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Facebook Tests 'Want' Button To Hoard User Data, Save Its Stock Price

Posted by Soulskill on from the do-not-want dept.

colinneagle writes with news that Facebook is beginning to roll out tests of "want" and "collect" buttons in an attempt to bring users and retailers closer together. "The company is working with Victoria's Secret, Pottery Barn, Michael Kors, Wayfair, Neiman Marcus, Fab.com and Smith Optics. The difference between 'liking' and 'wanting' would be like discovering the holy grail of datamining. Inside Facebook said that although the 'Want' button is different than the Want plugin that developer Tom Waddington noticed in June, the company may eventually offer it as a plugin. Unsurprisingly, Facebook wants to keep people on the site as opposed to leaving to visit Pinterest. Collections will offer retailers a Pinterest-like option to engage buyers, offer users a way to collect images, while also collecting even more data about users. For example, Facebook asks, 'Why are you collecting this?' Regardless of a user's answer, the wants and collects will surely be used to deliver targeted ads. Eventually, the Collections feature could help Facebook generate more revenue."

10 of 98 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Yay! by bored · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Clear your cookies and try from a different IP or browser. Google definitely appears to be doing "guilty by association" type functions where people sharing IP's get similar results.

  2. What's in it for me? by Nerdfest · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I don't mind trading some personal information for some services, but I don't see how helping FaceBook out on this by telling them what I want to buy helps me. If they can give me discounts, then perhaps, but I don't see that mentioned.

    1. Re:What's in it for me? by Sqr(twg) · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You didn't get paid to write that, and you did it anyway, just because you like to tell other people what you think.

      While /. comments are for people who like to tell others their opinions about nerd stuff, facebook posts are for people who like to tell others what they like, or what they had for breakfast. It's not that different really.

      I think the "want" buton might work well with fb's target demographic, but I'd still not buy any of their stock until it has dropped at least another 99.7 %.

  3. Save its stock price? by game+kid · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Save its stock price? Nah, I'm pretty sure that machinery served its purpose. Now Zuckerberg just needs to sell it off to Dewey Cheatam & Howe Capital LP, reap that private equity money from the middle- and lower-tier firings, and enjoy his *clears throat* well-earned retirement.

    This Want stuff is just to wring out a few remaining Dumb Fucks(tm), that their data may fund the Not-Yet-Fired for a little while more.

    --
    You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.
    1. Re:Save its stock price? by gweihir · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Indeed. How the Facebook IPO was different from a somewhat camouflaged and utterly immoral Ponzi-scheme escapes me.

      I think impounding of all ill-gotten gains and life in prison would be the right appreciation for it.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  4. A strange game... by Gothmolly · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The only winning move is not to play.

    Is Facebook relevant anymore? It is starting to have that Myspace-like stink about it.

    --
    I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.
    1. Re:A strange game... by gweihir · · Score: 1, Insightful

      It never was relevant. Zuckerberg and accomplices inflated it with what was basically a modified Ponzi-scheme until they could cash in big.

      It serves one purposes though: Separate the stupid and the gullible (with FarceBook account in actual use or, worse, stocks) and the smarter ones. Yes, not playing is the right move.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
    2. Re:A strange game... by gweihir · · Score: 1, Insightful

      It never was relevant

      Maybe not to you, but this is a blatantly stupid statement. It has a massive user base, of addicted people.

      So does heroin. Is that relevant to you?

      My point exactly.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  5. Re:FUCK YOU by Baloroth · · Score: 3, Insightful

    They never will, it'd cause way to much embarrassment. Oh, that company page you put up has 2 million dislikes? Oops, looks like a Facebook page was a bad idea. Yeah no, Facebook wouldn't do that to their bottom line. Interesting as it would be to see if you could "Dislike" Facebook itself...

    --
    "None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license." --John Milton
  6. Re:At what point... by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Never. They will not show you exactly what you want, but will make (hopefully increasingly better) guesses at what stuff you don't know about but might want. You "want"ed an iPhone? It won't show you more iPhones, but might show you accessories for it, or perhaps an ad for an Android phone trying to convince you that this is the better choice.

    --
    If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...