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FaceParty Tells Users To F**k Off—Elaborate Marketing Ploy Or Genuine Hatred?

image You have to admire Faceparty’s cheek—even if it probably isn’t the most lucrative way to run a business.

Back in April, the eight year old adult-oriented social net—often described as “irreverent”—ecided to dispense with all advertising, after nervous brands began demanding the site tone down its “naughtiness,” a move they said would eventually land it in “corporate wsville.” That was a suicidal enough move, considering that the site itself admitted “without ads, we won’t have as much spare cash to spend on staff etc,” and promptly culled four workers.

Last night, however, the site went even further, taking down its site and filling up its usual homepage with a caustic, expletive-filled rant against those users who had moaned about not receiving the promised free site tools in return for uploading a fancy dress photo of themselves. Of course, this may just be the owners genuine vent against “the haterz”—especially as by Faceparty’s own account, they are making no money from them. But as TechCrunch muses, perhaps it’s just the most elaborate marketing ploy ever hatched by a social network. You be the judge.

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Jun 25, 2008 7:42 AM ET
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Posted In: Social Media, Video, faceparty

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