Friday, June 6, 2008

youtube, youtell



I just heard that an acquaintance is breaking up with her husband, courtesy of Facebook which showcased her new "relationship status " with a broken-heart icon, just in case I was too dense to read.

Facebook, you stalker, gossipmonger, snoop, intruder, dispenser of unasked for personal details, too much information, more than I need to know about anyone. I do not care that X and Y are now friends. Or that Z added new photos. Or that G is attending a party I wasn't invited to and that S is no longer interested in Shopping.

I don't care, but I know companies do. Which is why YouTube is introducing a new service that gives uploaders free statistics, charts and maps about people who watch their videos. It's a lot like Facebook's weekly Insights reports-- in fact, Youtube didn't even bother to come up with a new name. Their new service is Insight. So next time you watch a Youtube video, know that your age, gender and geographic location are being transmitted to the video's uploader.

Which is probably why Facebook now greets me, age first.
Hello, XX Year Old Female. Enter your zip to get free samples of your favorite products!
And they're not talking tampons. Come to me, Botox Cream, Fibercil, Cellulite-Busters.

3 comments:

trebor said...

Dear Ms. Broad,
A quick observation on your "gone but not forgotten" list. I am afraid all those listed items are both gone and forgotten. Read you for the first time today and plan on following along from now on (not sure where "on" leads us). Very professional and polished writing, quite enjoyable and I thank you.

Ad Broad, oldest working writer in advertising said...

Gone AND forgotten? Chooy, say it ain't so! Thanks for the generous read and kind (if distressing) words.

Joker said...

I'm just going to say that Facebook has helped three couples I know breakup because they saw tagged pics of well.... their significant other tagging someone el.