Ask Facebook

June 11, 2010 9:25 PM

Facebook is advertising for beta answerers for their new Q and A site/product.
posted by jacalata (67 comments total)

Without moderation, it's going to be just like Yahoo! Answers -- a complete mess filled with non-answers and smartass trolls.

I'll stick to AskMe, thanks.
posted by zarq at 9:29 PM on June 11, 2010 [13 favorites]

[_] Do not share anonymous questions with all contacts.
posted by Artw at 9:29 PM on June 11, 2010 [23 favorites]

They came first for the myspace users, and I didn't speak up because I was not a myspace user.
Then they came for the twitterers, and I didn't speak up because I am not a twitterer.
Then they came for the mefites...
posted by namewithoutwords at 9:31 PM on June 11, 2010 [4 favorites]

Maybe Facebook took the ad down, because the first link doesn't seem to work anymore.
posted by Kevin Street at 9:32 PM on June 11, 2010

Interesting - it still works for me. Perhaps it's restricted to logged in users, or even some subset of logged in users? The second link has the ad copied in full at the end.
posted by jacalata at 9:35 PM on June 11, 2010

hi fb, I live in georegia but i dont see rusia no where not even sound but they says theres tanks should i be worrie?
posted by daninnj at 9:36 PM on June 11, 2010 [16 favorites]

How do I permanently dispose of a dead FB account?
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 9:36 PM on June 11, 2010 [8 favorites]

That must be it. Guess there's no point making the ad accessible to anyone who's not actually on Facebook.
posted by Kevin Street at 9:37 PM on June 11, 2010

So basically Facebook is looking to replicate Yahoo! Answers' stream of "i duno, y r u trying 2 du thatt?" replies?* Given the average level of intelligence** required to support the number of Farmville-like applications, it might even be worse.

*Yahoo Answers answerers really ought to be taken out and shot.
**(embarassedly admits to recently re-activating FB account.)
posted by dunkadunc at 9:37 PM on June 11, 2010

Yeah first link is a 404 here. Should I delete this?
posted by mathowie at 9:38 PM on June 11, 2010

Welp, that's gonna suck. Seriously, askme smokes all these motherfuckers, i don't know why they even try.
posted by dead cousin ted at 9:40 PM on June 11, 2010 [1 favorite]

No 404 here. I'm cool with this staying.
posted by dunkadunc at 9:40 PM on June 11, 2010

Some of those example questions are awfully chatfiltery.
posted by Artw at 9:40 PM on June 11, 2010 [4 favorites]

I can see the first link, btw. I guess you have to be logged in.
posted by dead cousin ted at 9:41 PM on June 11, 2010

It's still working just fine for me.
posted by daniel striped tiger at 9:41 PM on June 11, 2010

Dear Facebook: I accidentally the whole thing.
posted by hippybear at 9:43 PM on June 11, 2010 [2 favorites]

Yeah first link is a 404 here. Should I delete this?

I dunno. How many cold calls do you get from consulting types promising you they can make a sale of Ask to Google or Facebook happen?
posted by mlis at 9:44 PM on June 11, 2010

Q:
how is facebbook formed

More:
how is facebbook formed
how girl get in a relationship

A: They need to do way instain blogger> who kill thier facebbooks. becuse these facebbook cant frigth back? it was on the news this mroing a blogger in ar who had kill her three accounts. they are taking the three facebbook back to new york too lady to rest my pary are with the tweeter who lost his flolowers ; i am truely sorry for your lots
posted by infinitewindow at 9:55 PM on June 11, 2010 [51 favorites]

The last rule in the guidelines:

Plagiarism is unacceptable.
posted by minkll at 9:56 PM on June 11, 2010

Q. How can I make up to $1,500 a week working from home?
posted by furtive at 10:04 PM on June 11, 2010 [4 favorites]

So, basically everyone is saying I shouldn't open a facebook account, so that I can play Farmville at last, even though they will now let me pontificate too?
posted by Some1 at 10:08 PM on June 11, 2010

I'll confirm the "404s if you don't have a facebook account" and vote for deletion.
posted by namewithoutwords at 10:14 PM on June 11, 2010

I love this part:

Where relevant, cite and link to third-party sources such as Wikipedia.
posted by stevenstevo at 10:15 PM on June 11, 2010 [8 favorites]

All the snark aside, I have to wonder if this might be one of the only upsides to Facebook's non-privacy policy. If everyone can see all of your questions and answers, perhaps losing the veil of anonymity will reduce the idiocy. I'm curious, but not curious enough to step into that quagmire.
posted by Saydur at 10:16 PM on June 11, 2010

Q: WAHTS IN UR WHALLIT?1! LOOLOMG

I was searching for something last week (can't remember exactly) and one of the results was a Yahoo answer. The one that was marked best was simply "Kill yourself." Nice. I can't imagine Facebook being much better.

Yeah, AskMe is still the best.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 10:17 PM on June 11, 2010

Ew.
posted by rtha at 10:19 PM on June 11, 2010

When did Ozzy become an actor?
posted by maxwelton at 10:33 PM on June 11, 2010

I don't know if I was specially picked for this without applying, but I have been seeing questions and answers on the right sidebar of my Facebook home page for a while. The quality of the questions and answers is pretty bad, although not quite Yahoo Answers bad. There was no way to turn it off or hint at the sort of questions one would be interested in seeing.
posted by grouse at 10:52 PM on June 11, 2010

Say what you will about Yahoo! Answers, but it sure generates a lot of traffic to drive advertising revenues. And hey, look at that -- the less...um, discriminating your audience is, the more likely they are to click ads! Funny how that works...
posted by davejay at 10:58 PM on June 11, 2010 [1 favorite]

Uhhh look at all these fools hating on what will be the biggest thing to hit the internet since foursquare changed. social. networking. Forever. (super cool reliable source: Wired Magazine "Wired Tired Expired")
posted by threetoed at 11:23 PM on June 11, 2010 [4 favorites]

It works for me. You people must be getting discriminated against arbitrarily to satiate Mark Zuckerberg's pathological need to be capriciously evil.
posted by delmoi at 11:24 PM on June 11, 2010 [1 favorite]

foursquare changed. social. networking.

What is foursquare? All my peeps on Twitter keep getting badges.

Is it some kind of game?
posted by Netzapper at 11:32 PM on June 11, 2010 [1 favorite]

Submitted:

Q: I think my boa constrictor swallowed my baby kitten. I can still hear it mewing in there, and Jorge looks contented. How can I save the kitty?
A: Nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

Q: Fucking magnets! How do they work?
A: I take two steps forward
I take two steps back
We come together
Cuz opposites attract

Q: WTF OBGYN?
A: DTMFA and get a lawyer. NOW.
posted by carsonb at 11:37 PM on June 11, 2010 [6 favorites]

Let me know when they save people from sex trafficking and help a dad make a death star costume.
posted by nestor_makhno at 11:38 PM on June 11, 2010 [9 favorites]

I use Quora, though I rarely write the essay-style answers that Facebook seems to be soliciting for their competitive app. I have mixed feelings about it -- after getting used to the strict moderation on AskMe, nearly anyplace else on the web feels carelessly stapled together in comparison. Although I'm impressed with Quora's slick interface, I also cringe when I see boyzone-type comments get upvoted repeatedly.
posted by tantivy at 11:44 PM on June 11, 2010

What is foursquare?

First we need to establish no slams, spikes, baby-dribbles, or ankle shots.
posted by fleacircus at 11:56 PM on June 11, 2010 [4 favorites]

Has anyone really been far as decided to use even go want to do look more like?
posted by sophist at 12:05 AM on June 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

I can see it. Shall I sign up?

I love their sample questions: what caused the stock market crash in 2008? [Not sure even economists agree on that..]
What are women looking for in a relationship? What - all of them? That monolithic entity, women?
posted by Infinite Jest at 12:19 AM on June 12, 2010

You know, it's weird. And it's weird that it's so personal, but ...

I think that AskMe works (for me, anyway) because Matt, Jess, and Cortex are inhertently trustworthy individuals. Seriously! If you think about it, they're three of the most trusted people on the internet.

Contrast that with Facebook, which nobody in their right mind would trust.

Consequently, AskMe has nothing to fear from Facebook. Nothing at all.
posted by Afroblanco at 12:41 AM on June 12, 2010 [4 favorites]

AskFacebook is the shit-magnet that will help keep future shit away from AskMe.
posted by Mikey-San at 12:43 AM on June 12, 2010 [5 favorites]

So I wanted to read more about why AskMe is so successful and ran across this blog post by anildash, which led to this comment by mathowie:

"Google Answers is gone because Google isn't in the people business, they're in the computer programming business."

Now Facebook at the outset seems like it is in the people business, no? They've got profiles and groups, and status updates and such. I can post on people's walls! I would suggest, however, they are not really that into the more important community business. I don't use Facebook much anymore, but when I did it was generally to check up on friend's statuses and to indicate I'm going to events and such. I didn't feel like I was creating something on Facebook so much as using it as a tool. In fact, that's what I view it right now... just a tool to keep tabs on a social group that already existed outside of Facebook.

But MetaFilter... well, its very nature is to create a space on the internet where people can participate in the governing of their own community. This has led to a very unique culture, with its own rules and taboos grown in an organic push and pull between mods and members. No chatfilter. Answer the question. Don't attack the asker. Be decent. Some of it may be in the guidelines, but I know this stuff simply from being on MetaFilter enough to see people behave in such a manner. AskMe works well because there is a cultural expectation to put your best online self into it.

I don't expect Facebook to be able to really replicate that. The people who run Facebook are faceless, really. Users are handed features from on high. There is no built in space to address these issues. Does Zuckerberg listen to the pleas of Facebook users with a sincere ear to bettering their experience? I have no clue, but I expect he does only so far as it will make him more money. And what are the behaviors expected of Facebook users? Can ya'll think of any?
posted by Mister Cheese at 1:15 AM on June 12, 2010 [5 favorites]

Now Facebook at the outset seems like it is in the people business, no?

Facebook is only in the people business in the sense that people are the product, or more accurately, information about people in the aggregate is the product. The customers are businesses who want access to that information.

Which is orthogonal to the mission of Ask Metafilter along several different axes.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 3:02 AM on June 12, 2010

Now Facebook at the outset seems like it is in the people business, no?

If you mean "selling people to advertisers" then I guess so.

Uhhh look at all these fools hating on what will be the biggest thing to hit the internet since foursquare changed. social. networking. Forever. (super cool reliable source: Wired Magazine "Wired Tired Expired")

I assume you're being sarcastic. The things that end up really popular on social networks are things that elites think suck. Myspace, Farmville and it's ilk. Keep in mind Farmville has more users then twitter
posted by delmoi at 3:07 AM on June 12, 2010

Which is orthogonal to the mission of Ask Metafilter along several different axes.

Orthogonal on several then axes? Isn't that kind of, uh, redundant?
posted by delmoi at 3:09 AM on June 12, 2010

So, Facebook, which has no idea how to provide it's users some privacy, now wants them to ask how to cure their STD, how to tell their wife they are cheating, where to buy good pot, and what would happen if you put a bomb in your suitcase at the airport?

all information that would instantly be sold to various vendors and government agencies.

Hey, sounds like a good idea to me!
posted by HuronBob at 3:11 AM on June 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

Orthogonal on several then axes? Isn't that kind of, uh, redundant?

Don't be so literal, Maynard. Also, no, not if the axes are at angles other than multiples of 90 degrees.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 3:19 AM on June 12, 2010

Now Facebook at the outset seems like it is in the people business, no?

If you mean "selling people to advertisers" then I guess so.

Couldn't that definition also be applied to all the major search engines and webmail providers; a great many websites and forums; most TV and radio producers and broadcasters; and most magazines and newspapers?

IMHO in all these situations there's more than one transaction going on; there's a transaction between Facebook and advertisers (exchanging money for ad display) and another between Facebook and users (exchanging ad viewing for social networking).

I don't see why the former transaction defines the company's business rather than the latter transaction, except for the fact the former transaction involves money.

To me it makes more sense to say companies can be defined by more than one property; Google is in the ads business, and the search business, and the webmail business. Facebook is in the ads business, and the social networking business. The New York Times is in the ads business, and the journalism business.

And if you were taking part in a discussion of why an effort by Facebook may succeed where an effort by Google had failed, it seems reasonable to focus on those things that are different between the companies, rather than those things which are the same.
posted by Mike1024 at 4:12 AM on June 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

How do I delete my Facebook account?
posted by tamitang at 5:05 AM on June 12, 2010

"Facebook is an advertising engine looking to exploit trust between you and your network to maximize profits."
posted by box at 5:11 AM on June 12, 2010 [7 favorites]

Unless the final product is something different from the beta test, this isn't an AskMe/Yahoo! Answers style thing. Beta testers are supposed to be answering questions they make up on subjects they know rather than asking the intertubes for an answer. I still don't think it's likely to work out well, but it doesn't appear that it will be open for answers from random people.
posted by Dojie at 6:25 AM on June 12, 2010

Plagiarism is unacceptable.

Crap. I was going to start cutting&pasting askme questions.

The one thing that does seem to be cool is that limited text box. Imagine having to do relationship filter in 140 characters or less.
posted by cjorgensen at 7:07 AM on June 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

I'm starting a site that sells hand-knitted hats. Send me three hand-knitted hats and YOU can be a part of it.
posted by StickyCarpet at 7:29 AM on June 12, 2010 [2 favorites]

Plagiarism is unacceptable.

Crap. I was going to start cutting&pasting askme questions.

What do you want to bet that a ton of people will be doing just that?

This upsets me.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 7:47 AM on June 12, 2010

And we'll bring our best beta testers out to California to tour Facebook headquarters and meet the team.


"Marge, this is Frank Edwardson. He's one of our new beta testers. Frank, this is Marge. She's the administrative assistant to the v.p. of HR."

"Nice to meet you, Frank. Would you like a mint?"

"He's not going to be hungry, Marge. I just took him by the kitchen and he got some Doritos from the vending machine. Okay, Frank, follow me. On the left is the conference room. And over there is George. I don't know exactly what George does. Something to do with fixing the printers..."
posted by grumblebee at 10:04 AM on June 12, 2010

well i think this is a load of horseshit. they're just trolling for free content. "Your expert writing will be seen by tens of millions of people — including job recruiters." my ass.
posted by lester's sock puppet at 10:17 AM on June 12, 2010 [2 favorites]

Somebody please take a screenshot and post it here for those of us without facebook accounts. KTHXBAI
posted by beerbajay at 10:19 AM on June 12, 2010

The second link has a section the says "Help us Build the Future of Facebook." That is the text from the first link.
posted by Hop123 at 10:42 AM on June 12, 2010

Part of the reason that I think people contribute to AskMe in terms of asking is that they can expect a decent answer, or at least be pointed in the right direction. I don't see that happening often here. Part of the reason that people contribute to AskMe in terms of answering is that they've received help in the past and feel part of the community. See #1.
posted by codacorolla at 10:55 AM on June 12, 2010

facebook had no choice. There was a petition.
posted by ctmf at 11:05 AM on June 12, 2010

How do I delete my Facebook account?

I realize this may have been in jest, but to actually delete your Facebook account you must first deactivate it, then email facebook support requesting a deletion, verify your identity, then wait two weeks in which you must under no circumstances access your account. If you do, it will be activated again and you must start the process over. I'm not joking.
posted by sophist at 11:33 AM on June 12, 2010 [3 favorites]

Without moderation, it's going to be just like Yahoo! Answers -- a complete mess filled with non-answers and dumbass trolls.

fixed.
posted by talaitha at 12:26 PM on June 12, 2010

How do I delete my Facebook account?

Oh, yes. It was in jest. Mainly because it, or a similar question is asked on the green so often but seriously because I would never want to really delete my fb account. Jeez.
posted by tamitang at 1:26 PM on June 12, 2010

The people who run Facebook are faceless, really.

Case in point: name two people who work for Facebook.
posted by Caviar at 7:01 PM on June 12, 2010

Case in point: name two people who work for Facebook.

Mark Zuckerberg and Ted Ullyot, that attorney who worked for the Bush administration on the torture memos and who is now Facebook's general counsel.

But it probably says something that I can only name two and both of them have a terrible reputation.
posted by jedicus at 7:26 PM on June 12, 2010 [4 favorites]

and Ted Ullyot, that attorney who worked for the Bush administration on the torture memos and who is now Facebook's general counsel

that's pretty hilarious
posted by ryanrs at 8:04 PM on June 12, 2010 [2 favorites]

jedicus: that's so funny it made me cry and so awful it made me laugh.
beerbajay: Here's a screen cap if you're still in need.

AskMetafilter is the single greatest website I have ever discovered. Seriously.
posted by willie11 at 6:15 PM on June 13, 2010

I stumbled on this Dutch language questions site. They do have moderation but no anonymous questions it seems.
posted by joost de vries at 1:58 AM on June 16, 2010