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The Insanely Rich Young Mobile Ad Broker You've Never Heard Of
The Secret Shame of Social Networking: How Silicon Valley Got Hooked on Scammers
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Shadowlayer
11/11/09

In reply to The Insanely Rich Young Mobile Ad Broker You've Never Heard Of
Thats the difference between real founders (like this guy) and oportunist big talkers like, well, almost everybody else in the valley these days...

Scammers follow money, and sadly this deserved homerun here will attract even more gold diggers with little or no knowledge about actual IT, but lots of "street smart" capabilities.

Kudos to Omar anyways, he's a living proof than even in these twittertimes real skills trumps over snake oil marketing. #omarhamoui
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Jason McCabe Calacanis
11/09/09

In reply to The Insanely Rich Young Mobile Ad Broker You've Never Heard Of
Am I really the benchmark for exits now? Ugh... I better have another hit soon. :-)

Seriously big ups to fellow Sequoia Capital company AdMob on this HUGE home run.

Amazing execution, perfect timing and a killer team = huge exit. #omarhamoui
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Magister
11/09/09

In reply to The Insanely Rich Young Mobile Ad Broker You've Never Heard Of
From the video;

Some of these are probably bigger than we are right now, but we're bigger than we were 12 months ago

Well now, you're even larger than you were.
---

He sounds like a smart and prudent guy.
Congratulations to him.
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Edited by Magister at 11/09/09 7:33 PM Magister was starred Magister was unstarred

raincoaster
11/02/09

In reply to The Secret Shame of Social Networking: How Silicon Valley Got Hooked on Scammers
Well, this is how all technologically advanced things monetize; they wait for the morans to clue in (thanks Oprah and Aplusk!) and then the scammers target them. #facebook
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MissNormaDesmond
11/02/09

In reply to The Secret Shame of Social Networking: How Silicon Valley Got Hooked on Scammers
It's interesting to me that most of the people commenting here seem to feel that it's more shameful to be naive than to be someone who exploits others' naivete, in that I see multiple comments aimed at "gullible idiots" and none aimed at "sleazy bastards". I don't play any of the FB games because they're a timesink, and I'm old and suspicious anyway, but I don't expect teenagers, for example, to have my hard-won paranoia, and I think the shame should be for the people who take advantage of them. It's the dishonest people who are doing harm, not the trusting ones. #facebook
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simplicissimus
11/02/09

In reply to The Secret Shame of Social Networking: How Silicon Valley Got Hooked on Scammers
Echoing a comment on the TC article, and from my own experience, clicking yr naive way thru the entire IQ Test game, and then getting stuck with a $15 mobile subscription, does indeed give you some useful test results.

As in "Congratulations! Your IQ equivalent is: Gullible Moron!" #facebook
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lionel-mandrake
11/02/09

In reply to The Secret Shame of Social Networking: How Silicon Valley Got Hooked on Scammers
Are your readers not smart enough to figure out that statements like "Complete This Quiz And Win A FREE Plasma TV!!!" aren't on-the-level? #facebook
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ConAir34
11/02/09

In reply to The Secret Shame of Social Networking: How Silicon Valley Got Hooked on Scammers
After I read this I had to call my wife to make sure she wasn't doing any of these things.

I personally recognize a scam pretty fast but she is still learning. #facebook
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TedCopacabana
11/02/09

@ConAir34: OMG I had to do the same thing. Women just aren't that bright and they're flat out bad drivers. Right? Am I right? #facebook
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Paul_Is_Drunk
11/02/09

@TedCopacabana: I find it ironic that in trying to point out his "sexism," you showed the world yours.

Because 1 woman = all women, right? #facebook
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TedCopacabana
11/02/09

@Paul_Is_Drunk: Somebody forgot to take their sarcasm awareness pill today. #facebook
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MissNormaDesmond
11/02/09

@TedCopacabana: It helps when you're actually funny, and not just trying way too hard. #facebook
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ConAir34
11/03/09

@MissNormaDesmond: Exactly. #facebook
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Mo MoDo
11/02/09

In reply to The Secret Shame of Social Networking: How Silicon Valley Got Hooked on Scammers
So what you are saying is that Farmville is built on a toxic waste dump. #facebook
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Gonkette
11/04/09

@Mo MoDo: My cabbages! #facebook
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hoffman.kate
11/02/09

In reply to The Secret Shame of Social Networking: How Silicon Valley Got Hooked on Scammers
Having never, ever been stupid enough to fall for any kind of a scam, let me remind the world of one important thing: You can't get something for NOTHING. When someone or some website or some email is telling you that you can get XYZ (item with monetary value) by doing ABC (action that will supposedly not cost you anything), it should send up a red flag.

Maybe everyone would be making more money if they were doing productive things instead of spending hours playing Farmville and answering quizzes. Jesus H. Christ on a motherfucking crutch.
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MissNormaDesmond
11/03/09

@hoffman.kate: Offering an opportunity to enter a lottery in return for a minor purchase, or even just giving address information, is a time-honored marketing ploy. It's what the Publisher's Clearinghouse sweepstakes are based on, and as they keep stressing, people actually win those prizes; meanwhile, Publishers Clearinghouse markets the mailing lists it gathers from the entries.

There's really nothing necessarily stupid about being gulled by many of those ploys. They could easily assume that they're being offered a chance to win something in return for doing something that looks easy and free, at the cost of putting their spam filter to good use.

Also, fingerwagging about others' unproductive and non-remunerative timewasting in a Gawker comment is kind of funny.
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Edited by MissNormaDesmond at 11/03/09 2:50 PM MissNormaDesmond was starred MissNormaDesmond was unstarred

goetz
11/02/09

In reply to The Secret Shame of Social Networking: How Silicon Valley Got Hooked on Scammers
Well now I'll definitely be sure to quit playing Evony, just as soon as I see some fucking tits somewhere. #facebook
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Island of Misfit Toys
11/02/09

In reply to The Secret Shame of Social Networking: How Silicon Valley Got Hooked on Scammers
Yeah, I hate to say that I was desperate enough for Farmville Cash that I took the stupid IQ test. When they wanted me to type in my cell phone number, I panicked. So I typed in my step-mom's cell number instead. There's been no fallout yet. #facebook
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PontiusPirate
11/02/09

In reply to The Secret Shame of Social Networking: How Silicon Valley Got Hooked on Scammers
I'll wager that Mark Pincus draws inspiration from the Evony ad campaign. #facebook
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themediatrix
11/02/09

In reply to The Secret Shame of Social Networking: How Silicon Valley Got Hooked on Scammers
There is a similar phishing-scam underway using YouTube clips.

Segments from a popular show -- say Project Runway -- are posted on YouTube along with a link at the bottom saying "View the whole show in HD." When you click the link, the site is behind a wall that you have to take a quiz to get through.

One quiz leads to another leads to another and they fish for your contact info, both virtual and otherwise. I have no idea if you ever make it to the actual show for viewing or just go in circles. I refuse to share my info so of course wasn't able to view the show. #facebook
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hilikusopus
11/02/09

@themediatrix: The irony here is that there's a great swath of reality shows which are, themselves, meta-phishing programs, as it were.
My favorite example is "Next Iron Chef" (even though I like "IC"!), where you have a reality program designed to staff yet another parent program.
Or "Next Top Model", whose ratings help determine which model is selected to peddle Covergirl products, the show's sponsor, to its viewers.
Or "American Idol", which has a more direct line to consumers: you get to pick the singer which the show's sponsor (BMI, whatever) will use as a vehicle to sell you shitty pop albums.
Yes, I will answer your quiz, thank you for asking me and making my consumer experience so personalized! #facebook
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Anto103
11/02/09

In reply to The Secret Shame of Social Networking: How Silicon Valley Got Hooked on Scammers
And to think, I've just started playing Mafia Wars. #facebook
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