Facebook announced last week at the f8 developers conference that it would be integrating more closely with other websites.
The goal, Facebook says, is to make the web a more social experience. So, when I visit Pandora for example, I’ll be able to see when one of my Facebook friends likes a song I’m listening to.
Okay. Fine. But some of it’s…quirky.
I was listening to Pandora tonight and saw my buddy Anthony’s avatar pop up. It seems Anthony likes “Hang Me Up to Dry” by Cold War Kids.
I clicked on his name, expecting Pandora to take me to his station list, or other songs he likes, or his Facebook Page. Something. Instead, it served me a new ad.
I clicked again. Another new ad.
Again. And again.
Plenty of folks have raised concerns about Facebook’s increasingly cavalier disregard for users’ privacy. As Shel points out, they’re giving marketers more and more access to our personal information.
I’m a parent, so I’m concerned about privacy. But I’m also a marketer and digital native GenX/GenY bridger, so I’m less worried about marketers knowing my life story. I’m not that fascinating, anyway. But if Facebook is going to hand me over to the advertiser, I’d like my “more social” web experience to be more…you know…social.
Back to Pandora.
Images of my friends Laurie and Jim popped up later. More clicking on names. More “Here, maybe this ad is more to your liking.”
I know I can find my friends’ music, too (it’s in the lower right). That’s not my point. If I click on a friend, I want to see the friend…not another ad.
This isn’t the social web as I envisioned it. Maybe I’m missing something. Am I?