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The value to advertisers is in the ability to target their ads. To be able to prequalify people based on their searches was a major technological advance over t

The value to advertisers is in the ability to target their ads. To be able to prequalify people based on their searches was a major technological advance over the unqualified banners sites display. Facebook is attempting to mimic the prequalification in its use of your interests, your groups, fans, etc all that can be used for advertisers to filter. At this point it's fairly rudimentary, but imagine in the future when the system can apply some intelligence in determining whether or not I'd like to see ads for some product based on all the information Facebook has about me. The potential is there, but it is not yet fully matured.

braindead_in 17y ago
The same reasoning can be applied for Twitter. However the technological breakthroughs needed for such a system is still not in place. Facebook/Twitter has to put in a log of research into Natural Language Processing Technologies for this scenario to materialize. The cost of that is still unaccounted for. However the value of correct data is very important here. No doubt the data Facebook has about its users is very valuable. Especially considering the fact that there is a real person on the other end, with a significant amount of real life relationship amongst his/her friends list. Someone still needs to figure out how can that data be converted into dollars.