March 14, 2013

Janet Warren Likes Walmart


Janet Warren was one one of those impossibly wonderful girls.

Not just pretty, not just smart, but nice and pleasant and friendly. Often her father would have letters to the editor published in The New York Times. She was a cheerleader with actual cheer.

Naturally, she had no idea I existed. But she lived in the next building, and her sister was friendly with my sister.

I was in Los Angeles once, years after high school, and I saw her in a popular restaurant. She was with a group of obviously high-performance individuals, and she was the star of the crowd. I studied her from across the room. She was in her early 30's and had an ethereal almost-hippie, almost-executive look and manner. I found out, years later, that she had been the producer of some pretty important movies.

Years passed and as circumstances sometimes unfold, I had occasion to have lunch with her. I explained to her who I was, and of course, she didn't remember me. She was still lovely in that way that women over 50 can be lovely if they dress simply and tastefully and don't have surgery and don't try to be 20.

She had adopted a child. She was active in many organizations that worked for social justice. She was no longer an active producer, but still had great poise and presence.

We exchanged a few emails following our lunch. I wanted to become friends, but after a while she gracefully stopped emailing, saying she was too busy. I knew what that meant. Several months later I was surprised when she friended me on Facebook.

Lately, on my Facebook page, I find ads that tell me that "Janet Warren Likes Walmart."

If there is one thing that I would bet my house on, it is this -- Janet Warren does not like Walmart. In fact, I would bet she has never set foot in a Walmart. I'd bet that if she knew Walmart was using her to sell their wares, she'd be horrified.

But that's what Facebook does. It uses you, without your specific permission, to create advertising for its clients. You are the leverage. It's not like a testimonial in any other medium where they need a signed release to use your name and likeness. Facebook has rigged the system so that if you are somehow connected to someone who said something about Walmart and you happened to "like" what they said, well then as far as Facebook is concerned you like Walmart. And if their algorithm likes you, then you are now the new spokesperson for Walmart. Congratulations.

This is not healthy. It is uber-false advertising. It is not ethical. Our billionaire friends in the tech industry try to pass themselves off as high-minded visionaries. In fact they are turning out to be corrupt and unconcerned about our rights and privacy.

Janet Warren does not like Walmart. But Faceberg is trying to build an unscrupulous empire by claiming that she does.







20 comments:

Martin Coetzee said...

What you're saying is right but the one big problem FB has is that they believe that the recipients of those messages think they're true. One of the biggest disappointments for all large businesses, especially new/young ones, is when they discover that their customers just aren't that stupid.

My favourite FB advert appears regularly on my wife's FB page where she tells me how much she loves Starbucks. We live in South Africa, there is no Starbucks here. Ridiculous? Yes it is. (There may be some Starbucks stores I don't know about but we've never seen one.)

Jonathan Bridge said...

When a new media guru tries to sell you this crap, look really enthusiastic and ask them if they've seen Apple's FB page and Twitter feed.  99% of them are stupid enough to say "Yes" and spout bullshit about how much that presence has done for Apple.

Apple doesn't have a Farcebook page or Twatter feed.  That's why Pepsi is so much more successful than Apple...

Freddy Johnson said...

faceboook 'likes' are about as accurate as their "are talking about this" figures

Rob Hatfield said...

I'm so glad I'm not on Facebook so I can remain clueless about most of what you guys are talking about. The fact that people feel a need to use the site at all is pretty pathetic, and a sad commentary on the society we've created. And don't get me started on cell phones. I can't wait for the Google glasses to come out. I predict a whole new level of amusement as we watch people walk into things or kill themselves stepping into traffic. Who was it that said technology would make our lives easier..?

NonyMouse said...

 This might make you more of a curmudgeon than a contrarian

Rob Hatfield said...

 I resemble that remark! Except I'm not ill-tempered.

Christopher S. said...

I tried Facebook. 



Wait for it...









But I didn't inhale. 

paulbenjou said...

It's been 14 months since I deleted, deactivated, erased, removed, obliterated, revoked, and destroyed my FB account.   Life is good again.

Poboy said...

Bob, Janet Wareen sounds like your own Susan Glenn.

Erik Werner said...

I dare to call BS for the article and most of the comments... Yes Facebook has created "like" button and has thereby created a new dictionary meaning for the word, however, only people from outside FB world think that "like" really means like... This schizophrenia is only about to last few years, and then no one will be fooled by it noteven in their 90s... However, the fact, that Janet has clicked the like button on Walmart page is 99% real.. This doesn't mean she likes the company, but she might have "liked" their page to get coupons for her NGO to save money... Or played a game because it was viral... FB ads that say that XY likes the brand are not meant to convince you that XY is the brands top evangelist... It is simpky trying to tell you that there is some content that XY liked on their Fb page and hints to take a look... It is brand's call to make the page interesting enough to make a sale... FB ads are not meant to generate sales directly yet... They want you stay on facebook thats all...

Oh and I don't have Facebook, cause I am not interested in what other people "like" or like...

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davetrott said...

I don't care, I love Janet Warren.
If she likes Walmart, I like Walmart.

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Pat Rowley said...

I once had a notification on Facebook that a good friend of mine had "Liked" a new iTunes pop music/deals page. Facebook was obviously suggesting that I should "Like" it too.

Only problem was, my friend, being a man of very particular musical taste, would never have in a million years "Liked" that particular page.

He was deceased. And had been for almost a year. Long before the page/offer had even been in existence, from what I could tell.

Needless to say I was left with a disgusting taste in the mouth, one that I did not "Like" at all.

Martin Coetzee said...

Sorry Erik, calling BS on an article and then using the word "viral" without irony disqualifies you from the conversation.

Erik Werner said...

Thank you, Martin, for your on point comment! Coincidentaly enough, I've chuckled when writing it, but I haven't stressed the irony of it, because I was simply trying to say, that we don't know what was the motivation of Janet to click the like button, whether they are real and plausible or far fetched and anecdotal (to me, the idea of Janet playing FB games itself is kinda funny). Anyways, it is unfair to accuse Facebook of making it up and presenting users with false ads even if it shatters the perfect image of Janet the author created for himself (admitting, he never knew her well personally, but hinting he maybe had a crush on her)...

Please, don't disqualify me from discussion, even if I admit that using the word BS is not the classiest way of disagreement. The article and some comments struck me as somewhat biased which provoked this reaction... I didnt mean to insult.

Paul Dushkind said...

To whom it may concern:

May I please read what Janet Warren has to say about this?