I think I can save myself a comment now, I just agree with everything you said. Nothing is free.
I have two problems with Google/FB/Ad business model (which by the way, Apple isn't using).
Disingenuous Business model.
"Our services are free". No, this is a lie. They are not free. They are paid for by advertisers who pay for your data, which we happen to have pretty much a monopoly on. We own your data.
Maybe I'm just really picky, but I don't like lies. Google and Facebook's services start out with a lie.
Apple: We're selling you hardware. You can buy it, or not. If you think it's overpriced, don't buy it, if you think it's a good value, buy it. This is an honest business model. Apple makes almost all of its money off hardware. They can afford to be good guys - their business model allows them to.
It is necessary to become more and more evil over time.
Both Facebook and Google were founded by good people with good intentions. However, the advertising / user tracking / selling user data business model is an inherent force function towards evil. Google has had so much information on anyone and everyone they don't want you to know how much, ever. Even in the beginning. They pick and choose what they make use of - like figure out what people like and show them relevant ads - and what they don't make use of - Eric Schmidt famously cited that Google doesn't play the stock market even though they have so much info they could do that very successfully. Facebook had no ads initially.
However business has to grow, shareholders need more profits, more growth, and so they are forced to tap more and more unethical jars over time. There's no way around it. It's inherently built into the business model. And ethical employees and execs might stand in the way... for a time... but the machine has its own momentum and will not stop until the last bit of info is going to be used.
For further actions, you may consider blocking this person and/or reporting abuse
We're a place where coders share, stay up-to-date and grow their careers.
Yes to all that!
I think I can save myself a comment now, I just agree with everything you said. Nothing is free.
I have two problems with Google/FB/Ad business model (which by the way, Apple isn't using).
Disingenuous Business model.
"Our services are free". No, this is a lie. They are not free. They are paid for by advertisers who pay for your data, which we happen to have pretty much a monopoly on. We own your data.
Maybe I'm just really picky, but I don't like lies. Google and Facebook's services start out with a lie.
Apple: We're selling you hardware. You can buy it, or not. If you think it's overpriced, don't buy it, if you think it's a good value, buy it. This is an honest business model. Apple makes almost all of its money off hardware. They can afford to be good guys - their business model allows them to.
It is necessary to become more and more evil over time.
Both Facebook and Google were founded by good people with good intentions. However, the advertising / user tracking / selling user data business model is an inherent force function towards evil. Google has had so much information on anyone and everyone they don't want you to know how much, ever. Even in the beginning. They pick and choose what they make use of - like figure out what people like and show them relevant ads - and what they don't make use of - Eric Schmidt famously cited that Google doesn't play the stock market even though they have so much info they could do that very successfully. Facebook had no ads initially.
However business has to grow, shareholders need more profits, more growth, and so they are forced to tap more and more unethical jars over time. There's no way around it. It's inherently built into the business model. And ethical employees and execs might stand in the way... for a time... but the machine has its own momentum and will not stop until the last bit of info is going to be used.