Facebook has just formally announced its plans to leverage its hugely successful site as an advertising platform with Facebook Ads. While it’s no doubt a smart business move by the company, one can’t help but get the feeling that Facebook is completely and utterly selling out.

The reason I started using Facebook over MySpace was that Facebook was:
a) not designed by someone who looked like they simply spilled coffee over their keyboard and as they blotted it up pumped out MySpace and
b) wasn’t an overflowing cesspool of fake profiles and thinly-veiled advertisements.

Point ‘a’ remains intact (though it has been threatened by an over abundance of apps on people’s pages), point ‘b’ has just seemingly been neutralized by the Facebook Ads announcement.

What I really don’t understand is what is with all the pomp and circumstance for such an announcement? I would think Facebook would want to roll out something like this quietly so as not to piss off users; instead they seem to be touting the fact that you can now befriend advertisers on Facebook! This move just reeks of a Microsoft-esque bad PR move – are they having that much of an influence already?

Here’s the official release for ‘Project Beacon’ as well, which seems to be exactly what I talked about a few days ago. God I can’t wait to see what Ben rents at Gamefly and what Susie buys from Bluefly.com everyday in my feed! Facebook, you’ve answered my prayers! You figured out exactly what my life was missing, more product placement! They’re launching with 12 of these brand partners including the likes of Coca-Cola and Blockbuster – I feel like Walmart has just moved into my town and killed my mom-and-pop store.

Check out TechCrunch’s live-blogging transcript for more of a rundown of everything that took place at the announcement including what seems to be Mark Zuckerberg taking on more and more of a Steve Jobs persona as ringleader of the circus.

The bottom line: Will I stop using Facebook because of Facebook Ads? No. Do I wish they would have shown a bit more tact in executing such a plan and announcement? Yes.

Look, I realize all businesses are out to make money and Facebook has a unique opportunity here to make A LOT of money from a service like this – it’s a smart move. I just wish they wouldn’t try to play it off as this being a great thing for both the companies involved and the users. Who’s it really a great thing for? Facebook.

I’m off to go befriend Dove Cream Oils®.