Try UGG's: Age 28
If you are 28 years old ONLY and female, get one FREE pair of UGG Boots today, participation required, (limit one) per person.
Age 28: Free Samples
Hundreds of companies are giving away FREE samples to 28 year old women. Check availability and participation requirements.
Age 28 ONLY: Free iPad
We are in desperate need for 28 year olds to test the new Apple iPad. You test it, you keep it. Participation required.
At first I was understandably excited, because HEY! I'm 28!!! How convenient for me that my age should finally be something I claim proudly, rather than hiding it shamefully away like a bad report card or an embarrassing relative. Also, free stuff?? I totally LOVE free stuff!
But then, as I went to the official websites* for these products I could find no such tests or trials that were aimed specifically at 28 year olds. That's when it hit me: I had been played. It never occurred to me that Facebook would sneakily tell these ads my exact age just to lure me in and make me think I had an advantage over other would-be product testers. I feel so betrayed and horrified at how easily my personal information is used against me for crass commercialization, like I'm someone out of Minority Report.
I don't know why I'm surprised, clearly FB has no problem selling my information down the river. How else would pictures of my friends appear on ads for various FB applications (on non-FB websites, too!). And isn't it convenient that youtube knows who to propose as potential video friends, as if FB didn't sell it my friend list?
As a final test, I just went and gave myself a fake birth-date (in addition to the fake email address I already gave so I would stop getting stupid notifications). Now, if the ads start being aimed at 33 year olds instead, I will know officially that FB is no longer a kindly site that only wants to help me be social, but rather it is a greedy, sneaky, information selling monster who cares not one whit for my privacy.
And I thought we were friends. Et tu, Facebook??
*I never clicked on the links themselves. At least I'm smarter than that!
9 comments:
Ooooh, that Facebook. First, trying to get me to tell them my bra color, and now this!
This explains some of the ads Allen gets, as he is a 70 year old, Russell Crow look-alike.
Here's the way it works. Any company advertising on Facebook gets to choose who they want to show their ads to. Age is one of the factors, as well as gender, location, interests, etc. The companies in question have created a specific version of their ad for each age, and you are seeing the ones for 28 year olds. They do not sell the information but they let advertisers show their ads based on the information in everyone's profile. So you are safer than you think, and Facebook is just smart about advertising.
And I thought the pink UGG's were only for 29/30 year olds...now that I know they are only for 28 year olds too, I don't even want them.
I thought they were trying to sell me 31-year-old UGGs. I mean, who wants such old boots.
I just want to know which "embarassing relative" you have been refusing to acknowledge and whether that has anything to do with me not getting your Christmas cards.
The embarrassing relatives of whom I speak are so embarrassing I can't even tell you who they are.
Okay, I'll fess up: really I always assume that *I'm* the embarrassing relative. Now my secret fear is known!
WANTED: twenty-eight year old and thirty- three year old women ONLY, for exciting new donation opportunities. Please send all checks and money orders to the Sanderson household...
yep, what anon said up there. people buy facebook ads and they just mark the ages/likes... their product should be shown to. so, if say your profil says you like to read, then you may get amazon or barnes and noble type ads for example. they aren't selling your privacy, just target marketing.
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