Somewhat interesting breakdown of poll results within:
[news.yahoo.com]

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MR/F Guestmap: [www.mapservices.org]

Myspace is cool!

I don't know...when Myspace was hot almost none of my friends used it...FB is a totally different ballgame.

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Lux Interior

heh. first thing I thought of.

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Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity

Lots of teens are hooked on lots of levels.

Probably here to stay, but might not ever hit 1 billion active monthly users.

i think it is a fad. i tend to think there will be a privacy backlash leading to the end of social networks.

where is the like button for this thread?

At some point they'll have to start archiving or purging data.

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Nothing to see here, move along.

Facebook is shooting themselves in the foot. It gained popularity because it was a simple way to share content with friends and with media.

Then businesses jumped on board, and it was ok for a while. But facebook saw the business opportunity to monetize all those eyeballs. Now it's at the point where you can't use it as a social network anymore, it's just another media outlet. Businesses can push coupons onto your wall. You see activity of your friends "liking" businesses and redeeming coupons, etc. And the "social" aspect of it is becoming de-emphasized to the point of irrelevance.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying facebook owes anyone anything or needs to remain a true social network. I am also not saying that businesses should stay off facebook or not explore the opportunities it presents to them. In fact in this case I am 100% pro-marketing, pro-advertising, I just see the long term consequences of facebook, and businesses, heading down this path. Fewer people will start to use facebook in favor of other networks that allow them to share socially without as much marketing jammed in.

Facebook has already jumped the shark, the acquisition of instagram and the ipo confirm it.

I wouldn't put a penny in the IPO.

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!#$@@$#!

"Do not fear mistakes. There are none."

Miles Davis

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Fritz
I wouldn't put a penny in the IPO.

Long term, I wouldn't either. I'm sure that if you can get in early enough there's some money to be made in a 5-7 day timeframe.

I heard an interesting blurb on NPR about facebook. They spoke about the necessity of monetizing the data they collect on their users. There was something about a privacy change in the last few days that will allow facebook to tailor the advertising at all other websites a member visits. Also, they compared facebook to yahoo. Yahoo, like facebook, was originally valued 100 Billion at IPO. Also, like facebook, the primary revenue stream is advertising; they actually have higher advertising revenue than facebook IIRC. Yahoo has not met those initial IPO expectations and has not been able to break out of the advertising business, falling back to earth since the initial IPO hype.

it's fairly obvious (or should be) that continued growth along the same lines is unrealistic and not sustainable. however, if they really do cultivate a way to stay relevant, even with half the number of users, they will remain a force to be reckoned with.

Next, we'll see a poll that half of Facebook users think America is a passing fad.

the poll methodology must have been significantly biased

xanga forever!

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[www.giyf.com]

It IS a passing fad...
It's only the time-scale of the fad under debate. Is it good for another 5 years? (almost definitely). Ten years? Twenty? Fifty? (almost certainly NOT).

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Paul F.
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A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
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Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
--
Eureka, CA

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Paul F.
It IS a passing fad...
It's only the time-scale of the fad under debate. Is it good for another 5 years? (almost definitely). Ten years? Twenty? Fifty? (almost certainly NOT).

Pretty much sums it up.

Until something else comes along that allows ppl to stay in touch on a daily basis conveniently and cheaply (read: free) with relatives and friends, FB is here to stay for a good while yet. Now if they do something that most find terribly egregious, then all bets are off. Again, something will fill that void. FB could disappear in name only.

it ain't the google thingy.
More Milli Vanilli Ice

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!#$@@$#!

"Do not fear mistakes. There are none."

Miles Davis

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michaelb
i think it is a fad. i tend to think there will be a privacy backlash leading to the end of social networks.

People will stop considering it a fad when all of us oldsters start dying off...

people thought TV was a fad... cars... I'm sure there are many more if I pondered a bit...

Right now, a sizable portion of the world's population are using it and will stop only when something better comes along and it's pretty hard to imagine right now...

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Jem

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michaelb
i think it is a fad. i tend to think there will be a privacy backlash leading to the end of social networks.

Unfortunately, the current generation sees absolutely nothing wrong with putting their information out there, all the time, without filters. [www.urbandictionary.com]

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Freya says, 'Hello from NOLA, baby!' (Laissez bon temps rouler!)

This iPod thing is a passing fad.

Yahoo raised less than $40 million bux at its IPO. Facebook is going to be valued more than either Ford or Kraft.

And, as my wife put it, 'they make nothing.'

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sekker
Yahoo raised less than $40 million bux at its IPO. Facebook is going to be valued more than either Ford or Kraft.

And, as my wife put it, 'they make nothing.'

As I said about Yahoo, they are just an electronic billboard.

Breaker! Breaker!

Anyone out there on CB Radio?

Bueller?