Goodbye, Facebook; Hello, Meta – Why the name change reflects poor judgment by Zuckerberg

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aHopefully, Mark Zuckerberg announced today that Facebook Inc — the company, not the under-fire social network — is renamed it MetaOne move, he said, entails a new computing platform called Metaverse. Critics say it’s meant to distract from Facebook’s increasingly toxic reputation. And while Zuckerberg, who founded the company, is betting that focusing on virtual reality As will ensure its future, such technologies are far from widespread use.

But what, exactly, is the metaverse? tae kim One useful explanation: “Think of it as a futuristic version of an always-on multiplayer video game where you can play, socialize, or even run a money-making business in a real computer-generated environment.”

The metaverse is the next development of social relation. It is a collective project that will be created by people from all over the world, and will be open to all. You will be able to socialize, learn, collaborate and play in ways that are beyond what is possible today. pic.twitter.com/655yFRm8yZ

— meta (@meta) October 28, 2021

Can meta separate itself from the broader, deeper problems that have been brought to light? Whistleblower Frances Haugen Facing allegations of misleading investors and the public about user growth, skepticism about its efforts to fight hate speech and propaganda, and the platform’s use to help organize the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. Question on how it was used.

Here’s what Bloomberg Opinion columnists had to say ahead of the announcement.

rebranding riskThere is no guarantee that the end result will not be a car accident. Bus Gap Inc., Tropicana Products Inc. And ask the UK’s Royal Mail service. Gap and Tropicana were much-loved brands that went for bold, “clean” rebrands, which were quickly banned by the public before being reversed. In 2001, Royal Mail became a “consignia” at a cost of £2 million ($2.8 million) – leaving behind a 500-year history, which took 16 months to reverse. It is bound to fan the flames of outrage and ridicule initially. But Zuckerberg and the rest of the company’s senior team will expect it to be a sacrament. If people were reminded of the Metaverse every time the company was mentioned, it would be a step toward owning the space — and maybe even forgetting the past. — Parmi Olsen and Ben Shotte

metaverse reward: If Metaverse Play is successful, there may be no enduring need to respond to challenges such as filtering out fake news and hate speech, limiting data collection, making ad targeting more transparent – ​​all of which are bad, intractable, of annoying nuisances that have been released recently.Facebook PapersConfirmed. New challenges will take their place, and before the media and regulators turn their heads around them, Mark Zuckerberg may be able to enjoy a more lucrative run than in the age of social media. — Leonid Barshidsky

foundationFacebook: Facebook today serves a different purpose than it did a decade ago, and isn’t well-positioned to jeopardize the dominance of the social media platform with older users like Snapchat and TikTok being challenged. To do so they would probably have to change their products to significantly resemble Facebook, perhaps shutting down their core base of young people. — Conor Sen

real problem: The Metaverse is OK as a Side Hustle, But in the Real World Where Real People Live, Facebook Is Causing significant damage. Facebook and its associated platforms are where Covid-19 conspiracy theorists and anti-vaxxers do some of their most productive work; where anti-democratic rebels and right-wing thugs choreograph their next move; where wall street journal Reportedly, young girls develop eating disorders, while other users post unchecked, abusive content “including harassment and incitement to violence”, where, as whistle-blower Frances Hogen told CongressConflicts between profit and security are constantly resolved in favor of profit. … Rebranding a controversial company is never a sure-fire cure for the maladies that tarnish its operations or tarnish its reputation. And companies often adopt new names because of controversy, not because of some broader strategic turmoil that necessitates change. — Timothy O’Brien

real solution: Setting aside the prospects for financial success with this big new platform, which don’t look goodFacebook’s hyperfocus on the metaverse right now reflects poor judgment by its management, and Mark Zuckerberg in particular. there is evidence mounting That Facebook pushes older people to conspiracy theories and teens to body issues. Zuckerberg should focus instead on completing the mother of all cleanup tasks: hiring thousands more employees, specifically content moderators, to help target harmful content on his site before building a new one. Which would provide the same old problems. — Permi Olson

(bloomberg)

Read also: Facebook changes name to Meta as it focuses on virtual reality

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