Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

> None of the metrics in question impact Facebook’s billing, said Mark Rabkin, vice president of Facebook’s core ads team.

This is the point. Might not impact the billing, but might lead announcers to miscalculate which campaign to use, for how long, for which audience, in the ending resulting in bad contracts with Facebook. That will be billed correctly.



Of course it will impact billing!

Customers will be billed the same. Ok, I agree on that; but in better metrics means more accurate ROI calculations and in the medium/long term this means more business.


I was kind of being sarcastic. It's interesting to say that some miscalculation won't impact billing - if you consider that they will charge you for displaying your video x times, but give you the wrong estimates on how long your video was really watched by the users. That will impact your decisions and you will adjust your campaign adequately, and will have impact on how much you spend. So, will impact your money, even if it's billed correctly


Kind of like how service providers constantly have issues with their infrastructure and support, but the billing website and auto-billing system? That's always working.

Shows you where their priorities are.


To be fair, those systems have drastically fewer users connected and it's comparatively easy to scope usage and subsequently resources for them.

Whereas with production systems usage and troubleshooting is far more unstable.


Eh, some how the "purchase service" page is far more reliable than the "downgrade or cancel my service" page.


If there even is a page for that. Often that takes a phone call, a fax (!) or even an appointment.


>To be fair, those systems have drastically fewer users connected and it's comparatively easy to scope usage and subsequently resources for them.

Something that one voluntarily chooses do do being hard is not an excuse to do it poorly or in a way that places inappropriate burdens on others.


I was thinking more along the lines of teleco companies but I see your point.


Nah, Comcast screws up my billing regularly, too.


IME, they always screw up costing me more money. I've oddly enough never seen the opposite. Funny how that happens...


Comcast always screwed up my billing. Luckily I moved somewhere they do not service !


Accountants adagium: Billing is a fact, profit an opinion.


A working billing system is a prerequisite - if you can't bill your customers, you can't pay your developers.


What does it matter if your infrastructure is available if you can't account for it correctly?


Facebook ads aren't purchased on a contract basis.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: