4 ms·

Remember, when you aren't paying for the product, you are the product. Everyone using all the "free" social networks needs to understand this.

TeMPOraL 15y ago
> "Remember, when you aren't paying for the product, you are the product." This meme is getting boring and should die. It's not true in many cases, from e.g. open-source (you don't pay, you gain) to buying at Wal-Mart or Target (you pay, but they track and analyze you anyway).
- freshhawk 15y ago
  > "Look both ways before you cross the street" This meme is getting boring and should die. It's not true in many cases, from one-way streets (only need to look one way) to blind corners (even looking you might not see the car) * It's not a meme by any definition of the word, it's an aphorism. It's a damn good rule of thumb since the only actual example you could come up with where it doesn't apply is open-source. Even then, the context of this saying is clearly concerning commercial projects so it's not even a good example.
  - TeMPOraL 15y ago
    Actually, the only example it seems to apply to so far is Facebook; maybe also some stuff Google does sometimes. Open-source is a meta-example, because if we're comparing it with Facebook and Google+, I should probably list every major open-source program that doesn't turn you into product, and compare by the numbers. Many of those project even earn their authors money (AKA not every business model for earning money on free products is based on selling users). And it is a meme because, well, http://www.hnsearch.com/search#request/all&q=%22you+are+the+product%22&start=0 http://www.hnsearch.com/search#request/all&q=%22you+are+....
    - reidmain 15y ago
      Facebook Google Foursquare Yelp Instagram Readability Twitter And that is just off the top of my head.
- onlyup 15y ago
  Thank you. It always feels like people are ignorantly repeating that line whenever Facebook is mentioned.

TeMPOraL 15y ago

> "Remember, when you aren't paying for the product, you are the product." This meme is getting boring and should die. It's not true in many cases, from e.g. open-source (you don't pay, you gain) to buying at Wal-Mart or Target (you pay, but they track and analyze you anyway).

freshhawk 15y ago
> "Look both ways before you cross the street" This meme is getting boring and should die. It's not true in many cases, from one-way streets (only need to look one way) to blind corners (even looking you might not see the car) * It's not a meme by any definition of the word, it's an aphorism. It's a damn good rule of thumb since the only actual example you could come up with where it doesn't apply is open-source. Even then, the context of this saying is clearly concerning commercial projects so it's not even a good example.
- TeMPOraL 15y ago
  Actually, the only example it seems to apply to so far is Facebook; maybe also some stuff Google does sometimes. Open-source is a meta-example, because if we're comparing it with Facebook and Google+, I should probably list every major open-source program that doesn't turn you into product, and compare by the numbers. Many of those project even earn their authors money (AKA not every business model for earning money on free products is based on selling users). And it is a meme because, well, http://www.hnsearch.com/search#request/all&q=%22you+are+the+product%22&start=0 http://www.hnsearch.com/search#request/all&q=%22you+are+....
  - reidmain 15y ago
    Facebook Google Foursquare Yelp Instagram Readability Twitter And that is just off the top of my head.
onlyup 15y ago
Thank you. It always feels like people are ignorantly repeating that line whenever Facebook is mentioned.