Skinner Marketing: We're the Rats, and Facebook Likes Are the Reward

[xchrom]

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/06/skinner-marketing-were-the-rats-and-facebook-likes-are-the-reward/276613/



One of the most popular announcements at Google's recent developers conference was the new version of Google Maps, which has a lot of spiffy new bells and whistles, to be sure.

But there's an ominous side note here: The new Google Maps for mobile devices allows marketers to offer products and deals based on the consumer's physical location.

We're entering the age of Skinnerian Marketing. Future applications making use of big data, location, maps, tracking of a browser's interests, and data streams coming from mobile and wearable devices, promise to usher in the era of unprecedented power in the hands of marketers, who are no longer merely appealing to our innate desires, but programming our behaviors.

And the new Google Maps is just the start. Google, Facebook, Twitter, retailers, and thousands of application developers are now positioned to keep users engaged on Web sites and program behaviors. That is, to operant condition them.

[marmar]

1. k/r

[Warren Stupidity]

2. Oh that skinner.

[darkangel218]

4. Hello :)

[darkangel218]

5. Are you mad at me?

[darkangel218]

3. Hey leave my DU Skinner alone!! he's cool as hell

And he puts up with our neuroticism. Lay your hands off Skinner!!

I've had beer, ignore me.

[brooklynite]

6. "Ominous side note"?

Here's a solution; don't use their free mapping service.

[darkangel218]

7. And how are we supposed to get around?

I would lose my behind if it wasn't conected

[TalkingDog]

11. As one who lives in "the boonies" and regularly has to give people directions

to correct the Google Maps (or Map Quest or wtf ever) directions they got off the interwebz, I'd say get physical maps and learn to read them.

We basically live on, what used to be, a deer path that the Native Americans then turned into a road to the river, which was paved over. It's twisty and weird and basically goes nowhere. But about once a month we will get an 18 wheeler cruising by at speed and we look at each other and smirk. If they don't get caught up in the hairpin and dogleg turns, requiring a tow truck to haul them out, we know that in about 10 minutes they'll be heading back down the road at speed. Thanks Google Maps!

Yes, I get that you are joshing.

[darkangel218]

12. I need my navigator like i need oxygen. i get lost rather quikly

My navy talks to me and tells me what to do : )

I pass on paper maps, no thanks.

[11 Bravo]

8. You might clarify that you are referencing B. F. Skinner, and not our own DU favorite!

[Javaman]

9. I stopped "liking" things a while ago.

I had always known it was nothing more than a bait and switch routine.

I'm on the path of finally dumping faceplant once and for all. Once I migrate my blog away from blogger, I dump faceplant.

[lumberjack_jeff]

10. If you're not paying for it, you're not a customer; you're the product being sold. n/t