$100 spam to Zuckerberg: did it work?

[markwolk]

So, it was $100 to send a message to Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook. Does anyone know whether he actually received any emails? Any Viagra or other spams?

[Just Bill]

I'm sure I'm just one of many who see Facebook for what it is and avoid it entirely.

[n5bb]

Anyone can send an email to any Facebook user. You don't need to be a Facebook user, but just need to know the username of the person (username@facebook.com). Those messages either go to the Inbox or the Other folder, depending on the filtering set up at the Facebook account. So anyone (even a non-Facebook user) can send an email to the Facebook account of Mark Z, and it will probably show up in his Other folder.

Starting in December, Facebook has been experimenting with charging various amounts to bypass the Other folder and deliver a message directly to someone's Inbox when the message was originated within Facebook (not from email). This experiment was only enabled on some Facebook accounts, and the fees seemed to be as small as $1 and as large as $100. The test was only for US persons, and a maximum of one message a week would be forwarded to the Inbox during the experiment.

Facebook is a very poor excuse for an email system. I rate this one <yawn>.

Bill

[markwolk]

I was just wondering how many messages he had received and whether charging per message would be a solution to the spam problem.

[n5bb]

Well, let's think about that.

• The only person who knows the answer to that question is Mark himself. Why would he bother to tell the public that private information?
• Only one message per week would be possibly moved from one folder to another at his account by this experimental feature. So multiply the number of weeks this experiment has been in place (about 4) by one to get the maximum number of such messages (about 4). My guess is that all of those were paid for my those who follow such unimportant news. So I would guess about 4.
• Anyone can use the "strict filtering" option to keep most spam in your Other folder.
• These new experiments, if implemented, would not change the number of messages arriving at their messaging system. It just keeps a message from someone you don't know from being filed in the Other folder.
• Would you pay to have your email delivered to another folder at the recipient's email system? Probably not, since they still might not read it!
• If you really want to get someone's attention, go to an online store and send someone the least expensive item they sell which is reasonably large via overnight delivery. All you care about is the shipping box, not the contents. Add a "message to recipient" in the shipping details which contains the text you really want the person to read. Nobody will ignore a box delivered via overnight delivery, and if you shipped it to me I would see it long before I checked my Facebook account!

Bill

[FredOnline]

Is anyone here honestly that bothered?

[webecedarian]

Sorry, I don't know about this - was it a challenge of some sort?

[King Of Email]

I wouldn't use Facebook if I got paid for it by giving up personal information for the privilege. Facebook's founder is chin deep in government alliances and backroom deals to snoop and inform on its users as well as pass user info to third parties and beyond.