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Facebook's PR feels broken

themargins.substack.com

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Re: Facebook's PR feels broken

#91

Post by zartar »

muglug wrote: post #3

Facebook is just transitioning to becoming the digital equivalent of an oil company. They make a product that billions consume, but that many people think is doing damage to the environment (even though many of those critics still consume the product). That's why their PR machine is now switching to these slightly astroturfy campaigns. The next step is an advert along the lines of "They call it pollution. We call it…

One interesting aspect of FB's externalized cost structure is that the damage is both to society (like pollution as you mention) and also the individual consumer (more like cigarettes) because the product is designed to be addictive and while releasing momentary dopamine to the user, makes them more depressed on the whole.

Re: Facebook's PR feels broken

#92

Post by jzwinck »

protastus wrote: post #79
muglug wrote: post #3

Facebook is just transitioning to becoming the digital equivalent of an oil company. They make a product that billions consume, but that many people think is doing damage to the environment (even though many of those critics still consume the product). That's why their PR machine is now switching to these slightly astroturfy campaigns. The next step is an advert along the lines of "They call it pollution. We call it…

Oil so useful that modern society would collapse without it. Facebook is not meeting a core need. It's peddling something entirely optional to society. At best it provides entertainment value, while being extremely addictive and dangerous. Facebook is like crack.

In Southeast Asia, Facebook is the main or only online presence for many, many businesses. They don't have their own websites, just a corporate Facebook page, a phone number (for Whatsapp/SMS mostly) and a Google Maps entry. I'm not saying all these businesses would disappear if Facebook did, but it's not clear how they'd be online. Most of them have zero IT.

Re: Facebook's PR feels broken

#93

Post by JohnFen »

jzwinck wrote: post #92
protastus wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oil so useful that modern society would collapse without it. Facebook is not meeting a core need. It's peddling something entirely optional to society. At best it provides entertainment value, while being extremely addictive and dangerous. Facebook is like crack.

In Southeast Asia, Facebook is the main or only online presence for many, many businesses. They don't have their own websites, just a corporate Facebook page, a phone number (for Whatsapp/SMS mostly) and a Google Maps entry. I'm not saying all these businesses would disappear if Facebook did, but it's not clear how they'd be online. Most of them have zero IT.

I'm certain that given the size of that market, some enterprising company would step up to fill it.

Re: Facebook's PR feels broken

#94

Post by JohnFen »

muglug wrote: post #83
protastus wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oil so useful that modern society would collapse without it. Facebook is not meeting a core need. It's peddling something entirely optional to society. At best it provides entertainment value, while being extremely addictive and dangerous. Facebook is like crack.

Human connection is a core need. Facebook provides it (or something a lot like it).

Facebook is to human connection what sugar is to nutrition.

Re: Facebook's PR feels broken

#95

Post by siruncledrew »

jzwinck wrote: post #92
protastus wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oil so useful that modern society would collapse without it. Facebook is not meeting a core need. It's peddling something entirely optional to society. At best it provides entertainment value, while being extremely addictive and dangerous. Facebook is like crack.

In Southeast Asia, Facebook is the main or only online presence for many, many businesses. They don't have their own websites, just a corporate Facebook page, a phone number (for Whatsapp/SMS mostly) and a Google Maps entry. I'm not saying all these businesses would disappear if Facebook did, but it's not clear how they'd be online. Most of them have zero IT.

Wow I didn’t know that. What are some examples?

That’s interesting to think about compared to so many companies I’ve seen having their own url, even if their website is all html tables and css rules from 10+ years ago.

Re: Facebook's PR feels broken

#96

Post by HeWhoLurksLate »

JohnFen wrote: post #94
muglug wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Human connection is a core need. Facebook provides it (or something a lot like it).

Facebook is to human connection what sugar is to nutrition.

So, inherently necessary, and quite important if you're diabetic?

Re: Facebook's PR feels broken

#97

Post by jzwinck »

JohnFen wrote: post #93
jzwinck wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Southeast Asia, Facebook is the main or only online presence for many, many businesses. They don't have their own websites, just a corporate Facebook page, a phone number (for Whatsapp/SMS mostly) and a Google Maps entry. I'm not saying all these businesses would disappear if Facebook did, but it's not clear how they'd be online. Most of them have zero IT.

I'm certain that given the size of that market, some enterprising company would step up to fill it.

One might expect Garena to do it, but why haven't they already? Maybe Grab can.

Re: Facebook's PR feels broken

#99

Post by lobe »

stronglikedan wrote: post #59
DevKoala wrote: post #52

The author reads way too much on Zuckerberg’s response. It Makes me question their perception of the events and as a result, the analysis as a whole.

If I'm interpreting it correctly, it appears that the author is actually offended at the suggestion of listening to viewpoints that conflict with their own in order to possibly learn things from it.

I didn't read it like that at all. As stated in the article, the offending bit was the last two lines. "If you haven't tried it, I suggest you do" is the smug, condescending jab that was completely unnecessary. It is inflammatory for no benefit.

The start of the response was perfectly fine and I did not feel the author took offence to it.

Re: Facebook's PR feels broken

#100

Post by jzwinck »

siruncledrew wrote: post #95
jzwinck wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Southeast Asia, Facebook is the main or only online presence for many, many businesses. They don't have their own websites, just a corporate Facebook page, a phone number (for Whatsapp/SMS mostly) and a Google Maps entry. I'm not saying all these businesses would disappear if Facebook did, but it's not clear how they'd be online. Most of them have zero IT.

Wow I didn’t know that. What are some examples? That’s interesting to think about compared to so many companies I’ve seen having their own url, even if their website is all html tables and css rules from 10+ years ago.

Here's an example: https://facebook.com/BelimbingSuperstar/

That is a midrange restaurant in tech-savvy Singapore, opened a few months ago by people who already had another successful restaurant.

And here is their website: http://belimbingsuperstar.com

As of this writing the website is literally a GoDaddy placeholder page. They use the domain for email only, they didn't even bother to redirect it to Facebook.

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