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Topic: My theatre has a facebook page???

Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-09-2017 05:25 PM

quote: Jim Cassedy
When I asked why,he stopped just short of saying they were an "evil" company.
I clearly remembering him saying something like "It's not what everybody thinks
it is. It's far darker". It's almost as if he'd been sucked into some cult and was
afraid to reveal their inner sanctum secrets.
(Think: "Scientology")
- - and he refused to tell me anything more, and seemed afraid to do so.

Um, that guy must work for the media...tells you just enough to scare you, without telling you the full truth behind the story.

Considering Facebook has about 2 billion users, it seems like their biggest evildoing is targeting their advertising. Although, catapulting Mark Zuckerberg to the status of "potential presidential candidate" might qualify as evil, I don't know.

But if they were really about anything "sinister" (outside of marketing and selling their user data, which every search or social site does) I'd think it would have come out by now.

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Justin Hamaker
Film God

Posts: 2253
From: Lakeport, CA USA
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 11-09-2017 07:59 PM

quote: Mike Blakesley
But if they were really about anything "sinister" (outside of marketing and selling their user data, which every search or social site does) I'd think it would have come out by now.

I think the 'evil' many are starting to be concerned about is that Facebook is 'listening' to your conversations for the sake of better targeting advertisements. I have seen some things that suggest it may use the microphone on your device to listen for key works which can be used to target advertising.

While that is certainly possible, it seems much more likely to me that tracking cookies and key words from the things we post and interact with are being used to target ads.

Although I am bothered by ads, I came to the conclusion a long time ago that it's just the price of using the internet. I do use an adblocker, but I'm noticing more and more sites are sniffing for these and won't show you content unless you disable the adblocker.

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Bill Brandenstein
Master Film Handler

Posts: 413
From: Santa Clarita, CA
Registered: Jul 2013

posted 11-09-2017 10:09 PM

Agreed. Think it goes deeper, though; I'm a Facebook user because I have so many friends and family scattered all over the country. With some judicious choices about what I will and won't do with it, I've found it tremendously useful.

Sinister? Very possibly. They do everything they can to be "active" in your life whether or not you're at a computer. Smartphone apps, messenger, notifications in the corner of your browser even when you're not on the site... all of this and more points to their largest goal: addiction. If they can make you the star of your own reality "show," and make it so you can't wait 5 seconds to see who "liked" your latest selfie, then it redefines life as we know it. I refuse. It's a tool, not a way of life.

With many people, addiction has been achieved with ease.

When I want to know about businesses, I use Yelp, by the way, but if I had a business, I'd be using Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and a direct website because that's pretty much how the under-30 crowd learns about everything.

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Justin Hamaker
Film God

Posts: 2253
From: Lakeport, CA USA
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 11-09-2017 10:19 PM

The problem with Yelp is it only tells you what other people think of the business. Unless you are very active regarding your own business, you don't really get to control the message. Plus, in many cases the Yelp reviews come from people who had a bad experience.

My company has had unique domains for each theatre for nearly 20 years. By actively managing meta data we have made sure we are the top result for virtually all search strings related to our business. About the only thing that comes before us is Google's own theatre listings.

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Carsten Kurz
Film God

Posts: 4340
From: Cologne, NRW, Germany
Registered: Aug 2009

posted 11-10-2017 05:11 AM

Perfect match:

https://www.axios.com/sean-parker-unloads-on-facebook-2508036343.html

-----
Sean Parker, the founding president of Facebook, gave me a candid insider's look at how social networks purposely hook and potentially hurt our brains.

Be smart: Parker's I-was-there account provides priceless perspective in the rising debate about the power and effects of the social networks, which now have scale and reach unknown in human history. He's worried enough that he's sounding the alarm.

Parker, 38, now founder and chair of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, spoke yesterday at an Axios event at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, about accelerating cancer innovation. In the green room, Parker mentioned that he has become "something of a conscientious objector" on social media.

By the time he left the stage, he jokingly said Mark Zuckerberg will probably block his account after reading this:

"When Facebook was getting going, I had these people who would come up to me and they would say, 'I'm not on social media.' And I would say, 'OK. You know, you will be.' And then they would say, 'No, no, no. I value my real-life interactions. I value the moment. I value presence. I value intimacy.' And I would say, ... 'We'll get you eventually.'"
"I don't know if I really understood the consequences of what I was saying, because [of] the unintended consequences of a network when it grows to a billion or 2 billion people and ... it literally changes your relationship with society, with each other ... It probably interferes with productivity in weird ways. God only knows what it's doing to our children's brains."
"The thought process that went into building these applications, Facebook being the first of them, ... was all about: 'How do we consume as much of your time and conscious attention as possible?'"
"And that means that we need to sort of give you a little dopamine hit every once in a while, because someone liked or commented on a photo or a post or whatever. And that's going to get you to contribute more content, and that's going to get you ... more likes and comments."
"It's a social-validation feedback loop ... exactly the kind of thing that a hacker like myself would come up with, because you're exploiting a vulnerability in human psychology."
"The inventors, creators — it's me, it's Mark [Zuckerberg], it's Kevin Systrom on Instagram, it's all of these people — understood this consciously. And we did it anyway."
P.S. Parker, on life science allowing us to "live much longer, more productive lives": "Because I'm a billionaire, I'm going to have access to better health care so ... I'm going to be like 160 and I'm going to be part of this, like, class of immortal overlords. [Laughter] Because, you know the [Warren Buffett] expression about compound interest. ... [G]ive us billionaires an extra hundred years and you'll know what ... wealth disparity looks like."

----

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 11-10-2017 09:51 AM

Earlier today Good Morning America ran a piece about Sean Parker's new stance on Facebook, that people are helplessly becoming addicted to it.

My own 2¢: it's not Facebook's fault someone gets "addicted" to that social media outlet, or more generally his/her computer, phone, tablet or whatever. It's 100% that person's fault. Despite what Sean Parker tries to imply, this stuff is not heroin. It doesn't physically alter the body's chemistry. No one is sweating bullets, hyperventilating and suffering chest pain by stepping away from it for a few hours, days or forever.

The same complaints can be made about any social media outlet or other forums where people share thoughts, opinions and interact digitally.

The media hops on Sean Parker's thing because it gives the media the same old opportunity to tell people there's a scapegoat, someone to blame for something negatively affecting their lives, regardless of the truth that about 99% of the time it's that end user's fault.

I'll say it does feel a little creepy that Facebook's servers look at what people write and target ad sales based on it. Guess what? Every web search engine and social media outlet does that too. Most places on the web will sell-out your text entries for ad-driven search.

Anyone using Facebook should absolutely be careful about the personal information they put in their profile and be very careful about their comments. People make themselves easy targets for ID theft and scams by posting too much personal info. People have been losing their jobs and relationships by stupid, inflammatory things they post. But these warnings are true for all web sites, not just Facebook.

The real problem is far too many people are not street smart in the use of their digital devices.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-10-2017 11:25 AM

quote: Bobby Henderson
The same complaints can be made about any social media outlet or other forums where people share thoughts, opinions and interact digitally.

Heck there was a time when checking Film-Tech was the most important part of my day, multiple times a day. Since projection isn't as interesting these days, I don't check it quite as often but I still pop in here at least a couple times a day. I've probably written more words on this site than I have any other single place, digital or not. But am I "addicted" to Film-Tech? I would call it more a habit than anything. There are days I don't get a chance to check in, and I don't find myself crawling up the walls because of it.

Facebook is the same...it fills some of those spare moments when I'd otherwise be doing some drudgery.

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Bill Brandenstein
Master Film Handler

Posts: 413
From: Santa Clarita, CA
Registered: Jul 2013

posted 11-10-2017 03:45 PM

I'm glad you guys are already on to this Sean Parker interview.

Mike, I show up here regularly because it's very interesting to me. Yes, FB is good if used the same way.

The problem is, and this is the single point where I disagree with Bobby, there IS a physiological side to this, and Parker even mentions it - the addictive phenomenon of raising dopamine levels. Highly addictive. Combine that with pride, insecurity, and the general quest to keep ahead of the Joneses ('cause everyone else looks better on FB than we do), and you have a life-altering situation for those susceptible to this.

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 11-10-2017 04:16 PM

If someone goes and gets addicted to hard drugs like heroin, popping pills, drinking alcohol or even just smoking cigarettes just about all of us will figure it's that person's fault for getting hooked. All of us know better when it comes to those substances, all of which are physically addictive (some considerably worse than others). Some of us will sympathize for those who are addicted, but nevertheless the personal responsibility thing does come into play.

The thing this Sean Parker news story is trying to do is tell millions of compulsive Facebook users it's not their fault. We can blame (and maybe even sue) the people running the company.

We all do silly, selfish and even downright stupid things that get us off the right track. Spending too much time on Facebook, other social media sites or even 'blogs like Film Tech is just one example. I'm trying to get in better shape. If I skip going to the gym it's my own fault I did that. I can't sue the Frito-Lay company if a bag of Taco-Flavored Doritos™ seduces its way into my grocery cart.

We get little hits of dopamine and other endorphins from all sorts of activity. It's actually a fallacy for anyone to suggest a person can get addicted to endorphins that naturally occur in the human body via normal activity. They don't work like that. It's when other chemicals (like hard drugs) are introduced into the body and overdrive the opiate receptors in the brain that physical addiction can take place. Compulsive behaviors and even some forms of mental illness can be caused by chemical imbalances in the brain.

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James Wyrembelski
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 114
From: Beaverton, MI, USA
Registered: Sep 2015

posted 11-10-2017 05:36 PM

quote: Mike Blakesley
I put a note on Facebook and asked people to share it, and within about an hour it had been seen by over 3,000 people.

I was going to say that FB has quite the advertising potential for the cost of nothing, and I'm glad you brought it up. My first ever post announcing new ownership and a complete overhaul of the theater garnered about 19,000 hits. That's pretty nice advertising that cost me 0 dollars, and not too bad considering the county has about 25,000 residents. The immediate response you can get for the cost of nothing is invaluable.

But, I agree with the sentiment to use Facebook with caution and discretion.

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-10-2017 11:53 PM

I get something of value from Google.

I can ask any question and get an answer in seconds. I can type in a street address, virtually, anywhere in the developed world, and see a picture of the location. Google will also tell me how to get there. There are all kinds of services and apps that Google gives away for free.

All I get from Facebook is one thing. A website where I can talk to people and look at pictures. Most of those people are people I don't want to talk to. Almost all of those pictures are stupid and I don't want to look at them. Who wants to see pictures of other people's snot-nosed kids and their stupid cats?

There is nothing that Facebook offers that I can't get any place else and without giving a pound of flesh.

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 11-11-2017 04:41 PM

Not everyone feels the same about about Facebook, or even Google for that matter. There are obvious things I do find valuable about Facebook.

Facebook has been, by a very wide margin, the most effective online tool for finding and re-connecting with old friends. I grew up as a Marine Corps brat living on various Marine Corps and Navy bases. Through various moves from one duty station to another I lost touch with many good friends. When you grow up not having roots put down anywhere those old lost friendships become a little more important. In the 2000's I tried using Friendster and then MySpace to find friends I had during childhood, high school and college. I found only a handful of people with those services. I found dozens of old friends I hadn't seen in 20 or more years quickly within days of getting on Facebook. Many old classmates have used Facebook to organize class reunions -something which would have been impossible for military brats to do otherwise.

As James and Mike pointed out, Facebook is a pretty effective advertising tool for a local business. You can get the word out about an event, special offer, etc. effectively for free. Boosting a post is pretty cheap, especially when you compare what it costs to advertise on TV and radio.

I'll often find out about some breaking news story first on Facebook, via a friend posting the story on his page or other community page. Our small city's political scene is very much plugged into Facebook. My neighborhood has an active neighborhood watch page on Facebook. Members will post photos and security cam video of weirdos walking the streets looking for houses to burglarize or stealing packages off door steps. They'll post images of pets that have gotten loose.

There is plenty of annoying content on Facebook, especially these days with all the political partisan insanity polluting the air like a necrotic fart. But Facebook users do have control over what kinds of crap appear in their news feeds. You can hide posts from particularly annoying users without un-friending them. It's just as easy to just keep scrolling, just keep scrolling if you see something you don't like.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 11-11-2017 05:32 PM

The "finding old friends" angle of Facebook is sort of weird for me... I've found dozens of old friends, but after the initial (sometimes) shock of seeing what they look like today and the perfunctory how-ya-doings, I've yet to have any ongoing deep conversations with old friends. I don't know if that's my fault or theirs. All the friends I really converse with, we've either stayed connected thru other means, or sometimes they're not on Facebook anyway.

Mainly I read it for pass-the-time entertainment when I'm waiting for a movie to end at the theatre, or waiting at a railroad crossing or in line at the bank, that kind of thing. If it disappeared tomorrow, it'd be an adjustment for sure, but life would go on.

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Mitchell Dvoskin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1869
From: West Milford, NJ, USA
Registered: Jan 2001

posted 11-14-2017 12:26 PM

Of course, you could always contact Facebook and have them remove the page...

Facebook Copyright Violation Reporting Page

Facebook Imposter Account Reporting

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Frank Cox
Film God

Posts: 2234
From: Melville Saskatchewan Canada
Registered: Apr 2011

posted 11-14-2017 10:56 PM

Apparently not since that contact is for reporting imposters who set up accounts using someone else's identity. The account that I'm concerned about isn't a fake, as such. After doing a bit of google research, I think it was set up as a "places check-in", whatever the practical effect of that is.

And in order to report an account using those contacts you have to submit a bunch of personal information to facebook. Since that's the problem that I'm trying to solve, why would I want to give them even more information about my business; they have already managed to scrape and scam enough.

Having given the matter some thought, I've pretty much decided to simply ignore this thing. Not my webpage, not my problem. I've never yet dealt with facebook and don't plan to start any time soon.

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