Ask HN: Socialcam spamming Facebook newsfeeds and growing virally as a result? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Socialcam spamming Facebook newsfeeds and growing virally as a result?

34 pointsahsanhilal4 comments

So I clicked play on a social cam video somebody had watched on my feed. Here is the link I clicked on:

http://bit.ly/IsnK8v

as this link appeared in my feed. The link took me to socialcam's website where I could watch the video. As soon as I was done watching the video I could see the link posted on my feed as me having watched and shared the video, which I explicitly never chose to. Also, I started getting comments on that shared link as well from people.

I really really do not like apps using underhanded techniques to go forth with their viral agendas. If I really wanted to share this video, than I WOULD HAVE. That is what a like/share is, isn't it? What do you guys think? Should this be allowed. I am also willing to bet that, this is one of the reasons for their viral growth in the past couple of weeks.

I really don't like apps that force people to install them in order to get to the content. Specifically for that reason!

I blocked everything from Viddy and Socialcam on my timeline because I can't watch the videos that my friends are sharing without installing their stupid app.

Same goes for all of these newspaper apps that make you install in order to read an article a friend shared on his timeline.

They're acquiring users that don't know what they're doing to make their numbers look better and I hate it!!

(tip- if you want to install and watch/read, change the settings to "only me" that way even if it posts without permission, it's not visible to others)

Yeah, noticed that. Personally hate having to download to get the content, and even though I've tried several times I couldnt get it to work on my ipad or iphone.

Love the agressive user acq strategy, just wondering if its working

clickable:

http://bit.ly/IsnK8v

I agree. Definitely all over FB feeds everywhere. Good for them. Hustle on.

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