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When was Facebook about improving society? Oh sure they'll do that as long as it doesn't jeopardize profits, but after all we've learned about their social engi

When was Facebook about improving society? Oh sure they'll do that as long as it doesn't jeopardize profits, but after all we've learned about their social engineering, social experimentation, pattern recognition and various mechanisms to maintain engagement, is it really right to pretend they are any different than any other large corporation? The dollar is the endgame, and if improving society becomes a profitable endeavor, then and only then is it safe to say they will pursue it.

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notacoward 9y ago
> The dollar is the endgame... Is that not equally true for just about every tech company we discuss here?
- ionised 9y ago
  Of course. Profit-seeking isn't inherently a bad thing. Personally I measure their worth of these companies based on the damage they cause in the pursuit of that profit.
  - notacoward 9y ago
    I contend that your formula is still incomplete. Yes, we absolutely should count the damage companies cause in pursuit of profit. We should also count the non-financial good they do. The spread of "fake news" is a bad thing. Connecting with other people who have the same disease, as another commenter mentioned, is a good thing. Count both. I'm not trying to say whether the net for Facebook or anyone else is positive or negative. I'm just saying that we should apply the same standard for every company, and it should be standard that includes all relevant data. Too often, I see different and/or incomplete standards used to praise some companies and condemn others.
simonswords82 9y ago
I think that's kind of my point. Notwithstanding that they have shareholders to please, and metrics to aim for, I just wonder when they're actually going to do something with their enormous reach. Implementing a true technical democracy? Meaningfully helping people stay in touch (like the recent social CRM that was on HN)? Suicide prevention? Mental health awareness - I read a study recently about how certain Facebook posts can indicate somebody has a mental health issue. They must have some angle on trying to do good. The recent implementation of the "mark yourself safe" feature is a tiny gesture towards actually trying to do good but it's trivial really. There must be so much more that can be done.

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notacoward 9y ago

> The dollar is the endgame... Is that not equally true for just about every tech company we discuss here?

ionised 9y ago
Of course. Profit-seeking isn't inherently a bad thing. Personally I measure their worth of these companies based on the damage they cause in the pursuit of that profit.
- notacoward 9y ago
  I contend that your formula is still incomplete. Yes, we absolutely should count the damage companies cause in pursuit of profit. We should also count the non-financial good they do. The spread of "fake news" is a bad thing. Connecting with other people who have the same disease, as another commenter mentioned, is a good thing. Count both. I'm not trying to say whether the net for Facebook or anyone else is positive or negative. I'm just saying that we should apply the same standard for every company, and it should be standard that includes all relevant data. Too often, I see different and/or incomplete standards used to praise some companies and condemn others.

simonswords82 9y ago

I think that's kind of my point. Notwithstanding that they have shareholders to please, and metrics to aim for, I just wonder when they're actually going to do something with their enormous reach. Implementing a true technical democracy? Meaningfully helping people stay in touch (like the recent social CRM that was on HN)? Suicide prevention? Mental health awareness - I read a study recently about how certain Facebook posts can indicate somebody has a mental health issue. They must have some angle on trying to do good. The recent implementation of the "mark yourself safe" feature is a tiny gesture towards actually trying to do good but it's trivial really. There must be so much more that can be done.