6 ms·

FB's tentacles are so deeply embedded in everything that I'm not sure a classic tech death from a disruptor is possible. Only a long and slow decline over a per

FB's tentacles are so deeply embedded in everything that I'm not sure a classic tech death from a disruptor is possible. Only a long and slow decline over a period of 5, maybe even 10 years.

dabockster 9y ago
> I'm not sure a classic tech death from a disruptor is possible Well, FB's brand itself is super toxic these days, so you could probably build something on the whole "we're not FB" premise
- htrp 9y ago
  diaspora tried that.... it has next to 0 adoption
  - indigochill 9y ago
    The investment to get going with Diaspora is too high. Facebook is simple. You sign up, your friends sign up, and then you connect (possibly automatically since Facebook can often determine you know each other). My (possibly incorrect) recollection is that Diaspora requires figuring it out for yourself (I recall them spending too much time on selling how great it is up front when they should just shut up and get you settled first). Then you have to sell it to your friends.
  - ams6110 9y ago
    Start with the name. It sounds like an intestinal disease.
- jamesjyu 9y ago
  (disclosure: I worked at FB for 3 years) I don't agree that it's "super toxic." Any company that gets this big and is also a utility will get its fair share of complaints, and this fair share will seem huge because the base is huge. Think about Comcast, for example. For the most part, people will still use it b/c it's embedded in so many parts of our lives. It has a monopoly on the social graph. Heck, growth has been exceedingly strong even though its been around for over a decade. Just building another company and saying "we're not FB" is not enough. For most people, FB is good enough, just like a utility. It will be exceedingly difficult for a company to just come in this one angle and win. In order to win, they need to play to a strength that isn't dependent on the existing social graph, because you are not going to win taking FB head on. It has to be guerilla warfare.
mrec 9y ago
If Zuck does end up making a Presidential run, I think that'd have a very good chance of triggering a sizeable decline in its US userbase.
- ams6110 9y ago
  I'd be stunned if he did. The man has the personality of a lizard. No way is he an appealing candidate for the general public.
  - jstarfish 9y ago
    Many said the same about Trump.
  - mrec 9y ago
    > “I’m visiting small towns in Iowa” is a normal sentence, said by many a billionaire who wants nothing. https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/wp/2017/08/03/i-am-not-running-for-president-i-just-want-to-meet-every-cow-and-iowan/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/wp/2017/08/03/i...
  - jessaustin 9y ago
    Take a closer look the next time a State of the Union speech is broadcast. They're all reptiles.
- majewsky 9y ago
  Honest question: Would Zuck be running for the GOP or the Dems? Well, I suppose that, in 2020, only the Dem ticket is up for grabs since Trump will be running for a second term, but if Zuck got to choose, would he go with the Republicans instead?
majewsky 9y ago
I remember when they said the same thing about Microsoft.

FB's tentacles are so deeply embedded in everything that I'm not sure a classic tech death from a disruptor is possible. Only a long and slow decline over a period of 5, maybe even 10 years.

dabockster 9y ago

> I'm not sure a classic tech death from a disruptor is possible Well, FB's brand itself is super toxic these days, so you could probably build something on the whole "we're not FB" premise

htrp 9y ago
diaspora tried that.... it has next to 0 adoption
- indigochill 9y ago
  The investment to get going with Diaspora is too high. Facebook is simple. You sign up, your friends sign up, and then you connect (possibly automatically since Facebook can often determine you know each other). My (possibly incorrect) recollection is that Diaspora requires figuring it out for yourself (I recall them spending too much time on selling how great it is up front when they should just shut up and get you settled first). Then you have to sell it to your friends.
- ams6110 9y ago
  Start with the name. It sounds like an intestinal disease.
jamesjyu 9y ago
(disclosure: I worked at FB for 3 years) I don't agree that it's "super toxic." Any company that gets this big and is also a utility will get its fair share of complaints, and this fair share will seem huge because the base is huge. Think about Comcast, for example. For the most part, people will still use it b/c it's embedded in so many parts of our lives. It has a monopoly on the social graph. Heck, growth has been exceedingly strong even though its been around for over a decade. Just building another company and saying "we're not FB" is not enough. For most people, FB is good enough, just like a utility. It will be exceedingly difficult for a company to just come in this one angle and win. In order to win, they need to play to a strength that isn't dependent on the existing social graph, because you are not going to win taking FB head on. It has to be guerilla warfare.

mrec 9y ago

If Zuck does end up making a Presidential run, I think that'd have a very good chance of triggering a sizeable decline in its US userbase.

ams6110 9y ago
I'd be stunned if he did. The man has the personality of a lizard. No way is he an appealing candidate for the general public.
- jstarfish 9y ago
  Many said the same about Trump.
- mrec 9y ago
  > “I’m visiting small towns in Iowa” is a normal sentence, said by many a billionaire who wants nothing. https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/wp/2017/08/03/i-am-not-running-for-president-i-just-want-to-meet-every-cow-and-iowan/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/wp/2017/08/03/i...
- jessaustin 9y ago
  Take a closer look the next time a State of the Union speech is broadcast. They're all reptiles.
majewsky 9y ago
Honest question: Would Zuck be running for the GOP or the Dems? Well, I suppose that, in 2020, only the Dem ticket is up for grabs since Trump will be running for a second term, but if Zuck got to choose, would he go with the Republicans instead?

majewsky 9y ago

I remember when they said the same thing about Microsoft.