4 ms·

Ads are fine. The "fuck you" pattern is letting you see the cat picture for 5 seconds before covering it up and requiring you to create an account and share you

Ads are fine. The "fuck you" pattern is letting you see the cat picture for 5 seconds before covering it up and requiring you to create an account and share your data with Facebook before you can see it.

andrewmcwatters 5y ago
Everyone everywhere has realized throughout the ages that conversion of anything is higher when you get a demo of the product. This isn't a "fuck you" pattern. They gave you a social media Costco food sample.
- Falling3 5y ago
  Except Costco is very upfront and honest about what a sample is and how it works. The food-based analogy would be they offer you an entire meal then slap you after you take your first small bite letting you know you have to pay to continue eating.
- thesausageking 5y ago
  I have no doubt it converts better. Facebook are masters at using little dopamine hits and denials to get users to do whatever they want. It’s still an obnoxious thing to do, which is the point of the article.
- technothrasher 5y ago
  > Everyone everywhere has realized throughout the ages that conversion of anything is higher when you get a demo of the product. Apparently not video games. Not many game companies offer demos anymore because they actually hurt sales.
  - webmaven 5y ago
    > > Everyone everywhere has realized throughout the ages that conversion of anything is higher when you get a demo of the product. > Apparently not video games. Not many game companies offer demos anymore because they actually hurt sales. That's interesting. Is that because the demo cannibalizes sales (ie. people have enough fun just playing the demo they don't feel compelled to buy the game), or because the demo undermines the game's value proposition (ie. people don't buy the crappy game because the demo makes the crappiness evident)?
- Dylan16807 5y ago
  Getting a free article or three, or the first half of one, is a demo. Letting you glance at it then making it disappear is not a demo.

andrewmcwatters 5y ago

Everyone everywhere has realized throughout the ages that conversion of anything is higher when you get a demo of the product. This isn't a "fuck you" pattern. They gave you a social media Costco food sample.

Falling3 5y ago
Except Costco is very upfront and honest about what a sample is and how it works. The food-based analogy would be they offer you an entire meal then slap you after you take your first small bite letting you know you have to pay to continue eating.
thesausageking 5y ago
I have no doubt it converts better. Facebook are masters at using little dopamine hits and denials to get users to do whatever they want. It’s still an obnoxious thing to do, which is the point of the article.
technothrasher 5y ago
> Everyone everywhere has realized throughout the ages that conversion of anything is higher when you get a demo of the product. Apparently not video games. Not many game companies offer demos anymore because they actually hurt sales.
- webmaven 5y ago
  > > Everyone everywhere has realized throughout the ages that conversion of anything is higher when you get a demo of the product. > Apparently not video games. Not many game companies offer demos anymore because they actually hurt sales. That's interesting. Is that because the demo cannibalizes sales (ie. people have enough fun just playing the demo they don't feel compelled to buy the game), or because the demo undermines the game's value proposition (ie. people don't buy the crappy game because the demo makes the crappiness evident)?
Dylan16807 5y ago
Getting a free article or three, or the first half of one, is a demo. Letting you glance at it then making it disappear is not a demo.