The absurdity of Facebook ads

I rarely look at Facebook ads. I don't know anyone who clicks on them. But yesterday’s excellent blog post by Doc Searls titled “After Facebook fails” spurred me on to follow in Doc’s footsteps, take a longer look at the ads Facebook is serving me, analyze what I see, and publish a screenshot with a commentary (see below).

By the way, you should read Doc’s blog post. An excerpt:

1. By its nature advertising – especially “brand” advertising – is not personal.

1. Making advertising personal changes it into something else that is often less welcome.

Here are the ads Facebook served me today. My commentary is below the screenshot.

“Personalized” Facebook ads commentary:

1. A Stylistics Concert! – not my cup of tea.
2. New Policy in New Jersey – Facebook is correct in that I hold a New Jersey driver's license, and I have never had a DUI. But I do not drive – by choice – hence I do not pay for “Car Insurance” (and why is Car Insurance capitalized?).
3. Squirrel Banjo T-Shirt – I have not seen a squirrel playing banjo before. I rarely watch videos, period. Flash is disabled in my browser by default. You should do the same. You’ll thank me later.
4. Fun Puerto Rico T-shirts! – I have never been to Puerto Rico. I have two Facebook friends (out of 279) who have PR connections. Is that why I am getting this ad?

So there you have it. Facebook goes 0 for 4 with me. Perhaps you have made yourself a better target. Have you?

Good-bye, New York!

Last glimpse of NYC from the Lincoln Tunnel ramp. Last glimpse for that day, I mean.

Diaspora*, I am inside you!

Thanks to my friend Terence Stigers’s invite, I am now on Diaspora. Diaspora* is the open source alternative to Facebook, Google+, etc.

Here’s Wikipedia’s description of Diaspora:

Diaspora (styled DIASPORA*) is a nonprofit, user-owned, distributed social network that is based upon the free Diaspora software. As of March 2012, there were estimated to be more than 375 000 Diaspora accounts. The project was founded in 2010 by four students at New York University’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences. Diaspora consists of a group of independently owned pods which interoperate to form the network.

Diaspora users retain ownership of their data and do not assign ownership rights. The software is specifically designed to allow users to download all their images and text that has been uploaded at any time.

I have heard many Facebook complaints over the years, and have voiced a few of my own. Here’s an opportunity to make a statement. If you want a Diaspora invite, hit me up at atanas.entchev@gmail.com.

Peace.

A reoccurring dis-utopia, irregardless

It is a disheartening state of affairs when you hear "educated" people use "words" such as "dis-utopian", "reoccurring", "irregardless", and you don't correct them for fear of being labeled "elitist".

After the storm

The Breakers Hotel -- Spring Lake, New Jersey, April 22, 2012

The Breakers Hotel

Spring Lake, New Jersey, April 22, 2012.

Who's winning?

Not Project Mayhem, actually. Magic -- the boat on the right in the photo and to our port on the course -- beat us on corrected time by 26.5 seconds. But we were first across the finish line, which always feels good.

Photo by Paul Zankel Photography.