Hacker News Reader

734786710934on Facebook Sued by Investors Over Voter-Profile Harvesting

Users did consent when they approved CA's app. The only argument that can be made is that they didn't fully know what they were consenting to.

734786710934on Facebook Security Chief Said to Leave After Clashes Over Disinformation

https://twitter.com/alexstamos/status/975767154145415168

"I never expected them to disappear, I was hoping to reduce the rate at which people were intentionally misreading them."

Why Facebook employees are doing PR on Twitter, a platform designed for intentional misreading, is the question.

734786710934on Edward Snowden: Facebook is a surveillance company rebranded as 'social media'

"Facebook makes their money by exploiting and selling intimate details about the private lives of millions, far beyond the scant details you voluntarily post."

Facebook doesn't sell information, it sells ads. It's in Facebook's best interest to share as little of this information as possible with third parties so they continue buying ads.

734786710934on 50M Facebook profiles harvested for Cambridge Analytica in major data breach

This wasn't a data breach, it was a misuse of data by a third party.

734786710934on Facebook’s Political Unit Enables Propaganda

The writers for most prime-time sitcoms are Democrats. They do it for free.

734786710934on 2017 Was Bad for Facebook. 2018 Will Be Worse

2017 Was Bad for Bloomberg. 2018 Will Be Worse. All of these anti-Facebook articles should have disclaimers informing readers that they are in competition with Facebook and that Facebook is winning.

734786710934on We’re sorry, and we’re not rolling out the fees change

Users who were upset with the change need to reckon with the fact that Patreon isn't profitable and that it's likely that it's impossible for them to ever become profitable with their 5% business model (Patreon is based in San Francisco and has over 100 employees, do the math).

734786710934on Facebook Founder’s Favor Comes with Complications

You missed the key fact here: Zuckerberg wants to do more for the community but his initiatives are being blocked by the city. I say that there is a disconnect because this is being presented by the author as a failure of Zuckerberg's rather than of the city.

734786710934on Facebook Founder’s Favor Comes with Complications

>The proper way to improve education in a community is to get involved with the existing school systems

That didn't work out too well when Zuckerberg tried it: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-newark-schools-p...

734786710934on Facebook Founder’s Favor Comes with Complications

There's a weird disconnect in this article between the reality of what Zuckerberg is trying to do and the agenda being pushed by the author.

You have this paragraph:

"The social network has been lobbying to build more housing in the region, which Silicon Valley cities, worried about traffic and preferring a commercial over residential tax base, have fought against. In East Palo Alto, Facebook has invested $18.5 million into the Catalyst Housing Fund, an affordable housing initiative; the company has set a goal to grow the fund to $75 million."

Followed by this paragraph:

"East Palo Alto’s residents have long felt disempowered against change brought by tech leaders like Mr. Zuckerberg. A 2.6-square-mile town where one-third of the school children are homeless, it has stood as a sign that Silicon Valley’s wealth might not spread to those beyond its tech campuses."

If Silicon Valley’s wealth is not being spread to those beyond its tech campuses it's not for a lack of trying.

734786710934on Facebook acquires anonymous teen compliment app tbh, will let it run

The same people said the same thing about Instagram and WhatsApp.

734786710934on Travis Kalanick Exercises Right to Appoint Two Uber Directors

The press's portrayal of Travis isn't shared by most Uber employees. He's still well liked inside the company.