Daily Archives: January 14, 2020

Rachell "Valkyrae" Hofstetter is among the latest video game livestreamers to leave Amazon-owned Twitch to stream on a rival service.

Source: YouTube

YouTube announced on Monday exclusive livestreaming deals with three popular gamers, its latest talent acquisition in the booming market for watching skilled video gamers stream their feats online.

The three Rachell "Valkyrae" Hofstetter, Lannan "LazarBeam" Eacott and Elliott "Muselk" Watkins will move to Google-owned YouTube after years of streaming on Amazon's Twitch. They're the latest players in a battle that has heated up over the past few months, as streaming companies lock in the biggest stars.

Twitch has dominated livestreaming, particularly video games, beginning with its founding as Justin.tv in 2011 and through Amazon's 2014 acquisition of the company for nearly $1 billion. Since then, tech rivals YouTube, Facebook and Microsoft's Mixer have angled to carve footholds in the livestreaming hype with their own platforms amid a booming market and the shift to a more digitally based entertainment industry.

The race got more heated when superstar streamer Tyler "Ninja" Blevins moved to Mixer in August. That was followed by Michael "Shroud" Grzesiek, whose 7 million followers was third-highest on Twitch with 7 million, moved over to Mixer in October.

These efforts have eaten into Twitch's lead in livestreaming. The company saw its dominance in the worldwide market for livestream hours watched drop from 67.1% in 2018 to 61% in 2019, according to data from gaming services StreamElements and Arsenal.gg.

YouTube saw its share grow from 27.5% in 2018 to 27.9% in 2019. Facebook Gaming, while much less popular, saw the most dramatic growth, leaping from 3.1% in 2018 to 8.5% in 2019.

Facebook jumped into the streaming market in January 2018 with the launch of Facebook Gaming, where creators can livestream their gameplay to users of the social network anywhere around the world.

Facebook Gaming's Vivek Sharma is leading the company's effort to attract more video game livestreamers.

Facebook

The company declined to say how many people use Facebook for the specific purpose of watching gaming livestreams but claims more than 700 million users who play a game on Facebook, interact in a Facebook gaming group or watch a gaming video each month.

Nonetheless, Facebook believes it has a big opportunity on its hands.

"It's easy to assume that because it's gaming and because Facebook is so big that perhaps this is a niche," Vivek Sharma, Facebook's gaming head of product, said in an interview last month. "But the 700 million people that engage every month that's a huge number even at Facebook's scale. And we know that number is growing rapidly."

Facebook is trying to use its global reach to get a leg up on Twitch, promoting Facebook Gaming in markets like Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil and Mexico. "We feel that gaming is a borderless activity," Sharma said.

That global reach has attracted creators like Amanda Oto, who goes by "Eithieen" in her streams.

Oto is a gamer in Spain who began streaming on Twitch in 2013. For Oto, streaming is a full-time gig, but after streaming on Twitch for so long, she felt she was hitting the limit of her potential audience. Oto decided in September to switch to Facebook Gaming in hopes of reaching more viewers.

Since making the switch, Oto said, she's reaching about 80 to 100 viewers per Facebook Gaming livestream, which is down from the 100 to 300 she averaged on Twitch.

However, she added, her follower count is now around 10,000, up from the 1,000 followers she had on Twitch.

"A platform change is always scary. You don't know what's going to happen," Oto said in Spanish. "But I didn't get this wrong. I made the right choice."

Amanda "Eithieen" Oto left Amazon's Twitch for Facebook Gaming in September.

Facebook

YouTube has also done its fair share of wheeling and dealing. Google's video platform has historically relied on video on demand as opposed to games livestreaming. In fact, YouTube launched YouTube Gaming in 2015 as an answer to Twitch, and merged it with the main site in May.

YouTube's focus on video on demand gives creators another avenue for their content to live online. YouTube managed to swipe Jack "CouRage" Dunlop and Lachlan Power from Twitch for exclusive livestreaming deals last fall.

Measured based onlive streams and on-demand videos, YouTube claims the most unique users in the U.S. with 47% of the market, according to research firm IDC. In second is Twitch with 25%, followed by Mixer's 15% and Facebook Gaming at 13%, according to IDC.

"The beauty of YouTube is the combination of different tool sets," YouTube Global head of gaming Ryan Wyatt told CNBC. "That makes us stand out."

WATCH: Here's how to see which apps have access to your Facebook data and cut them off

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YouTube signs three video stars to combat Amazon's Twitch and fast-growing Facebook in game streaming - CNBC

The draw for UEFA eEURO 2020 will be live streamed on the UEFA EURO 2020 Facebook page from 20:00 CET/19:00 GMT on Wednesday 15 January.

The 55 participating national teams will be divided into ten groups of either five or six teams for the next phase of the competition, which will be contested between March and May. The teams will play two games (one v one) against each of the other teams in their qualifying group, with the winner of each group and the best six runners-up qualifying for the 16-team final tournament, which will take place in London on 9 and 10 July.

The first edition of the UEFA eEURO is the largest ever efootball national-team competition. In November 2019, all 55 UEFA national associations started their search for their countrys top players. Many associations some taking their first step into the world of efootball organised online tournaments, nationwide tours and bootcamps, to enable players to be trained and assessed by experts.

The team crowned the winner of eEURO 2020 will receive tickets to the final of UEFA EURO 2020 as well as a cash prize.

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UEFA eEURO 2020 draw to be streamed live on Facebook - UEFA.com

Kindness can be found in the strangest of places. We often have people touch our lives in miraculous ways and they are lost to us and we feel a void that we can never thank them personally. Many communities have Facebook forum pages where residents can post things like new traffic patterns or find lost pets, but Facebook can help us find the strangers that reward us with kindness too.

According to seacoastonline Luann Sayer of Kingston was involved in a horrific accident just after New Years Day on her way to work in Exeter. A truck hit her vehicle and it overturned leaving her trapped and panic-stricken in the car. A young man named Alton stopped and talked to her until emergency services arrived. Sawyer says he just constantly talked to me. I was glad he did that. He could have just kept on going. Alton let her use his cellphone to call her boyfriend. When the Exeter firefighters arrive, Alton could see she was in good hands and went on his way.

Seacoastonline says Luann felt a deep need to thank Alton for staying with until emergency services arrived. She posted a picture of the accident scene of Facebook and thorough the wonders of the internet, someone recognized Alton Veroneau and she was able to reach out and thank him.Sure, there are trolls and some hate being posted on Facebook but there is also a side that allows communities to connect with each other in a deeper way. Im looking for more positive news in the new year and this story touched my heart.

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There is a lot of Negative on Facebook, but a lot of Positive too - wokq.com

If, like most people these days, you have a Facebook account, the company is collecting data about you.

In fact, even if youre one of the people who participated in the mass exit a while back, and you deleted your account, its still collecting data about you.

Sorry to tell you this, but it looks like leaving Facebook is harder than leaving a cult.

Unfortunately, theres no way to stop them from collecting this data. I have a theory that personal data is to (real human person and definitely not a robot) Mark Zuckerberg what blood is to a vampire.

You can, however, control how it uses it.

Per WIRED:

How hard you want to pull back depends to a certain extent on how much you trust Facebook. The social network behemoth says it uses your data to show relevant ads and keep you safe; if someone signs into your account from a country youre not usually in, for instance, Facebook can flag the activity as suspicious.

However, this is not a company with a good track record when it comes to looking after your data. Irrespective of how Facebook itself has used your information, its certainly been careless in the ways that information has been shared with third parties.

Youll want to watch the doccie about the Facebook / Cambridge Analytica scandal to really get a feel for how careless the social media platform has been.

If you want to control your data, here are three ways that Facebook tracks you and how to limit it:

On The Web

When you signed up for Facebook you gave it permission to access your personal information and that includes which groups or events you click on and the pages you follow.

How To Limit It

You cant really stop Facebook from collecting this information, but you can limit how it affects the advertising that you see. Visit the Ad Preferences page in your account. Open up Your Interests to get an idea of what Facebook thinks youre into. It might have assumed things that arent true.

Go to Ad Settings and make some changes to what is Allowed and Not Allowed by selecting those options. You can also hit up the Your Information Tab to find out exactly how and why Facebook is targeting you with specific content (relationship status, job title, etc).

Marketing Firms And Ad Networks

Facebook isnt only tracking you on Facebook, because it also partners with a wide range of marketing firms and ad networks. This means that activities on other sites, including but limited to PornHub (not a joke), are being recorded.

How To Limit It

When this info came to light, people were naturally quite upset about it, so Facebook introduced Off-Facebook Activity which will supposedly disconnect this data from what you actually do on Facebook.

Its a comprehensive solution, but still not widely available.

On Mobile Devices

Much of what weve said about how Facebook tracks you on the web applies to the mobile app as well, with a few additional ways to collect information. The app allows Facebook to track which mobile Wi-Fi networks youre connecting to, the type of phone that you have, and the other apps that youve installed.

How To Limit It

The easiest way to limit tracking is not to install the mobile app at all. If you insist on having the app, you can go to Apps and Notifications, and then block Facebook from accessing your phones location, contacts, microphone, and camera.

Unfortunately, even with location tracking turned off, the company can still make note of the location where you access the web via your IP address.

While its impossible to completely stop the company from tracking you, there are ways to ensure that youre using the platform with maximum privacy.

Considering the companys past, you might want to get on that.

[source:wired]

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Facebook Is Always Tracking You Here's What You Can Do About It - 2oceansvibe News

McDonalds Big Mac

Getty Images

Wall Street analysts say there's no shortage of high quality stocks with upside for investors as 2020 gets underway.

Many analysts named their top picks this week and CNBC looked at the most recent research to find the best picks. Stocks include Verizon, McDonald's, Estee Lauder, Facebook, Simon Property Group, and ViacomCBS.

McDonald's will be at the forefront of marketing and innovation this year, and that's just one reason that Evercore ISI said the company is its top pick in 2020.

The firm said in a note to clients it sees a stronger breakfast focus along with McDonald's first new advertising campaign in many years. In addition, the company is testing out what Evercore says is an "improved premium chicken sandwich."

The company also continues to be innovative on the technical front by launching a digital customer engagement team to better interact with customers.

"As a result, we believe McDonald's offers the most favorable risk/reward in our coverage into 2020," analyst David Palmer said.

Disney, Apple, and Netflix may be getting all the attention in the streaming wars, but there's another media company one analyst says not to overlook.

"With 2020 now upon us, we are making the newly-formed ViacomCBS our top pick," Imperial Capital analyst David Miller said.

While the company continues to produce content for Netflix and Amazon, the firm notes that ViacomCBS has the ability to retain programming for later use on its own platforms such as its over-the-top subscription streaming service like CBS All Access and Showtime.

The firm also praised the company's upcoming movie slate calling it "as good as we have ever seen it" with titles like "Mission Impossible 7" and "Top Gun Maverick" from Paramount.

"We believe investors long this stock will enjoy a number of unique catalysts throughout 2020," the analyst said.

As the election season heats up, Facebook is another top name to watch, according to Canaccord.

The company said this week it would let people see fewer political ads, but it has continued to face criticism after it said it wouldn't fact-check political advertising on the social media giant's website.

Still, Canaccord believes that political advertising spending may give the company a boost leading to earnings beats in 2020. In addition, the firm said it thinks Facebook's Stories, a live video feature, will also lead to more viewing of ads.

"Looking forward, we think Facebook likely has the biggest upside to estimates in 2020, given the ongoing transition to Stories monetization and likely conservative outlook," they said.

Here are other top picks by analysts this week:

"We favor VZ's current strategy and plan which aligns very closely with its core roots as a network and connectivity provider. The proverbial 'elevator pitch' of VZ is a simple one --- > it is all about the network! The company has kept this disciplined focus, even while its peers around it venture into new silos (such as media and content). While we acknowledge it is difficult to identify near-term tangible catalysts, we believe 2020 will be a year of important milestones for the company. In our view, VZ's ambitious fiber roll-out is laying the hardest and most necessary building blocks for a premium 5G network experience."

"In 2019, EL shares increased 59% easily outperforming a 29% gain in the S&P 500. As we look forward, we continue to see an attractive case for outperformance from here and reiterate EL as a top pick. We expect continued strength in China, travel retail, and skincare to continue driving above-peer top- and bottom-line delivery. On a relative basis, EL's valuation is now off a multi-year high, and we continue to believe a premium valuation is warranted."

"SPG continues to have the strongest balance sheet of any large-cap REIT, generating over $1B annually in retained free cash flow which it is using to redevelop select assets in the portfolio, to generate accretive returns, and to bolster long-term stability in the portfolio. The shares have underperformed as a result of the relentless negative narrative that argues that e-commerce growth will lead to wholesale mall failures. While tenant failures have been elevated, SPG's properties continue to operate at a strong level with stable occupancy rates and higher average rental rates over the last several quarters."

"McDonald's is our top pick entering 2020. ... As a result, we believe McDonald's offers the most favorable risk/reward in our coverage into 2020. Next year, we believe the US story will be more about 'blocking and tackling' and would not be surprised to see a combination of: 1) higher value and breakfast focus, 2) improved suggestive selling and personalized marketing with loyalty, 3) a new advertising campaign, 4) a new and improved premium chicken sandwich, 5) sharper price actions with the help of Deloitte, 6) an improved focus on drive-thru speed with the help of technology to better measure car throughput, and 7) higher delivery growth with Doordash and Grubhub onboarded."

"The election year should be a tailwind as the majority of digital political ad spend lands on Facebook's properties, although candidates vocalizing around privacy may impact sentiment. ... Meanwhile, candidates advocating increased regulation around privacy and anti-competitive behavior could prove to be a headwind to sentiment for a number of larger companies. ... Looking forward, we think Facebook likely has the biggest upside to estimates in 2020, given the ongoing transition to Stories monetization and likely conservative outlook."

"We believe investors long this stock will enjoy a number of unique catalysts throughout 2020. ... We believe investors have placed too much importance on subscribership to CBS All Access and Showtime OTT and have forgotten that the new VIAC will also produce a panoply of content for third parties, which we appreciate because it gives the combined company optionality in retaining the series for exploitation in later windows within its own platform. ... In addition, the upcoming F2020 Paramount movie slate is as good as we have ever seen it, with titles that include The Rhythm Section, A Quiet Place 2, another Spongebob movie and the big one, Top Gun Maverick, which could be a rare $1 billion grosser for VIAC's Studio line."

Read the rest here:

Wall Street analysts say invest in these top stocks in 2020 including McDonald's & Facebook - CNBC

Facebook Preventive Health targets users in broad strokes using only two data points: age and gender. If you opt in to the feature, Facebook will send you checkup-reminder notifications and suggest nearby sites for flu shots, cancer screenings, and blood-pressure tests, among others. In an October blog post, Abnousi said the feature will also suggest free clinics for the uninsured.

Read: Googles totally creepy, totally legal health-data harvesting

A spokesperson for Facebook denied that the Preventive Health tool is related to the Building 8 data-sharing proposal. Preventive Health, like many of the health initiatives led by Silicon Valley, doesnt fall under the purview of HIPAA, the 1996 federal law protecting private patient information. Many experts say HIPAA is outdated, because its narrow definition of data collection does not cover the way tech companies collect and process health information.

Physicians swear an oath to keep an individuals data confidential, Jesse Ehrenfeld, chair of the American Medical Association Board of Trustees, told me over email. Theres currently no such obligation for technology companies and data aggregators or the data brokers to whom they might sell information.

When reached for comment, Facebook referred me to two October blog posts explaining that the Preventive Health tools data are never shared or sold to third parties. (A notable exception, however, is if users like a specific health-care provider, drug, or hospital. Those data are added to the companys ad-targeting machinery.)

But for Facebook, the real value of the tool isnt in direct monetization. Its in becoming an integral part of yet another facet of users lives. Historically, this appears to be Facebooks operating strategy: Move into a largely unregulated space, leverage the platforms unmatched ubiquity to create a highly convenient product within that space, and then turn convenience into dependence into more time spent on the platform. Facebook hastened its ascent by monetizing social data and turning likes into massive ad revenue. Then it launched new products like Messenger, and grew its empire by acquiring Instagram and WhatsApp, both of which generated ever more data. What started as a spin on an online yearbook became new products, which attracted new users, and on and on it went. As Facebook moves into health care, its future success will probably look like its past success.

The Preventive Health tool is launching at a time when not nearly enough people have consistent access to preventive care. Many people usually wait until theyre sick before seeing a professional. As recently as 2015, only 8 percent of adults received the recommended high priority health screenings, according to a study from the Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Most people get some essential screenings, but very few receive all of them. The poorest Americans, especially those living in rural communities, have the least access.

See the article here:

The Sneaky Genius of Facebook's New Preventive Health Tool - The Atlantic

Motor vehicle agencies in Maryland and Virginia experienced major technical issues Monday linked to what was called a nationwide system outage.

Motor vehicle agencies in Maryland and Virginia experienced major technical issues Monday linked to what was called a nationwide system outage.

The technical glitches prevented agencies in Maryland and Virginia from providing a host of services, including issuing drivers licenses and vehicle titles, for several hours Monday.

The issues stemmed from the outage of a third-party system, operated by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, which connects motor vehicles agencies across the U.S. to each other and to various verification services.

In a statement, the Arlington-based group said between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday, the network experienced an outage, which prevented most states from issuing or renewing drivers licenses and vehicle titles during that time.

As of 2 p.m., the network appears to be operational and stable, a spokeswoman for the group said in an email to WTOP.

Claire Jeffrey, the spokeswoman, said the group continues to monitor the network and will conduct a full analysis to determine the root cause of the outage.

In Virginia, the Department of Motor Vehicles tweeted shortly after 1:30 p.m. that its systems were up and running again, after being down for several hours, but that due to the large volume of transactions in the queue, offices across Virginia are still experiencing slow processing times.

Marylands Motor Vehicle Administration, which also experienced issues, tweeted shortly after 2 p.m. that its services were back online. The agency had tweeted earlier in the day that services had been restored before having to alert customers that systems went down again.

D.C.s Department of Motor Vehicles never alerted customers to any issues, but the agency was also affected by the nationwide glitch.

During the height of the outages, accounts on social media and local news outlets across the U.S. reported DMV outages in New York, Tennessee and Rhode Island, among others.

During the same time as the outage affecting drivers licenses, the D.C. DMV alerted customers that a system used to schedule road test was also down, but an agency spokesman said it was not related.

WTOPs Megan Cloherty contributed to this report.

Like WTOP on Facebook and follow @WTOP on Twitter to engage in conversation about this article and others.

2020 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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DMVs in DC area hit by service outages linked to nationwide glitch - WTOP

Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg waits by his tour bus ahead of adressing his supporters at Central Machine Works in Austin, Texas on January 11, 2020.

Mark Felix | AFP | Getty Images

Mike Bloomberg spent more than $825,000 on Facebook ads on Saturday, well more than any other 2020 presidential candidate spent in a single day on the social media platform, according to data from Facebook.

The Bloomberg total also dwarfs what several top-tier candidates have spent on Facebook ads over the course of several days.

Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg spent about $652,000 on Facebook ads in 30 days. In the same time frame, former Vice President Joe Biden spent a little more than $385,000 on Facebook ads.

Bloomberg, whose net worth is estimated to be around $55 billion, in the last 30 days has become the top spender on Facebook ads, beating out fellow billionaire and candidate Tom Steyer, who at one point was the top Democratic Facebook ads spender.

Bloomberg is in fifth place among Democratic contenders, behind Biden, Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, and Buttigieg, according to a national polling average compiled by RealClearPolitics. Steyer is in the ninth spot.

President Donald Trump, who is reportedly concerned about how much Bloomberg is spending on the campaign, spent a little over $90,000 on Facebook ads on Saturday, a little more than 10% of Bloomberg's amount on the same day.

The White House declined to comment. The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The president commented on Bloomberg's spending in Monday morning tweets, calling the former New York City mayor "Mini Mike Bloomberg."

Bloomberg responded on Twitter to Trump's tweets.

Trump leads the 2020 Facebook ad spend, with an outlay of $20.3 million since January 2019. Steyer follows with $18.3 million. Bloomberg, the last major candidate to enter the presidential race, quickly rose up to third place with $8.53 million.

The timing of Bloomberg's large spend corresponds with a nationwide kickoff on Saturday with more than 150 events held by his campaign in more than two dozen states. The campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNBC asking if the timing of the large ad buy was deliberately coordinated with the kickoff.

Bloomberg emerged as a financial powerhouse for his campaign just a week after declaring a run for president, spending more than $160 million on TV ads alone since the announcement of his 2020 bid.

Support for Bloomberg has been rising in national polls. He has 5.8% of support, according to the latest average from RealClearPolitics.

Democratic heavyweights Sanders and Warren have targeted Bloomberg, saying the billionaire has the means to buy his way into the election. The two senators, who've based their campaigns on decreasing income inequality, have been touting small-dollar donations as the chief way to support their 2020 bids.

The former New York City mayor has not qualified for the first Democratic debate of the year, which will take place on Tuesday, but will appear on CBS' "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" immediately after the event.

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Mike Bloomberg spent $826,000 on Facebook ads on Saturday, the biggest single-day total of any 2020 candidate - CNBC

Social media has been helping people all over the world raise funds and support for victims of the Australian bushfires.

Platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have been used to raise awareness of the bushfires and inform people of ways they can help.

Facebook has also been used as a way to donate funds to organisations working for bushfire relief, with the donations tool only launching in Australia last year.

Antonia Sanda, Head of Communications at Facebook Australia told Business Insider Australia in an email that more than $73 million ($US50 million) has been raised for fire relief through its platform, with donations and support coming in from more than 75 countries.

More than 19,000 fundraisers have been created on Facebook since November, supporting more than 250 non-profit organisations with relief and recovery efforts.

Comedian Celeste Barbers Facebook fundraiser for the Trustee for NSW Rural Fire Service & Brigades Donations Fund has raised over $50 million setting the record for the largest fundraiser on Facebook in the world.

People have also been raising funds for bushfire relief through GoFundMe pages, including celebrities Ellen DeGeneres and Aussie actor Dacre Montgomery.

Nicola Britton Regional Manager of GoFundMe Australia told Business Insider Australia in an email that since the bushfire season took force in November, more than 6,000 GoFundMe pages have been created. These have raised more than $23 million to support communities, wildlife and charities.

Since New Years Eve alone, 300,000 donations have raised $17 million towards bushfire relief efforts, Britton said.

The world is taking action. Donations have come from all corners of the globe, over 170 countries and every continent, including Antarctica, donating little and large on GoFundMe to make a big difference. Half of donations made to bushfire funds are $20 or less, collectively raising millions.

Four bushfire fundraisers are among the top ten biggest GoFundMe Australia pages of all time. These include pages for the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, Kangaroo Island Koalas and wildlife fund, Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities and the fund for volunteer firefighters Geoffrey Keaton and Andrew ODwyer who lost their lives while on duty.

Britton highlighted how social media has made donating much faster and more efficient.

Both social media and technology are changing the way people give, making donating quicker and more efficient, Britton said. Those turning to GoFundMe are able to leverage the power of both their close-knit communities, and broader networks through social media, to tap into the selfless generosity of strangers who are chipping in to back those in need.

Our ongoing research shows time and time again that social proofing is an incredibly important trust factor when it comes to donating. So crowdfunding pages often spread initially through primary networks, who in turn share it with their own, enabling fundraisers to tap into networks of donors that would have remained difficult to reach in a world without technology.

Britton added that GoFundMe works with Trust and Safety experts to make sure the funds raised on the site go to the right people.

They engage with campaign organisers, as well as the final beneficiaries and charitable organisations, working closely with all stakeholders to verify all parties and ensure funds reach the right place, she said.

In cases where a campaign organiser is raising money on behalf of someone else, GoFundMe works to ensure the money goes directly into the beneficiarys bank account.

Social media, however, isnt always the best way to go about getting donations.

Dr Bronwen Dalton is the Head of the Department of Management and director of the Masters of Not-For-Profit and Community Program at the University of Technology Sydney. She told Business Insider Australia that while social media is a really important part of fundraising and campaigning for charities, physically it often raises the least amount.

The most effective way of fundraising is having a child in a uniform knock on your door, she said, giving the example of a scout for The Salvation Army. The conversion rate on that is like 80% because you wont get rid of them and also theyre a kid, so you pay them.

Dalton explained that the conversion rate is the number of times asked to the decision to donate.

She further explained the differences between the types of giving. With face to face giving, you are observed and judged, whereas with online giving, it can be anonymous. While people might share a lot and click, they donate only a minuscule proportion.

When it comes to the charities, Dalton said online fundraisers are cheap for them but many donations pages hardly raise funds.

Going online is cheap but the amount of those funds pages that dont have anything is really high, she said.

In order for these fundraisers to stand out, Dalton noted that it has to be an amazing campaign where you usually have to pay influencers or have a big brand name. And if you go viral, even better.

What contributed to Celeste Barbers fundraiser becoming so big, according to Dalton, is the cause and how people feel very passionate about it.

But Dalton said the bushfire fundraisers are an exception when it comes to giving through social media.

What Celeste Barber and so forth have done is fairly creative and theyve hit at a unique and desperate and unified point among Australians that are much more motivated, Dalton said. So this is more of the exception than the rule with social media but it has been effective.

While there has been a lot of money committed to these online campaigns, Dalton questioned how much people follow through with their donation payments.

I dont know if the moneys pledged or paid. Id like to see the money paid because theres a big drop off between pledging and paying, because theres no price to pay. Theres no social shame. No one knows.

Dalton explained there while there are myriad ways of raising money, the worst form of fundraising is via mail.

But she said face to face fundraising improves chances slightly. Thats why charities hire those chuggers, Dalton said, highlighting those people you try and avoid who stand on the street asking you for money for a charity. Dalton explained that it means charity mugger and warned against using them.

They are for-profit companies that hire backpackers, that try and get money out of you and get your credit card. They take $40 out a month [and] after two years, one of those dollars will go to the charity. The for-profits take all of the money for years. Its terrible.

Always give directly to a charity, never to these intermediaries.

Read more: Celeste Barbers bushfire fundraiser on Facebook is officially the largest in the platforms history, raising over $40 million

Read more: From Instagram comedian to a $45 million bushfire fundraiser: Heres what you need to know about Celeste Barber

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More than $73 million has been raised through Facebook for bushfire relief in Australia, as social media and new online platforms pave the way for...