Crowdfunding Facebook Posts?

[Galloism]

Beer, typically.

Also, pizza.

Video games too, frequently.

[The Holy Therns]

Xero, do you throw money at your friends whenever they say things you like?

[Salandriagado]

I do the former regularly, and the latter rarely (pretty much only VAT at the moment, in fact). Neither of those have anything to do with communicating value, or any such tosh: the former is because throwing money at the problem is the best option I have available to me for addressing that problem, given other demands on my time, and the latter because I don't have a choice in the matter.

Like I said in the OP... crowdfunding posts would be optional. So what would be the harm in giving people this option?

Either nothing, or a lot: either literally nobody will do it, or Facebook will abuse their power to pressure vulnerable people into giving them money.

If people don't spend their money on your posts... well... that wouldn't be any different than with the current system. If people did spend their money on your posts... well... would this harm you? If so, I'm sure that you could disable crowdfunding on your posts.

So where's the harm?

The massive legal and tax problems, the consequences of giving Facebook my fucking bank account details, the massive decline in post quality that would result (and if you don't believe that, I point you to the junk that hogs the top-grossing lists on Youtube or similar: what you need to maximise outputs in systems like this isn't quality, but lowest common denominator inanity.

[Galloism]

Xero, do you throw money at your friends whenever they say things you like?

This gets asked a lot:

So I challenge you: put your money where your mouth is. There is a simple way to test this theory. Go to the bank and get a few rolls of nickels. And as you walk around over the next week, throw nickels to the people that please you. If your friend tells a funny joke, give them a nickel. See someone picking up litter? Nickel. Someone is polite to you in a shop? Nickel.
By the end of the week, you should have more, funnier friends, in a cleaner town with more polite shops.
#makeitrain

[The Blaatschapen]

Xero, do you throw money at your friends whenever they say things you like?

You, I like.

[Grave_n_idle]

There you are on Facebook scrolling through your feed. In one post, your friend Sarah writes that she donated her kidney to your mutual friend Samantha. There's a heartwarming picture attached to the post. Are you going to click the "Like" button? Of course. Will Samantha click the "Like" button? Of course! But doesn't simply clicking the "Like" button seem woefully inadequate?

What if you had the option to spend your money on Sarah's post? Let's say that you spent $3 dollars on Sarah's post.

No. Let's not say that.

A platform already exists for this. You can crowdfund on a number of sites.

And, incidentally, there's nothing to stop YOU from giving people money for their facebook posts. Knock yourself out.

In fact, I encourage it. Maybe if you spend all your time giving people money in facebook, we won't have to keep seeing you rehash the same thread over and over with slightly different platforms.

[Camicon]

There you are on Facebook scrolling through your feed. In one post, your friend Sarah writes that she donated her kidney to your mutual friend Samantha.

I hope their surgeries went alright.

There's a heartwarming picture attached to the post. Are you going to click the "Like" button? Of course.

Probably not. I'd text them.

Will Samantha click the "Like" button? Of course! But doesn't simply clicking the "Like" button seem woefully inadequate?

Pretty much anything Samantha can do would seem inadequate when compared to her friend saving her life by donating her kidney.

What if you had the option to spend your money on Sarah's post? Let's say that you spent $3 dollars on Sarah's post.

Let's not.

Facebook would take a reasonable cut (5%?) and give the rest to Sarah.

BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Please! You're killing me!

How much money would Samantha be willing to spend on Sarah's post?

None? Sarah donated her kidney, which means she gave her kidney to Samantha without expectation or promise of compensation. And if Samantha wants going to give Saarah money then why would she use Facebook? Presumably, they'll be seeing each other at some point once they're out of the hospital, what with them being friends that now share kidneys. Why bring Facebook into it? How about Samantha just treats Sarah to a really fancy dinner somewhere once they're both recovered?

How much money would the crowd be willing to spend on Sarah's post?

There are already a multitude of crowdfunding platforms they could utilize, like Indiegogo.

How much money would Sarah make for donating her kidney to Samantha? Right now it's illegal to sell your kidney. But shouldn't donating your kidney be profitable?

Do you not understand what a donation is?

If posts were crowdfunded then you would be able to see and know exactly how much money had been spent on a post. In other words, you would know the value of each and every post on your feed. This would give you the ability to filter out posts that were less valuable than $1 dollar... or $10 dollars... or $100 dollars.

A does not follow from B.

To be sure, trying to figure out how much money to spend on a post would definitely be far more mentally taxing than deciding whether you like a post. But this is exactly why the amount of money spent on a post would be a far more trustworthy indication of its importance. People actually had to use their brains! They had to seriously consider the trade-offs.

Trade-offs like "Should I pay rent or utilities this month? What? Facebook is nagging me to give money to my Nana because she posts lots of cat photos? Fuck you, Facebook."

Clicking the "Like" button on a post is superficial feedback. There's absolutely no cost/sacrifice. Spending money on a post is substantial feedback. There certainly is a cost/sacrifice.

A sacrifice for which you receive nothing in return is not a sacrifice.

When the feedback is superficial... then faking it is costless. When the feedback is substantial... then faking it is costly.

And not faking it is costly. Pretty much the whole thing is costly. In a world where most people are already struggling to make ends meet. You want to slap another bullshit charge down their throat.

The question is... do you want to know what people really think about your posts? I'm guessing that, for most of you, the answer is "NO!!!!" Most people really like to delude themselves into believing that their posts are far more valuable than they truly are.

The problem with this delusional mentality is that it results in society suffering from a severe shortage of genuinely beneficial behavior.

Please, quantify this shortage of "genuinely beneficial behaviour" for me.

If you believe that your photos are exceptionally good... you can share them on Facebook and lots of people might be happy to "Like" them. After all, it doesn't cost them anything to do so. If they don't truly enjoy your photos, then clicking the "Like" button is just a little white lie that can help strengthen the bonds of friendship.

What a shitty friend.

But if you take your photos to the flea market...

Then I can walk away twenty bucks richer, maybe.

Entrepreneurship is the optimal medium for empirically demonstrating the value of an idea. If you really want to know what an idea is worth, if you really want to know how useful it is, take that idea and engage reality with it. Attempt to create value for others, attempt to solve problems within the context of an accountability structure rooted in profit and loss… When you ask people for money in exchange for something you do, you’re going to get more honest feedback than ever before. - T.K. Coleman

Let me add a bit of balance to my post by sharing this video... Michael Sandel: The Moral Limits of Markets. Let me add a bit more balance by sharing this paper by Uri Gneezy... When and Why Incentives (Don't) Work to Modify Behavior.

Stop bastardizing other peoples work, and pretending like it supports your crap.

Ok, so I'm generally not a big fan of public displays of affection (PDA). Could crowdfunding posts be considered PDA? Or is it more like public displays of gratitude (PDG)? Or maybe public displays of nurturing (PDN)? What percentage of the posts on your Facebook feed would you be truly willing to nurture with your money? Would you be willing to monetarily nurture a post about your bff's engagement? Her wedding? Her first baby? Her promotion? Her divorce?

You heard it here first, folks: crowdfunding is PDA, you mob of slutty little spenders you! Yeah, you, you naughty people spending your filthy money for a common purpose! You sicken me!

My guess is that once people were more honest with each other then there would be some serious social reshuffling.

Probably.

Superficial friendships would be replaced with substantial friendships. What's your guess?

Everyone would start hating each other, because nobody is entirely honest with each other, because that destroys relationships over trivial shit that neither person really cares about.

[San Marlindo]

You'd be giving your friends substantial feedback on their behavior. You'd be highlighting and rewarding and encouraging beneficial behavior.

I can do that vastly better by fucking talking to them.

Which?

[Camicon]

$0

Why would I want to give money to my friends in order so that they please tell me what's going on in their lives.

You'd be giving your friends substantial feedback on their behavior. You'd be highlighting and rewarding and encouraging beneficial behavior.

But Sarah already gave Samantha her kidney. If she gave Samantha her other kidney, then she wouldn't have any kidneys left!

That's not very healthy for Sarah. Why do you want Sarah to give away all her kidneys?

[The first Galactic Republic]

Oh boy. Now we can have advertising disguised as a normal post.

"Hey fellow consumers. Watch out for people from McDonald's trying to buy out Facebook posts. You know who would never do that? Wendy's. Wendy's, quality is our recipe."

[Grave_n_idle]

Everyone would start hating each other, because nobody is entirely honest with each other, because that destroys relationships over trivial shit that neither person really cares about.

Also... I think there's already a name for friendship that is negotiable for financial remuneration.

[Galloism]

Everyone would start hating each other, because nobody is entirely honest with each other, because that destroys relationships over trivial shit that neither person really cares about.

Also... I think there's already a name for friendship that is negotiable for financial remuneration.

Escort?

[Camicon]

Everyone would start hating each other, because nobody is entirely honest with each other, because that destroys relationships over trivial shit that neither person really cares about.

Also... I think there's already a name for friendship that is negotiable for financial remuneration.

I have the sneaking suspicion that Xero wishes all human interactions were as such.

[Grave_n_idle]

Also... I think there's already a name for friendship that is negotiable for financial remuneration.

Escort?

President.

Boom.

[Galloism]

Escort?

President.

Boom.

Touche`, good sir. Touche.

[The Holy Therns]

Xero, do you throw money at your friends whenever they say things you like?

You, I like.

I'm not getting any money for this, and yet I still feel the love!

[The Two Jerseys]

Oh boy. Now we can have advertising disguised as a normal post.

"Hey fellow consumers. Watch out for people from McDonald's trying to buy out Facebook posts. You know who would never do that? Wendy's. Wendy's, quality is our recipe."

John Q. Public posted a new photo.

Just about to go take my Chevrolet down to the Walmart to pick up some Hanes t-shirts, Wrangler jeans, Mountain Dew, and Campbell's Soup. Then I think I'll stop at McDonald's for lunch and try the new Grand Mac, available for a limited time only. #endorsement #givememoneyforpluggingyourproduct

[Galloism]

Oh boy. Now we can have advertising disguised as a normal post.

"Hey fellow consumers. Watch out for people from McDonald's trying to buy out Facebook posts. You know who would never do that? Wendy's. Wendy's, quality is our recipe."

John Q. Public posted a new photo.

Just about to go take my Chevrolet down to the Walmart to pick up some Hanes t-shirts, Wrangler jeans, Mountain Dew, and Campbell's Soup. Then I think I'll stop at McDonald's for lunch and try the new Grand Mac, available for a limited time only. #endorsement #givememoneyforpluggingyourproduct

/shrug

I'd do it. Of course my friends would know that it's the most cynical bullshit ever, but if advertisers didn't pick up on it, who cares?

[San Marlindo]

NSG spits out another half-baked idea that will totes like 4realz revolutionize the world as we know it.

Keep em coming. I'm compiling these into a book.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

Why don't you just come right out and say you think or want us to pay for the "privilege" *urk* to read your "enlightening" *urk* posts and we can be done with it all?

[Grave_n_idle]

Why don't you just come right out and say you think or want us to pay for the "privilege" *urk* to read your "enlightening" *urk* posts and we can be done with it all?

In all fairness, I think most people generally already DO pay Xerographica what his threads are worth.

[Xerographica]

Let me add a bit of balance to my post by sharing this video... Michael Sandel: The Moral Limits of Markets. Let me add a bit more balance by sharing this paper by Uri Gneezy... When and Why Incentives (Don't) Work to Modify Behavior.

Stop bastardizing other peoples work, and pretending like it supports your crap.

When an article is balanced it evenly shares both sides of the issue. My post was heavily weighted to my side of the issue. I added "a bit of balance" by sharing some links to the other side of the issue.

So in no way, shape or form was I pretending that their work supports my view.

I've taken the time and made the effort to learn what both sides have to say about markets. My personal motivation is that I don't want to waste my limited time on this planet barking up the wrong tree. This gives me a serious incentive to do my homework.

You seem to be interested in spending quite a bit of time debating the topic. But can you truly win the debate without doing your homework? Can you ensure that you're helping to clarify the issue rather than confuse it?

On the one had I love everybody sharing their 2 cents. But on the other hand I would genuinely appreciate it if there were at least a few members who took the time to watch a video or read a paper on the topic so that we could have an informed discussion.

I miss Infactum.

It is these needs which are essentially deficits in the organism, empty holes, so to speak, which must be filled up for health’s sake, and furthermore must be filled from without by human beings other than the subject, that I shall call deficits or deficiency needs for purposes of this exposition and to set them in contrast to another and very different kind of motivation. — Abraham Maslow, Toward a Psychology of Being

[Camicon]

Stop bastardizing other peoples work, and pretending like it supports your crap.

When an article is balanced it evenly shares both sides of the issue. My post was heavily weighted to my side of the issue. I added "a bit of balance" by sharing some links to the other side of the issue.

So in no way, shape or form was I pretending that their work supports my view.

You were using it in a way that you think illustrates the points you are trying to make. As evidence. That's what citations are for.

I've taken the time and made the effort to learn what both sides have to say about markets.

Both sides? Reality and Xero-lity?

My personal motivation is that I don't want to waste my limited time on this planet barking up the wrong tree. This gives me a serious incentive to do my homework.

And yet you spend a great deal of time bouncing around various internet forums and posting (and re-posting) the same inane nonsense.

You seem to be interested in spending quite a bit of time debating the topic. But can you truly win the debate without doing your homework? Can you ensure that you're helping to clarify the issue rather than confuse it?

It's you, Xero. Nobody still here is under any impression that they can "win" a debate against someone so detached from the facts that they cannot, or refuse to, comprehend when they are wrong. I'm here because you entertain me.

On the one had I love everybody sharing their 2 cents. But on the other hand I would genuinely appreciate it if there were at least a few members who took the time to watch a video or read a paper on the topic so that we could have an informed discussion.

He said, unaware of the irony.

[Izandai]

People aren't greedy fucks at the point of ask money if they lend a pencil for me, for example. Unless if they are Uncle Scrooge.

People aren't greedy fucks? Are they generous fucks?

I try to be a generous fuck. I'm more likely to have sex with someone more than once that way.

[Neanderthaland]

People aren't greedy fucks? Are they generous fucks?

I try to be a generous fuck. I'm more likely to have sex with someone more than once that way.

Although for some reason they always act insulted when I try to pay them to communicate how much I value sex.