So, I posted what I thought was a bit of a joke (albeit maybe a dark one) about being pathetically lonely following bereavement.
And posted it various places, including Facebook.
Facebook has decided that either I am trying to raise money, or that I need to raise money. (Facebook, being obsessed with money? I think I'll have a heart attack and die from *NOT* being surprised.) Facebook has somehow flagged my post with a suggestion that I ask my "community" for "support," that is, money. They even include a link to a page that will help you create "a fundraiser on Facebook in a few quick steps." (The page opens with a grid of 15 options for different categories of fundraisers, including "Other.")
I mean, I understand that you have zero privacy on Facebook. I understand that Facebook considers everything you post there to be Facebook's property. I understand that they have programs that automatically read, categorize, and harvest everything you post. But, somehow, this seems more than vaguely creepy. I assume that Facebook is, somehow, going to monetize (for themselves) any funding that anyone does raise using Facebook. (I don't know those business models, but I assume that, at the very least, any money they raise for *anyone* helps them sell themselves as a fundraising vehicle to major charities.) But flagging (I assume) the word "bereaved" and then tying it to a pitch to raise money just seems a bit beyond the pale. Facebook is trying to capitalize on my (and others') grief.
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