3 ms·

No. Why should the only desirable metric be user engagement? Is the goal of FB engagement/virality/time-on-site/revenue above all else? What does society have

• maest 6y ago
  > How does Facebook's long-term health look, 10 years from now, if it hastens the polarization and anti-intellectualism of society? Arguably, the PM doesn't care since they have short term targets the want to hit and they might not even be with the company in a few years' time.
• cj 6y ago
  > Is the goal of FB engagement/virality/time-on-site/revenue above all else? Strictly speaking, Facebook is a public company that exists only to serve its shareholder's interests. The goal of Facebook (as a public company) is to increase stock price. That almost often, if not always, means prioritizing revenue over all else. That's the dilemma. Then again, I believe Mark has control of the board, right? (And therefore couldn't be ousted for prioritizing ethical business practices over revenue - I could be wrong about this)
  • freeflight 6y ago
    > Strictly speaking, Facebook is a public company that exists only to serve its shareholder's interests. That's a very US-centric interpretation, which fits because Facebook is a US company. But it's still reductive to the issue considering how Facebook's reach is also far and wide outside the US. In that context, it's not really that much of an unsolvable dilemma, it only appears as such when the notion of "shareholder gains above all else" is considered some kind of "holy grail thu shall never challenge".