The most egregious example of a user becoming the inadvertent spokesman for a less-than- A class-action lawsuit, brought in California court, sought damages from Facebook for their use of “sponsored stories” without paying Facebook users or allowing them to opt out. According to Reuters, “A ‘Sponsored Story’ is an advertisement that appears on a member’s Facebook page and generally consists of another friend’s name, profile picture and an assertion that the person ‘likes’ the advertiser.” In the case of Nick Bergus, his likeness was used to sell 55-gallon drums of personal lubricant.<\/p>\n Now that the lawsuit has been settled, a potential 125 million Facebook users are eligible for a settlement of … wait for it … two cents each, or up to $10 if they apply.<\/p>\n One thing is certain, the advertising business is changing. Native ads, what some are calling the “next wave<\/a>” of advertising, are replacing traditional banner ads, pop-ups, and pre-rolls. As new media companies attempt to find new ways to monetize their business, too often they step over boundaries intended to protect users’ privacy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In this social media saturated landscape, word-of-mouth (or word-of-MOUSE as the case may be) advertising carries a lot of clout. Because so many of us are skeptical of traditional advertising pitches, a referral from a trusted friend…yes, even a Facebook friend…is highly valued. In fact, according to Reuters, “Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg was quoted … <\/p>\n![\"lube-in-barrel\"](\"http:\/\/ebersolemedia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/lube-in-barrel.jpg\")
<\/a>squeaky-clean brand, of course, is Nick Bergus, who became the leading pitchman for Passion Natural Water personal lubricant \u2014 in 55-gallon allotments.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n