has gotten worse with its young liberal staff. And I don't mean in the dark patterns for more clicks sense, I mean in the cpu cycles to do a basic operation. Maybe it's time for the old crusty developers making $60k on embedded systems to take a shot at it.

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?

Re: Facebook is nearing a reputational point of no return

#84

Post by dang-guefever »

throwaway20875 wrote: post #47

This whole circus is about as contrived as it gets, complete with the "think of the children" gimmick. The timing, the theatrics, the manufactured celebrity of a middle manager at Facebook who is doing the "right" kind of whistleblowing that the establishment likes. Facebook's predatory business model isn't unique or new. This is about raw power to censor.

Pretty much. This is the next generation version of "This is extremely dangerous to our democracy"^1 level of collusion to push narratives.

1 - https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZggCipbiHwE

Re: Facebook is nearing a reputational point of no return

#85

Post by h2odragon »

capableweb wrote: post #61
VladimirGolovin wrote: post #9

Heroin is already way past a reputational point of no return, but people are still using it.

Worth noting for the ones who aren't familiar with it: physical dependency is different than psychological dependence. Not saying one is easier to stop/better than the other, but Facebook and heroin have very different effect on people.

> physical dependency is different than psychological dependence

I do not disagree. But. Let's see the heavy facebook user at hours 18 and 36 of abstinence, and at week 1 and 2 ... The psychological rewards have physical side effects with physical actions, too.

This is not the same as life threatening DT's, but its also real physical effects.

Re: Facebook is nearing a reputational point of no return

#87

Post by quotemstr »

Absolutely not. Media likes to think it can control popular narratives like it can turn a dial, but it can't anymore -- due in large part to Facebook.

Social media has been under attack from mainstream media for a decade, ostensibly due to concerns over social media ranking and interest-based advertising, but actually due to social media disintermediation information exchange and obviating the role of traditional media as gatekeepers.

I can't bring myself to be upset by this development. The social problems arising from social media are concerning and demand discussion and maybe some kind of fix --- but it remains a good thing that reporters and editors can no longer unilaterally set the agenda for society. Power is only safe when it's divided and diffused.

Re: Facebook is nearing a reputational point of no return

#88

Post by vxNsr »

tomhoward wrote: post #33
shoto_io wrote: 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.

That was my reaction too, scoffing as I imagined the headline "Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation is nearing a reputational point of no return" after the News of the World scandal in 2011 (or any of countless others). But the sentence that matters is this one: "Facebook risks losing its young, liberal staff". If Facebook can't attract/keep the best staff (especially hackers/devs/engineers), it can't stay at the top. E…

> Even Microsoft of 1998 didn't become as toxic to solid tech talent as Facebook risks becoming if they keep this up.

Idk, I think being the only big tech employer in Seattle at the time helped keep them afloat. Telecommuting was still nascent at the time and moving is always daunting. Today the environment is very different, Facebook is in the heart of SV, but even more importantly, now everyone is suddenly totally ok with indefinite remote work, so you’re no longer limited by not wanting to move, the only thing holding you back is $$, and at a certain point all the money in the world isn’t gonna make you fe good about what you’re doing.

Re: Facebook is nearing a reputational point of no return

#89

Post by Frost1x »

shoto_io wrote: 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.

Agreed. Markets are ruled by majorities not minorities, no matter how right or wrong the majority may be. Let's stop pretending consumers always act in their best interests or even have access to: capacity to analyze (time, priority, interest) and knowledge to make good choices. This is all about the will and momentum of the mob and this isn't enough to sway a critical mass of the mob to exert their influence.

Re: Facebook is nearing a reputational point of no return

#90

Post by Clubber »

Joker_vD wrote: post #30
Clubber wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"boomer media can't comprehend this" Believing news is on the side of the citizenry is like believing HR is on the side of the employee.

What, and the corporations don't exist first and foremost to benefit their customers? Have I been lied to my whole life?

Well over the decades the value proposition has changed. In the case of manufacturing, the proposition was you give us money, we give you a quality, well built product that will last a long time. Also, we would recirculate some of that money back to the economy in the form of wages paid to US workers.

Now it's you give us money, we'll continue to figure out how to make it cheaper and it's ok if the quality slips because it's for our benefit of course, and we'll spend all our labor overseas.

Post reply on HN