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Comment by sonnyz | Hacker News Reader

If I'm looking to buy something and don't know where to get it, I go to Google. So the ads are actually useful to me. I never go to Facebook to search for something I want to buy.

I'm sure many people follow Facebook ads, but I'm not one of them. Especially since they are mostly trying to trick people. Like showing random pictures in the ads that have no meaning to the actual product.

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Facebook ads are less compelling from the supply side, but in some cases more impressive from the demand side. Companies like Groupon make extensive use of Facebook's demographic targeting, for example, and local advertising is only going to grow over the next five years.

Facebook is also finally moving into virtual currency, with the launch of Facbeook credits. Did you know Zynga is the second largest PayPal merchant after eBay itself?

Also the stupid "Are you 31 years old? Then you can get a FREE <product>"

I wonder how many people seriously think that the adverts aren't pulling your age out of your profile. Enough to make it work I'm sure though.

This is interesting. I see some people tweeting / facebook status updating saying things like "Any recommendations for a good TV?" or perhaps, a cryptic ... "shopping for HDTV with 3d @ bestbuy".

The right language parsing makes these incredibly high value targets for TV ads, review sites, etc.

Probably a few years down the road, or alternatively FB just needs to get a few mutant geniuses locked in a room for six months.

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