Always one to figure out how to take what we like doing and turn it into revenue, Facebook has teamed up with retailers to test a new feature, the “want” button. It’s kind of like the “like” button, but instead compiles a wish list of all the products you’re lusting after on the Internet and lets your pals (and ostensibly, the retailers selling the item) know. [More]
Data & Privacy
Facebook Now Has One Billion Active Monthly Users Which Means Lots Of Baby Pictures
By 10.4.12
Ever wonder why you can’t poke around anywhere on Facebook without running into a ton of baby pictures? It’s because there are just so many people on the social network in the first place, there’s bound to be a high proportion of cute photos. That’s my theory, but really there are a lot of people on Facebook now — the site has reached one billion users. [More]
Want More People To Like Your Facebook Post? That’ll Be $7
By 10.3.12
Anyone on Facebook knows that person in their group of “friends” who seems to live and die by whether or not people like, comment, or otherwise interact with each little status update. So to feed those emotionally needy beasts, the revenue-hungry folks at Facebook have launched some nonsense called Promoted Posts, where you can pay money to have more people see your kids’ first day of school photos. [More]
Facebook’s Redesigned Help Center Hinges On Novel Idea Of Actually Helping Users
By 10.2.12
Anyone who’s ever found themselves banging their heads into the keyboard trying to get an answer out of Facebook on how to say, make it so that every silly game your acquaintance from college plays isn’t blasted all of your newsfeed will likely be glad to hear that the social network is finally redoing its Help Center. It’s now supposed to be more user-friendly — what an odd idea! A help center that’s actually helpful. [More]
Facebook Hopes You Want To Back Up Your Boring ‘Happy Birthday’ Messages With Actual Boring Gifts
By 9.28.12
One virtually indisputable positive aspect of Facebook is that it reminds you of your friends’ birthdays so you can pile on to the “Happy birthday ol’ pal!” messages and not feel at all guilty that you didn’t buy a card or gift for the birthday person. But now Facebook is really hoping people will take those few moments you spend mindlessly writing someone a generic birthday message and decide to use Facebook to send that friend — who you may not have seen in decades — an equally thoughtless birthday present. [More]
Internet Privacy Advocates To FTC: Maybe Check Into This Whole Facebook & Datalogix Thing
By 9.27.12
After the world caught wind of Facebook’s sassy new partnership with data mining company Datalogix, we figured it would only be a matter of time before the public protestations started. The advocates over at the Electronic Privacy Information Center have teamed up with the Center for Digital Democracy are coming out with guns blazing against the pairing in a letter to the Federal Trade Commission. [More]
Facebook's New Mobile Ad Network Uses Your Data To Target You In Other Apps And Sites
By 9.19.12
Yesterday, Facebook announced that it’s new mobile ad network (the one that analysts are counting on to rescue the company’s stock price) would allow advertisers to pay to use your Facebook data to target you with ads outside the Facebook environment. So, for example, if you’ve authorized Facebook on an outside mobile website, you’ll begin to see ads targeted to your Facebook profile data. [More]
Facebook Stock Down More Than 50%, Schadenfreude Still Rising
By 8.31.12
Facebook stock has reached a new low following news that analysts at Bank of America/Merrill Lynch and Bank of Montreal have lowered their price target for the stock. [More]
Microsoft Updates Service Agreement To Make It Easier To Read The New Mandatory Binding Arbitration Clause
By 8.31.12
While we appreciate that Microsoft has made its online services agreement much easier to read, the update comes with a questionable addition: a shiny new mandatory binding arbitration clause with class action waiver. The clause states that you agree to settle any legal disputes (except intellectual property rights disputes) in either the small claims court in your county of residence or Microsoft’s, or through the arbitration procedure outlined in the agreement. Microsoft announced that this change was coming awhile back, and has already added similar language to its XBOX Live service. [More]
Facebook Takes Big Step Backward Toward Traditional Advertising
By 8.15.12
As we predicted back in its pre-IPO days in May, Facebook would need to give up on its current model of minimal and oddly placed ad units if it wanted to survive as a publicly traded company with a value anywhere near what it wants the stock market to think it’s worth. And as that stock price continues to hover at half of the IPO value, the company appears to have taken the first big step toward more traditional advertising, by testing a way for businesses to pay for ads that pop up in the streams of users who did not necessarily “like” that particular advertiser. [More]
Terms Of Service Too Long? This Site Reads Them For You
By 8.9.12
You don’t always read the Terms of Service before accepting them. Not for hardware, not for software, not for websites. We’re fairly certain that no one ever does. (Someone out there, please prove us wrong.) What we really needed all along is a service that reads over all of that legal language and gives you the highlights of the ToS, then explains which features are good or are bad for you as a consumer. Now that service exists. It even has little pictures that tell you which parts of the ToS are good or bad. Meet ToS;DR. [More]
Southwest Bills Customers Multiple Times In Failed Facebook Promotion
By 8.4.12
To celebrate its 3 millionth Facebook like — perhaps the most useless metric in social media — Southwest Airlines announced a half-price fare sale. But when some people tried to take advantage of the deal, they ended up having their credit and debit cards dinged with multiple charges. [More]
EA Sues Zynga Over Facebook Game That Also Has Simulated People Doing Everyday Things
By 8.3.12
There’s a fight brewing in social media gaming land: Electronic Arts is steamed at Zynga over its new “The Ville” game, which EA claims is a total ripoff of “The Sims Social,” both games that are played on Facebook. EA is suing, claiming The Ville is an “unmistakable” copy of The Sims Social. Both do have characters that are you know, people, who do things like build homes and put fancy virtual stuff in them. [More]
Judge In Facebook Settlement Doesn't Understand Why Users Shouldn't Get Some Money
By 8.3.12
A U.S. District judge tasked with bestowing final approval on the legal settlement between Facebook and its users over the “Sponsored Stories” ads is crunching the numbers in the case and he’s just a bit befuddled. Both Facebook and the plaintiffs floated a $123 million amount as the value of the settlement, but then somehow the company is only going to hand over $20 million in legal fees and donations to charity. [More]
Will More Mobile Facebook Ads Be Annoying Enough To Drive Users Away?
By 7.26.12
Earlier today, Facebook’s very own Mark Zuckerberg and the site’s other head honchos held a conference call with investors to discuss the company’s first earnings report since it went public back in May. Given the stock’s not-stellar performance and investors’ concerns about Facebook’s ability to actually, ya know… make money, the Zuck did his best to liven up spirits by saying the company is beefing up its mobile ad strategy. Which yes, means ads for Facebook users on their smartphones and tablets. Let the clogging begin. [More]
Facebook’s Cash Cow Zynga Blaming Some Of Its Gaming Problems On The Social Network
By 7.26.12
Is the era of FarmVille domination over? The creator of that popular online social game as well as a slew of others is facing some big problems, after Zynga’s stock opened 40% lower today than yesterday. Its putting some of the blame on the decline on its partner on the farm, Facebook, for changing up the social networking platform. [More]
Would “Do Not Track” Kill The Internet Or Make It A More Consumer-Friendly Place?
By 7.24.12
Talks between the White House and the Internet industry over a “Do Not Track” tool for consumer use on websites have been going on for almost a year now, but it seems neither side can exactly agree on what should be involved. Would giving consumers the power to keep their data from being collected end up killing Internet business or simply increasing privacy for those surfing it? [More]
Yoga Teacher Says She Was Fired For Telling Facebook Employee To Stop Using Phone In Class
By 7.10.12
Nothing says calm, peaceful meditation like someone fiddling around on their phone in the middle of a yoga class. Which is why one instructor who was leading a group at Facebook says she told her students to leave phones off during the session. She says a Facebook employee didn’t like being told to stay away from her phone, costing the instructor her job. [More]
