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Facebook gave up on its original userbase long ago when it found out there was a near endless supply of older boomers that can barely use a computer and would w

Facebook gave up on its original userbase long ago when it found out there was a near endless supply of older boomers that can barely use a computer and would would click on everything and anything. Facebook is designed for, and in fact is designed to prey on, the computer illiterate.

catalogia 7y ago
> would click on everything and anything. Particularly ads. I don't think it's necessarily computer illiteracy specifically to blame here, though it's certainly a factor. The elderly are also targeted by telephone scammers, presumably because they tend to be more trusting/naive. Even snail-mail becomes an issue for some old folks; my grandmother has trouble differentiating junk mail from legitimate mail, it can sometimes take her several minutes to realize she can throw away a junkmail flier. I have the deepest contempt for the people who work in these sort of industries. They must know what they're doing.
- themagician 7y ago
  My parents fall prey to a new Facebook scam every couple weeks. I can’t even keep up with it anymore. Scam isn’t even the right word. More like “scheme”. Everything from anti-aging pills to travel clubs to worse. Between this garbage and the fake news nonsense Facebook is an absolute disease at this point. Honestly, someone should start a campaign to ask Mark Zuckerberg to just delete it. Cash out and delete it for the good of humanity.
  - GlitchMr 7y ago
    Mark Zuckerberg cannot do this. He could sell his shares and leave Facebook, but it would still work. Your best bet about shutting down Facebook is government action or useds leaving Facebook. Either of those seems almost impossible however, and keep in mind Facebook has money to purchase its competitors if useds start moving to them.
    - Nextgrid 7y ago
      We just need regulation. If Facebook advertising is used to promote a scam then Facebook should be considered complicit for the crime and punished. The market will do the rest. Facebook doesn’t want to be fined so will force all ads to be reviewed & approved manually. This costs money so in turn the price of the ads will go up. Legitimate brands will still be able to afford it, the rest will disappear. Overall there would be less “noise” in the ads compared to the “signal” (the very few good ads).
      - pixl97 7y ago
        Regulations, at least in the US will be purchased by the multi billion dollar ad companies.

catalogia 7y ago

> would click on everything and anything. Particularly ads. I don't think it's necessarily computer illiteracy specifically to blame here, though it's certainly a factor. The elderly are also targeted by telephone scammers, presumably because they tend to be more trusting/naive. Even snail-mail becomes an issue for some old folks; my grandmother has trouble differentiating junk mail from legitimate mail, it can sometimes take her several minutes to realize she can throw away a junkmail flier. I have the deepest contempt for the people who work in these sort of industries. They must know what they're doing.

themagician 7y ago
My parents fall prey to a new Facebook scam every couple weeks. I can’t even keep up with it anymore. Scam isn’t even the right word. More like “scheme”. Everything from anti-aging pills to travel clubs to worse. Between this garbage and the fake news nonsense Facebook is an absolute disease at this point. Honestly, someone should start a campaign to ask Mark Zuckerberg to just delete it. Cash out and delete it for the good of humanity.
- GlitchMr 7y ago
  Mark Zuckerberg cannot do this. He could sell his shares and leave Facebook, but it would still work. Your best bet about shutting down Facebook is government action or useds leaving Facebook. Either of those seems almost impossible however, and keep in mind Facebook has money to purchase its competitors if useds start moving to them.
  - Nextgrid 7y ago
    We just need regulation. If Facebook advertising is used to promote a scam then Facebook should be considered complicit for the crime and punished. The market will do the rest. Facebook doesn’t want to be fined so will force all ads to be reviewed & approved manually. This costs money so in turn the price of the ads will go up. Legitimate brands will still be able to afford it, the rest will disappear. Overall there would be less “noise” in the ads compared to the “signal” (the very few good ads).
    - pixl97 7y ago
      Regulations, at least in the US will be purchased by the multi billion dollar ad companies.