On facebook ad-targeting...

Rachel Beckman's hilariously kvetchy article about finding personally offensive ads on facebook in this morning's Washington Post, Facebook Ads Target You Where It Hurts, was very much on point:

My Facebook page called me fat.

Maybe it's my age, my sex or the fact that it knew I was engaged, but the site decided I was a gal who needed to drop a few pounds. And it wasn't shy about its tactics.

This was not a close friend taking me aside, telling me in gentle tones that she'd noticed I'd put on some weight and was there anything going on in my personal life that I needed to talk about?

Oh, no. Every time I logged in to my home page, Facebook's ads screamed at me with all the subtlety of a drill sergeant: "MUFFIN TOP."

...Beckman goes on for about another page and a half or so, while maintaining her funny throughout, so be sure to read the rest of it. The article even includes a screen-grab of the ridiculous "MUFFIN TOP" ad in question (which is thankfully no longer shown to facebook users, btw.)

But seriously, though: why does facebook continue to insist on sending these ads my way?!?!?!




What part of "very liberal," "book-reading," "beard-grower" didn't they understand?!?!

I already never shave again!