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Let me ask you a question: the Free Basics is targeted to people that can't afford another way to get internet. What will showing ads to these people accomplish

by pbalau 11y ago

Let me ask you a question: the Free Basics is targeted to people that can't afford another way to get internet. What will showing ads to these people accomplish?

yalogin 11y ago
Ad dollars were the wrong choice of words, its more gaining mind share and users. So do you really believe FB did it for the good of the people and that this free basics thing is good? What do you think a poor guy without access to proper resources like food, education will gain by sharing likes on FB?
- samfisher83 11y ago
  Obviously facebook is motivated by ad dollars, but people get some benefit out of it. Maybe that poor guy will see some image that makes him laugh.
  - fucking_tragedy 11y ago
    I don't think access to cat pictures justifies shitting all over a country's chances of building out proper infrastructure just to provide a profitable but censored service we'd never accept ourselves. Net neutrality was the last bastion of freedom online, but it's somehow too high of a standard for societies with lower rates of internet access?
    - mkagenius 11y ago
      > pictures justifies shitting all over a country's chances of building out proper infrastructure If you rely on government to build free internet access infrastructure for poor people, it could take long time. While on the other hand, fb has managed to build something and convinced telcos to give it for free to poor and promised that they will soon see those people converting into a full-internet user and will pay you the normal rate. So, actually the grand plan is to get them to use full internet, which is not bad for either parties I think.
      - fucking_tragedy 11y ago
        Where in FB business plan does it say that they'll invest all of that money to provide a locked-in service just to make it easier and cheaper for people to move from that service to one that doesn't prioritize FB content over their competitors'? I don't see that anywhere. It's almost as if there is a lot of money in getting a class of people to think FB is the internet by cutting off any real initiative for full internet access.
    - hellbanner 11y ago
      Speaking of shitting over a country's chances of building out proper infrastructure, have you read http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0452287081 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0452287081 Confessions of an Economic Hitman? It's all about the USA doing exactly that, by promising massive GDP gains. When they fail to net the profit required to pay the contractors, the contractors take over the infrastructure -- netting the USA dozens of corporate-owned electrical infrastructure all over the world, chiefly South America & the Middle East (!!)
      - fucking_tragedy 11y ago
        I picked that up a few months ago but haven't had the time (management skills) to start it yet.
ProAm 11y ago
indoctrination
roymurdock 11y ago
How many people do you know that have ever purchased anything from a Facebook ad or clicked on one other than by accident? Ads are increasingly about product placement, brand presence and being top of mind. Especially when you can be sure that 80% of your clickthroughs on Facebook are from some bot network that Facebook doesn't bother to crack down on because it adds to their userbase metric, which is what the derive such a high valuation from. [1] I'm sure coke, nestle, and other branded basic commodities (food, drink, clothing) would love a way to show ads to this low-income segment. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVfHeWTKjag https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVfHeWTKjag
danohuiginn 11y ago
Network effects. Even if these people don't have cash, their presence on facebook may encourage wealthier friends/relatives to participate more. [and even poor people may be advertising targets, for the right customer. Loan sharks? Political parties? Religious groups?]

by pbalau 11y ago

Let me ask you a question: the Free Basics is targeted to people that can't afford another way to get internet. What will showing ads to these people accomplish?

yalogin 11y ago

Ad dollars were the wrong choice of words, its more gaining mind share and users. So do you really believe FB did it for the good of the people and that this free basics thing is good? What do you think a poor guy without access to proper resources like food, education will gain by sharing likes on FB?

samfisher83 11y ago
Obviously facebook is motivated by ad dollars, but people get some benefit out of it. Maybe that poor guy will see some image that makes him laugh.
- fucking_tragedy 11y ago
  I don't think access to cat pictures justifies shitting all over a country's chances of building out proper infrastructure just to provide a profitable but censored service we'd never accept ourselves. Net neutrality was the last bastion of freedom online, but it's somehow too high of a standard for societies with lower rates of internet access?
  - mkagenius 11y ago
    > pictures justifies shitting all over a country's chances of building out proper infrastructure If you rely on government to build free internet access infrastructure for poor people, it could take long time. While on the other hand, fb has managed to build something and convinced telcos to give it for free to poor and promised that they will soon see those people converting into a full-internet user and will pay you the normal rate. So, actually the grand plan is to get them to use full internet, which is not bad for either parties I think.
    - fucking_tragedy 11y ago
      Where in FB business plan does it say that they'll invest all of that money to provide a locked-in service just to make it easier and cheaper for people to move from that service to one that doesn't prioritize FB content over their competitors'? I don't see that anywhere. It's almost as if there is a lot of money in getting a class of people to think FB is the internet by cutting off any real initiative for full internet access.
  - hellbanner 11y ago
    Speaking of shitting over a country's chances of building out proper infrastructure, have you read http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0452287081 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0452287081 Confessions of an Economic Hitman? It's all about the USA doing exactly that, by promising massive GDP gains. When they fail to net the profit required to pay the contractors, the contractors take over the infrastructure -- netting the USA dozens of corporate-owned electrical infrastructure all over the world, chiefly South America & the Middle East (!!)
    - fucking_tragedy 11y ago
      I picked that up a few months ago but haven't had the time (management skills) to start it yet.

ProAm 11y ago

indoctrination

roymurdock 11y ago

How many people do you know that have ever purchased anything from a Facebook ad or clicked on one other than by accident? Ads are increasingly about product placement, brand presence and being top of mind. Especially when you can be sure that 80% of your clickthroughs on Facebook are from some bot network that Facebook doesn't bother to crack down on because it adds to their userbase metric, which is what the derive such a high valuation from. [1] I'm sure coke, nestle, and other branded basic commodities (food, drink, clothing) would love a way to show ads to this low-income segment. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVfHeWTKjag https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVfHeWTKjag

danohuiginn 11y ago

Network effects. Even if these people don't have cash, their presence on facebook may encourage wealthier friends/relatives to participate more. [and even poor people may be advertising targets, for the right customer. Loan sharks? Political parties? Religious groups?]