Rude to use this feature?

[Zilla]

I like facebook and use it alot.  I was posting a status update when Facebook popped up a friendly help window with the following below message.  I thought this was a bit rude.  Why can't Facebook just show posts/updates in date order and leave it alone. What do you think?  What would you think is more important than others and would you use this feature?



Promote This PostNow you can promote posts and move your important news, links and photos higher in news feed. This post will be marked as Sponsored.


ETA:I understand from a business standpoint.  I meant for personal statuses among friends.

[Adelaide]

I don't think the offer of this service by Facebook is rude. I think that the people who use it will be the ones who ultimately make it irritating, perhaps. Like if you wanted your wedding photos high up there I don't see why you couldn't, but the 30th sepia-tinted picture of the flowers your husband got you? Excessive.

Facebook is one of those things where you can basically control your newsfeed so if you get sick of say, your friend's pictures of dinner being promoted, you can just remove her from your newsfeed.

[Sharnita]

I like facebook and use it alot.  I was posting a status update when Facebook popped up a friendly help window with the following below message.  I thought this was a bit rude.  Why can't Facebook just show posts/updates in date order and leave it alone. What do you think?  What would you think is more important than others and would you use this feature?



Promote This PostNow you can promote posts and move your important news, links and photos higher in news feed. This post will be marked as Sponsored.

Somebody just posted something indicating that there might be a charge for this.  I haven't had a chance to check snopes or anything else and I probably am not going to use the feature but it might be worth checking into, etiquette aside.

[JenJay]

I just got this, too. Apparently you can choose to have your posts displayed more prominently and be tagged as "sponsored", but it'll cost ya (Not sure if it's by the post or a monthly fee?). I had noticed a lot more "sponsored" posts showing up on my feed from political candidates, cars, etc. I'm incredibly annoyed by it but hey, Facebook is still free, so I just ignore what I don't like.

I would never use it. I could see my friends with businesses using it. I don't know if it's rude, but I'd probably remove them if that started to happen.

[JenJay]

I like facebook and use it alot.  I was posting a status update when Facebook popped up a friendly help window with the following below message.  I thought this was a bit rude.  Why can't Facebook just show posts/updates in date order and leave it alone. What do you think?  What would you think is more important than others and would you use this feature?



Promote This PostNow you can promote posts and move your important news, links and photos higher in news feed. This post will be marked as Sponsored.

Somebody just posted something indicating that there might be a charge for this.  I haven't had a chance to check snopes or anything else and I probably am not going to use the feature but it might be worth checking into, etiquette aside.

I read somewhere that the breakdown was about $7 per sponsored post but I don't recall where I read it or how they got that number.

Edited to add link - http://www.facebook.com/help/promote

[Perfect Circle]

I don't think it's rude and can see where it would be a useful feature, especially from a business point of view. However, I am pretty sure I would never use it myself unless I had something totally earth shattering to share with everyone.

[Zilla]

I should have been clearer, I can see this from a business or political standpoint.  I meant for personal use.

[JenJay]

I should have been clearer, I can see this from a business or political standpoint.  I meant for personal use.

I have a couple of friends I could see doing this if it was free, because they seem the type who assume their stuff is Really Important Stuff, but I don't see them spending actual money to ensure their posts get more attention. I wouldn't think they were rude, just annoying. Depending on how often they did it my reaction would be somewhere between eye-rolling and unsubscribing from/hiding their updates.

[WillyNilly]

Facebook is first and foremost a business.  And increasingly posts are being made by businesses (small businesses like your friend's band, or their start-up cupcake company or major corporations like iTunes or Target).  It only makes sense that if you want to actually promote something, its better for Facebook to simply charge you for a premium post then to have the band post another status about their upcoming show or new CD every 6 hours, etc.

Its not rude for a business to offer premium services or for people (or company's) to utilize those services.

[Cat-Fu]

I might see myself using this feature if I had some really, really important news to get out that for some reason I could transmit only through facebook.

But I think it's far more likely that this will be abused & used for the millionth baby/puppy picture, pointless statuses, That Guy's political rants, etc., so I hope this feature gets restricted to being just for pages again.

[Zilla]

Facebook is first and foremost a business.  And increasingly posts are being made by businesses (small businesses like your friend's band, or their start-up cupcake company or major corporations like iTunes or Target).  It only makes sense that if you want to actually promote something, its better for Facebook to simply charge you for a premium post then to have the band post another status about their upcoming show or new CD every 6 hours, etc.

Its not rude for a business to offer premium services or for people (or company's) to utilize those services.

Right I acknowledged that in an update further down the thread.  I didn't post it in OP but I meant for personal use.

[WillyNilly]

^ I don't think its rude for anyone to use any of the features of FB.  No one has to use FB, or remain "friends" with those who's postings they don't like, or they can choose to simply not get certain people or company's updates. etc so I think its fine to make your post a "premium" post at time because your audience can avoid seeing it if they want to .

[Solanna Dryden]

^ I don't think its rude for anyone to use any of the features of FB.  No one has to use FB, or remain "friends" with those who's postings they don't like, or they can choose to simply not get certain people or company's updates. etc so I think its fine to make your post a "premium" post at time because your audience can avoid seeing it if they want to .

This, 100%

[O'Dell]

Rude or not, I think using the feature and what sort of posts it's used on says something about a person. I just posted on FB and got the option to promote it. Curiosity had me clicking thru until I saw that my pay pal account would indeed be charged $7. Gads! None of the nonsense I post about on FB is worth $7!

[Slartibartfast]

I think it's at the very least frustrating - partly because (and I'll admit, I'm hearing this secondhand since I pretty much only check Facebook once a year) your posts don't necessarily to go to everyone who is following you.  This is more of a big deal for businesses, authors, musicians, etc. - you may have 20,000 people interested in hearing about your new concert, but you have no way to know how many of them even see you post about it!  Not just "low in the feed" or "opted out of having your updates show up," but a significant portion of people just won't see anything, period.  Except now if you pay Facebook for the privilege, you can have a sponsored post which actually reaches all the people you thought it would reach in the first place.