Facebook Test Will Let You Message Strangers For $1

Spy Handler writes "According to PC Mag, 'Facebook is testing a feature that will let select users pay $1 to send messages to people with whom they have no connection on the social network. The $1 fee will open a thread with a non-Facebook friend. If that person replies to your note, you won't have to pay again to respond to them.' Facebook explained the test thus: 'Several commentators and researchers have noted that imposing a financial cost on the sender may be the most effective way to discourage unwanted messages and facilitate delivery of messages that are relevant and useful. This test is designed to address situations where neither social nor algorithmic signals are sufficient. For example, if you want to send a message to someone you heard speak at an event but are not friends with, or if you want to message someone about a job opportunity, you can use this feature to reach their Inbox. For the receiver, this test allows them to hear from people who have an important message to send them.'"

So That's Opt In, Right? And That Goes to Charity?

[eldavojohn]

Seems to me that I should be able to let anybody contact me and I can opt in to people being charged a dollar to contact me. I don't want to make long lost friends pay to send me a message but I can see how some people might appreciate this. Also, Facebook isn't doing anything worth $1 to get this money and it's an (in)convenience fee so this money should go to a charity or something, right?

How does Facebook deserve this money?

Reminds me of the old "email tax" idea

[sandytaru]

The suggestion was to charge a tenth of a penny per email. For regular folks who email, that works up to less than a penny per day. (No fees for business emails from private or hosted exchange servers, of course.) This would discourage spam emails and mass marketings from public accounts (although it wouldn't stop spam from zombie email accounts on private domains.)

A dollar per message should be enough to discourage irresponsible spamming.

Bulk discount

[space_jake]

I'm assuming there will be some sort of bulk discount for businesses.

Re:So That's Opt In, Right? And That Goes to Chari

[kiriath]

I wish email were like that.

Pay me to read your spam FTW!

Re:So That's Opt In, Right? And That Goes to Chari

[phantomfive]

How does Facebook deserve this money?

Because for some reason, they are the only ones who've been able to build up a lasting social network. They certainly weren't the only ones to try, or even the first ones, but somehow they succeeded in a field full of competition.

Re:So That's Opt In, Right? And That Goes to Chari

[Anonymous Coward]

Seems to me that I should be able to let anybody contact me

I believe that's called making your e-mail address public.

In fact, part of this change is that Facebook will no longer let you share your contact info with only people who already know someone you've friended. More and more Facebook is dropping the "social" and becoming just another personal web page host site. Welcome back Geocities!