Quote Originally Posted by spoonitnow View Post
Why shouldn't they charge people to reach out to their customers? These businesses are making money by using Facebook, and Facebook is getting a piece of it.
Well, I guess the argument is that these businesses gain traffic from facebook, and in turn they direct traffic to facebook with links etc. But I don't have a problem with them charging businesses, and I don't think the businesses do either. But it's the rate they're charging... $600K a year to reach 50k people twice a day? When it was free? That's a huge strain on companies that have come to rely on facebook, and it's inevitably going to drive some businesses under. It seems so short sighted. That link in the OP, dangerousminds.com would be willing to pay around $30k a year for their part, but because it's 20x that, they will abandon facebook instead. I bet the advertisers at fb are delighted with that, huh? fb have written off $30k a year right there. And that's one business.

And if this extends to the average nobody who wants to tell a stupid joke to his friends, honestly if only 15% of my friends read my status, then I won't bother. What's the point? So I'll fuck off. No big loss to fb since I don't click on ads or give them any money, but if everyone fucks off... obviously this is a problem.

They're shooting themselves in the face here imo.