Zuck shows Virtual Empathy by visiting storm-wrecked Puerto Rico in VR

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has visited Puerto Rico in virtual reality. The timing of his virtual visit isn't entirely altruistic: Facebook's VR conference, Oculus Connect 4, kicks off on Wednesday US time. Zuck's video includes him saying he will “announce some stuff I am not going to announce now” at the conference. To …

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe Zuk & Co can make a virtual donation

Ship Oculus-VR-gear to Puerto-Rico containing images of Zuk's Hawaiian paradise in glorious 360. Just to help with burying the tragedy there in PR:

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https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jan/23/mark-zuckerberg-hawaii-land-lawsuits-kauai-estate

[Mark 85]

Re: Maybe Zuk & Co can make a virtual donation

Maybe a better idea... ship Zuck there. No luggage, no cell phone, no computer. Just him and whatever he's dressed in at the moment. I suggest an air drop into one of the former villages no where near the coast or any formerly large city.

[Captain DaFt]

Re: Maybe Zuk & Co can make a virtual donation

Maybe a better idea... ship Zuck there. No luggage, no cell phone, no computer. Just him and whatever he's dressed in at the moment. I suggest an air drop into one of the former villages no where near the coast or any formerly large city.

Gah! What for? You don't think those poor people are suffering enough?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Maybe Zuk & Co can make a virtual donation

Can someone take the douchebag's parachute before he exits the door at 20,000 feet, please?

[Lars]

Re: Maybe Zuk & Co can make a virtual donation

What Zuk should provide is a huge amount of brick and mortar.

Here up in the North houses like theirs would collapse after a week of snow, not their problem, but still sad to see how unprepared they are for something that most likely will become the new normal.

PS. If I sound like a pesky northerner, it's not my intention.

[Nolveys]

"Ewww, gross, like there's a dead body over here. It's totally gross!"

"Just use the editing tool. There, now it's Grumpy Cat!"

"Awwwwh, he's so cute when he's grumpy!"

[Anonymous Coward]

Walled garden

Walled life

Asshats.

[tfewster]

Fuckerbergs avatar smiles as he exploits human tragedy for his own profit. No change there then.

[AMBxx]

Ultimate Virtue Signalling

Won't be long until you see virtue signalling articles in press/blogs on how someone was touched by the suffering etc etc etc.

[Eddy Ito]

Re: Ultimate Virtue Signalling

But it's virtual empathy so it's more a virtual virtue signalling. Of course we all know 'virtual' is just a marketing term meaning 'not'.

That Zuckerberg, he sure comes off as virtually caring.

[Anonymous Coward]

Achievement Unlocked: Tw*t level 10

Congratulations Mr F*ckerburg

[Elmer Phud]

but . . .

Even if VR - Zuck has still spent more time there than the Donald.

but then, to the Donald, anywhere not US is virtually non-existent to him anyway.

[allthecoolshortnamesweretaken]

Re: but . . .

So, what do you think - will Zuckerberg eventually run for president?

[Anonymous Coward]

get a sense of some damage here

how about virtual baseball bat swinging at the unsuspected VRealistos? Courtesy of our carefully selected sponsor?

[SniperPenguin]

Im not Zuckerberg fan, but:

Quoting the article:

"Facebook has also made other contributions to the crisis. Zuckerberg said the company has donated US$1.5m to the relief effort, activated the Safety Check feature that lets people inform their loved ones they're safe and sent people to the island to help restore internet services so that citizens and emergency responders alike can enjoy internet access."

Now safety check rubbish aside - If they have done the above, I wouldn't give two shits about him deciding to VR-about in the disaster zone.... Unless all the commenters above, of course, have performed similar actions - In which case go ahead and claim the moral high ground.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Im not Zuckerberg fan, but:

I initially tried to be positive about this story seeing they had donated but then you need to do some maths. Facebook makes about $1.4m profit (not revenue) an hour....

They've donated an hour of their profits and by the way donations are tax deductible so basically it's cost them nothing but they've still tried to leverage the disaster for all it's worth.

[Stoneshop]

Re: Im not Zuckerberg fan, but:

I initially tried to be positive about this story seeing they had donated but then you need to do some maths. Facebook makes about $1.4m profit (not revenue) an hour....

A week's worth would go a long way helping Puerto Rico, and FB's bottom line wouldn't even ripple.

[steviebuk]

Re: Im not Zuckerberg fan, but:

I was going to say the same. I don't mind it being tax deductible, if it helps convince rich people to donate. But what a tight fuck. You've just exploited the disaster to sell your shit then only offered to donate what is essentially to you 50cents.

Dick.

[glensmith10]

Reminds me of a film...

Timescape, with Jeff Daniels had tourists from the future arriving at his hotel to view a disaster about to happen. Imagine a future where 3d panoramic video cameras where set up in the line of fire of disasters like hurricanes, wildfires, warzones etc people could don their headsets to be immersed in the worst experiences in the world.

[ukgnome]

Well isn't zuck an awesome dude

[handleoclast]

Awesome avatar

It captures Zuck perfectly.

Zuck is a complete twunt and has a pringles-punch face (once you pop, you can't stop).

The avatar resembles him so closely you could create a game populated by zuckatars where you get points for punching them repeatedly. It would be very popular.

[MJI]

Re: Awesome avatar

Punchable

Well ask them to add it to Destiny for the Titans to punch.

Nothing is as much fun as performing whole missings only punching.

[Tikimon]

Re: Awesome avatar

"The avatar resembles him so closely you could create a game populated by zuckatars where you get points for punching them repeatedly. It would be very popular."

WELL? SOMEONE? PRETTY PLEASE??? I'll help fund the kickstarter campaign...

[Anonymous Coward]

What a fucking prick.

^ this.

[Triumphantape]

Still not getting it

Zuckerberg's apology: "Reading some of the comments, I realize this wasn't clear" still comes across as "I didn't do anything wrong, you just didn't understand".

Virtual empathy is an accurate descriptor.