By now, you probably know your Facebook friends’ five favorite albums, TV stars, and sodas. Blame Tim O’Shaughnessy , creator of LivingSocial, the site’s most-used and most-annoying application ever. We asked him to explain himself.
What inspired the app?
We heard rumors about Facebook’s redesign and were thinking of ways to tap into the new stream concept. We wanted something that made it really, really easy for people to form opinions and then share them with everyone.
Do you think people hate you a little for that?
If LivingSocial is showing up in your stream, it’s because your friends want you to know more about them. Talk to them, not us.
What do you do with all the data?
We go to marketers and say, “Here are a couple million people into music, and here are a couple million into movies.” We’re working with American Idol, Green Day, TNT, a lot of large brands.
Do you think folks realize you’re making money off their confessions?
I think people understand that if something’s free, there’s some form of monetization involved.
List your least favorite things about Facebook.
One, apps aren’t a part of Facebook on the iPhone, even though they’re an integral part of the Facebook experience. Two, I wish Facebook would figure out news. And three, I wish Facebook would just hurry up and buy Twitter so there’d be less noise in the world.
Here is the original:
Hotseat: The Creator of Facebook’s Most Annoying App Explains Himself (Wired News)
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