Counting down to launch, UNTHINK accuses Facebook of causing a virtual housing crisis

The anti-Facebook? UNTHINK exposes Facebook’s illusion of “free” and its exploitive business “logic.”
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(PR NewsChannel) / August 22, 2011 / TAMPA, Fla. 

The anti FacebookTaking aim at Facebook and describing the fight as one about ownership and freedom, UNTHINK social media warned today of a virtual housing bubble that is about to burst.  The implications could be enormous for the millions who have built their virtual homes on Facebook lots.

Just a few days ago, after more than three years in secret development, UNTHINK (www.unthink.com) arrived on the social media scene when it announced its imminent launch. UNTHINK is not just another social network; it’s a social revolution. Today it released a new video titled “Facebook Deleted Account? UNTHINK” (http://youtu.be/rfWB90X1sWY) that poses the question: Have we built our virtual houses on Facebook lots, and how serious are the consequences?   In UNTHINK’s view, the problem with Facebook is not just privacy; it is the exploitive business “logic.”

Exploitive Business “Logic”

Facebook baits users by offering them “free” in exchange for their FREEDOM and then places them under its thumb. This outdated business model requires users to surrender their ownership and freedom, subordinating them to the network.  Compromised privacy is merely one of the many side effects of this exploitive business “logic,” not the fundamental problem.

Ask yourself:

-          Have we all built our virtual houses on Facebook lots? Yes!

“If you believe Facebook is invincible, unthink it. YOU gave Facebook its power and YOU can take it away.”
-Natasha Dedis, Founder/CEO UNTHINK.com

Then:

-          Who controls the terms?

-          Who owns the data?

-          Who controls the layout?

-          Who owns the relationships?

-          Who makes all the decisions?

A more detailed look at Facebook’s evolution can help us understand how we found ourselves in this position.

User Acquisition Phase

At first, Facebook built an addictive platform, bringing in thousands and then millions of users under false pretenses, knowing that people have no time to read the fine print.  On the web, this is called the “user acquisition” phase, the objective of which is to attract enough eyeballs, hook enough users and figure out how to monetize later. During this phase, people trusted Facebook and invited all their friends to join in and socialize, never suspecting that this was just a “temporary nirvana” and, once Facebook became successful, things would change.

Monetization Phase

Enter phase 2: Facebook has arrived! They have millions of eyeballs and a huge valuation -despite the lack of revenue- and now they have to monetize.  Monetize what?  The only CONTENT they have: you, your profile, your relationships, and your conversations.  During this so-called “monetization phase,” they repeatedly redesign and change terms, trying to figure out ways to make money, treating users as guinea pigs and taking them for a ride.   On the way to monetization, user revolts break out every time people realize Facebook is trying to cross a new line. Facebook occasionally retreats and apologizes for the “mistake,” only to resume the forward march once the uproar subsides.  “I have always wondered how this is even legal.” said UNTHINK founder and CEO Natasha Dedis. “Shouldn’t they be legally obligated to disclose how they intend to make money at the time users sign up?”

Win-Lose

This exploitive business “logic” is flawed first and foremost because it clashes with user interests. It is Win-Lose. For Facebook to win, users must lose something:  have their personal data sold, be interrupted, have their profiles turned into commercial junkyards, be subjected to spyware, be tracked throughout the web. The list becomes endless, as Facebook keeps coming up with new ways to exploit its users.

To be or not to be on Facebook?

“An obvious question then becomes why not abandon Facebook in light of these problems?” said Dedis.  “The answer for those of us who want to be part of the crowd is that we will continue to go where our friends are until there is an alternative.

“And without an alternative, those of us who are turned off by Facebook’s unfair and deceptive practices face a Hobson’s Choice, in which participation in Facebook appears to be a free choice when in fact only one option exists. As things are right now, to choose not to participate in Facebook is to lack a voice in the key influencer affecting all our lives.

“That’s why we at UNTHINK spent over three years building UNTHINK.com; to offer you a real alternative, a CHOICE that is not only FREE, but also allows you to maintain your FREEDOM.

“So, facing this crossroads, what are we going to do? Are we going to continue building on Facebook’s dictatorial domain? Are we going to continue building our virtual houses on lots we don’t own? Or are we going to burst Facebook’s bubble and regain our autonomy, ownership and freedom?

“It is up to you. If you believe Facebook is invincible, unthink it. YOU gave Facebook its power and YOU can take it away.”

Are you an Unthinker? And would you like to lead this revolution? Go to www.UNTHINK.com and pre-register. We will soon unveil the SECRET.

Look for our upcoming videos and press releases to find out more about UNTHINK.com.

About UNTHINK
UNTHINK Corporation is a technology company based in Tampa, Fla. UNTHINK is not a start-up. It was founded on April 22, 2008 by successful entrepreneurs with experience in re-inventing markets, and is supported by a dedicated team of more than 100 cutting-edge techies and rebels. It is a product of the foresight of its founders who three years ago realized that social media was headed in an alarming direction. UNTHINK.com is a social media revolution. It is built ON purpose WITH purpose to better serve people and brands, empower them, and make their lives easier. It disrupts existing market ‘think’ and shifts social media in the direction of Win-for-All.

Looking Backward from a User Perspective
Social media until now:
-A popular activity spoiled by a business ‘logic’ that clashed with users
-Compromised their privacy
-Plagued by endless redesigns
-Profile pages turned to commercial junkyards
-Ever-changing terms of use
-Segmented into multiple one-dimensional niche networks
-Unable to live up to its core promise of empowerment
-Lacked a strategy to stimulate collaboration between people and brands
-A non-transparent business, which used people as guinea pigs in its pursuit to exploit the social graph for profit

Looking Backward from a Brand Perspective
Social media until now:
-Consumed by privacy controversies
-Forced brands to build pages and fan bases they didn’t own
-Deleted accounts at will
-Subordinated brands to ever-changing policies and constantly dictated terms of use
-Segmented into multiple on dimensional niche networks
-Kept brands hostage to an unrealized promise of direct engagement
-A ‘business’ without a sustainable business model, which used brands as guinea pigs in its futile pursuit for profit

ON THE WEB:
http://www.UNTHINK.com
http://www.youtube.com/UNTHINK
http://www.twitter.com/iUNTHINK

DOWNLOADS:
UNTHINK Logo: http://ow.ly/65fCf
UNTHINK Image: http://ow.ly/65g1G
UNTHINK Homepage Image: http://ow.ly/65gkQ

CONTACT:
Glenn Selig
PR firm: The Publicity Agency
Email:
Phone: 813.708.1220
Mobile: 813.300.5454

Direct link:  https://prnewschannel.com/2011/08/22/counting-down-to-launch-unthink-accuses-facebook-of-causing-a-virtual-housing-crisis/

SOURCE:  UNTHINK.com

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