> Facebook is enormously valuable. They made something like $15B in net income in the last four quarters.
Their profit is not proof they are valuable, because they are willfully abdicating responsibility for the damage they cause, and, further, involving themselves in government debates over their own regulation.
Advertising businesses are inherently suspect, and when one is addictive and potentially enabling election fraud etc, we need to be extra careful in declaring its value.
Anyone participating in the debate should have to disclose if they are a daily user or if their company advertises on any social network. (I'm clean)
Edit: my opinion of course is that FB, Insta, etc (any advertising product with push notifications and/or infinite scroll) ought to be illegal. In 50 or 100 years we'll all recognize that social networks are like internet cigarettes.
> my opinion of course is that FB, Insta, etc (any advertising product with push notifications and/or infinite scroll) ought to be illegal. In 50 or 100 years we'll all recognize that social networks are like internet cigarettes.
Well cigarettes are still not illegal, so we have some ways to go...
This was an earlier comment that disappeared. Frankly I ask myself consistently "what net value does Facebook add to the world?" other than being a 100% optional vice.
Their profit is not proof they are valuable, because they are willfully abdicating responsibility for the damage they cause, and, further, involving themselves in government debates over their own regulation.
Advertising businesses are inherently suspect, and when one is addictive and potentially enabling election fraud etc, we need to be extra careful in declaring its value.
Anyone participating in the debate should have to disclose if they are a daily user or if their company advertises on any social network. (I'm clean)
Edit: my opinion of course is that FB, Insta, etc (any advertising product with push notifications and/or infinite scroll) ought to be illegal. In 50 or 100 years we'll all recognize that social networks are like internet cigarettes.