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Re:An open letter to FB, Twitter, Instagram regarding algori... by res0nat0r on Wednesday December 12, 2018 @11:59AM (#18665504)
I saw this post the other day, but this just seems like it is going to involve even more outrage at FB when the algorithm presents something incorrectly. Getting ads for "You just lost a child, would you like to call a helpline?" are going to outrage just as many people, which is why I expect they just stay away from that type of subject matter all together.
Re:An open letter to FB, Twitter, Instagram regarding algori... by protomyth on Wednesday December 12, 2018 @12:30PM (#18665796)
Its an Ad platform not a member of this person's inner circle. Just shut the damn ads off for anything having to do with babies. At the end of the day, you are creating a mechanism to connect a person with a company so they can buy products. If something would be inappropriate for a salesperson to say to a person, then make damn sure your Ad network doesn't say that. It would be wholly inappropriate for a salesperson to suggest a hotline. Just stop. The Ad network is business, this just got deeply personal.
Re:An open letter to FB, Twitter, Instagram regarding algori... by res0nat0r on Wednesday December 12, 2018 @12:37PM (#18665878)
I think this is the overarching issue with the original post, as they're looking for Facebooks ad network to comfort them or give them some kind of advice, and that is totally not what it is designed to do.
Re:An open letter to FB, Twitter, Instagram regarding algori... by protomyth on Wednesday December 12, 2018 @12:47PM (#18665971)
No, I don't think the story is looking for comfort from Facebook ads. I am pretty sure she is looking for Facebook not to add to the pain and just get out of any conversation she is having with those that support her. That's the point of the letter.

Frankly, if you are an advertiser and know your ads are being served to someone who, through tragedy, cannot use your product and instead are now part of a thousand cuts treatment, you should be pretty offended yourself.

Re:An open letter to FB, Twitter, Instagram regarding algori... by res0nat0r on Wednesday December 12, 2018 @12:51PM (#18666012)
> Frankly, if you are an advertiser and know your ads are being served to someone who, through tragedy, cannot use your product and instead are now part of a thousand cuts treatment, you should be pretty offended yourself.

How, exactly, are they supposed to know that? The bigger issue here is everyone expecting Facebook to somehow be omnipotent. They're not. They are a sharing platform that makes money by selling targeted ads. They're not all knowing.

Re:An open letter to FB, Twitter, Instagram regarding algori... by davefp on Wednesday December 12, 2018 @01:40PM (#18666502)
> How, exactly, are they supposed to know that?

Because situations have more than one possible outcome. Lumping everyone into a single cohort based on a majority rule (e.g. people who buy pregnancy-related products often buy baby-related products later) is a kind of insensitivity that would be frowned on if applied in person.

> The bigger issue here is everyone expecting Facebook to somehow be omnipotent.

I'd argue that Facebook (or its advertising algorithm in this case) is operating _as if it is_ omniscient when really there are lots of shortcomings that can and do cause harm. It should be reigned in instead of forgiven.

Re:An open letter to FB, Twitter, Instagram regarding algori... by mcguire on Wednesday December 12, 2018 @01:30PM (#18666395)
The same way they know to present the ads in the first place? If they can do one, they can do the other, right?

It just happens infrequently enough that they haven't had to care about it. Yet.

Re:An open letter to FB, Twitter, Instagram regarding algori... by protomyth on Wednesday December 12, 2018 @01:02PM (#18666118)
I would imagine that in this case, some of their social media folks are seeing the problem. Target got word that they were accidentally telling some parents their kid was pregnant. Enough retweets and articles should hit the any social team worth the name.
Re:An open letter to FB, Twitter, Instagram regarding algori... by ahi on Wednesday December 12, 2018 @05:05PM (#18668149)
If I employ a human too stupid to not insult my customers, I would probably fire him.
Re:An open letter to FB, Twitter, Instagram regarding algori... by afandian on Wednesday December 12, 2018 @01:04PM (#18666145)
I read:

> Or maybe, just maybe, not at all.

As "please don't".

Re:An open letter to FB, Twitter, Instagram regarding algori... by ssully on Wednesday December 12, 2018 @12:10PM (#18665619)
I think they are asking to stop being prodded with baby ads altogether, not to be shown ads for loss support hotlines.
Re:An open letter to FB, Twitter, Instagram regarding algori... by skystrife on Wednesday December 12, 2018 @12:12PM (#18665643)
The correct response is not to try to advertise targeting the traumatic event, but to pivot and avoid it and related subjects entirely. I doubt people will complain if ads about babies and parenting were to disappear after a still birth or miscarriage.
Re:An open letter to FB, Twitter, Instagram regarding algori... by basic1 on Wednesday December 12, 2018 @12:26PM (#18665764)
>The correct response is not to try to advertise...

Never going to happen, they say marketers ruin everything for a reason.

Re:An open letter to FB, Twitter, Instagram regarding algori... by skystrife on Wednesday December 12, 2018 @12:31PM (#18665805)
I'm not saying "don't advertise at all", but rather "advertise something very different". Does that matter, though? Maybe not.
Re:An open letter to FB, Twitter, Instagram regarding algori... by thebiglebrewski on Wednesday December 12, 2018 @12:09PM (#18665616)
How about just stopping the pregnancy ads? Why does it suddenly have to be serving ads about stillbirth?! Maybe just go back to serving pre-pregnancy ads, or ads about something else....or maybe just no ads at all, for a welcome respite?
Re:An open letter to FB, Twitter, Instagram regarding algori... by floatingatoll on Wednesday December 12, 2018 @12:09PM (#18665614)
It wouldn’t outrage people who need the help.
Re:An open letter to FB, Twitter, Instagram regarding algori... by karmasimida on Wednesday December 12, 2018 @12:24PM (#18665744)
There is a choice on Google/FB/Amazon to turn off personalized ads I would presume? How good those choices are being respected or how long does it takes effect is another issue.
Re:An open letter to FB, Twitter, Instagram regarding algori... by sivanmz on Wednesday December 12, 2018 @12:42PM (#18665925)
You should try it.

I switched interest based ads off on Google a few times, and also tried using YouTube while logged out. It’s pure trash.

When you opt out of interest based ads you actually opt in to their inventory of worst content imaginable. There’s no middle ground.