Sunday, December 13, 2009

Attention Facebook!

STOP PUTTING OFFENSIVE ADS ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE, OKAY?

Yes, I was just yelling there like a 60-year-old with the caps lock on, and I apologize, but it was done with just cause. Look, I totally get that Facebook data-mines the living shit out of our accounts and then posts what their little advert-bots believe appropriate. But there are limits to my tolerance.

I'm single. I get that. I'm over 40. I get that, too. In response to my demographic, dear Facebook, you keep offering me dating site ads. Over and over and frigging over again. No matter how many times I tap your little button for "uninteresting" (I'm not looking for "rich guys over 40") or "irrelevant" (I'm NOT a single mom looking for a single dad), you keep giving more of the same crap. This is annoying.

The ad that's really pissing me off, though? It's this one:

Wonderful. Just wonderful. Someone scrawls "I Like Larger Women" in the handwriting of a child with carpal tunnel, and that's supposed to encourage me to click and find a man? WTF?

I mean, seriously - WTF?

Here - look at it enlarged. Let's get a good look at the crapvertising:

Because larger women enjoy the company of douchebags
who mouse-write hot pink text in MS Paint!


I have punched the "OFFENSIVE" button for this piece of poop again and again and again, and it keeps showing up.

Guess what, Facebook? It's disrespectful to ignore folks when they point out something that offends - especially when YOU'RE the one who asks if it offends! It is as if to say, "Yes, yes - you claim to be offended, but c'mon, large woman! We think you really DO want this! After all, we've mined your information to verify your fatness and decided that you are such a romantic bottomfeeder, you don't even deserve an ad that tries at all to impress. Instead, here, have an ad that says, 'You clearly don't care. We don't either.' "

Yuck.

Babycakes, I am a larger woman, and, honey, I deserve a lot better than scrawled bullshit on some crappy ad.

C'mon, Facebook. If one of your members clicks on the word "OFFENSIVE" in response to an ad, is it really that tough to make sure that piece of shite doesn't show up again? Hell, do you even vet these ads before they show up? I mean, really.

4 comments:

Chuck said...

I have heard that the "OFFENSIVE" thing is supposed to ensure the ad doesn't show up again, but I think it's not true....I keep seeing the same personals ads over and over and over again (usually featuring women with gigantic breasts.)

Merujo said...

Oy. Huge hooters. Just as scuzzy as the ad I'm bitching about. "Here, guys! You don't want anything but boobies. Enjoy." Feh!

An acquaintance of mine clearly hasn't set his Facebook privacy settings to keep his photos from being snapped up and used in ads. I think he'd be very upset to know he (and a co-worker of his I've met) show up in a "larger, older singles" ad that pops up every other day or so. I've been trying to decide whether or not it's better - or more embarrassing - to tell him or not.

I really like Facebook as a tool, but it has some crappy flaws.

Aileen said...

Ridiculous and insulting! How do you protect your photos from being used in ads?

In return, I can give you a little hint...I took my relationship status off my FB page, and I don't get the dating ads.

* said...

Long time no chat, Merujo. Glad I was able to catch up on your writing today. Found this for blocking ads if you use Firefox...totally worth switching to Firefox if you don't already use it! xoxoxo, S

For my friends who use Firefox, I couldn't figure out how to make Ad Block work on the FB ads. The Ausbury Blog found the answer--and so far, it's working for me:
------------------
My son and I did some research and here’s how to block all the bothersome ads on Facebook. This is quite easy to do if you’re using Firefox - just use the Firefox add-on called Adblock Plus and add a few custom filters.

How to block Facebook ads within the Firefox browser:

1. Go to this page: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1865
2. Click: Add To Firefox
3. Wait for Install button to become active then click it.
4. Restart Firefox.
5. When Firefox opens, you should see a tab: Add Adblock Plus Filter subscription
6. If you want to block ads on many other sites, click the button next to EasyList (USA), then click Subscribe.
7. Under the Tools menu in Firefox, select Adblock Plus Preferences.
8. Click the Add Filter button.
9. Copy and paste the following filter: facebook.com#*(social_ad) and click OK.
10. Repeat steps 7 and 8, then copy and paste the following filter: facebook.com#*(social_ad_advert) and click OK.
11. Close Firefox, then open it and go to Facebook. Adblock Plus should block all Facebook ads.

If you haven’t yet ditched Internet Explorer, here is the download link for Firefox:
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

We’re still searching for an easy way to block Facebook ads in Internet Explorer. I’ll keep you posted as we keep looking.