4 ms·
The idea is that everyone is on it, that's what makes it a viable platform. An all encompassing social network requires an all encompassing social network. You
by Klover 9y ago
The idea is that everyone is on it, that's what makes it a viable platform. An all encompassing social network requires an all encompassing social network.
Your idea would be similar to healthy meals that take 4 minutes to prepare to combat fast food chains: a big reason why McDonald's is as large as it is, is because of the speed of it.
And of course to the last point: anything would be insanely profitable if a billion people pay a dollar per month for it.
- galdosdi 9y agoBig friggin whoop. Systems that already meet the "everyone is on it" requirement better than Facebook include: Plain old phone calls SMS Email
- Klover 9y agoI don't know what you are trying to say. They're not social media in the Facebook sense; they're communication methods. But you are correct in that everyone is on it.
- galdosdi 9y agoName a use case I can accomplish with FB I cannot accomplish otherwise then.
- detritus 9y agoCritical mass? . I haven't had an FB account in over 8 years, but I rue to this day the fact that 'most' people 'mostly' rely upon it for their communication. Doesn't matter what i believe or what I use, it matters what everyone else 'mostly' uses.
- galdosdi 9y agoI don't understand. I asked for a use case. You gave me a glittering generality. What concrete task that i might desire to achieve in life can be done with Facebook but not the other tools? Pretty much everyone who has a facebook has a phone, so I can communicate just fine with Facebook users
- detritus 9y agoNone, but evidently the point I was trying to make was a bit too elusive — it is the userbase and concentration of information it forms that is itself the use case or desirable feature. FB's walled garden IS the tool. I don't myself agree with it - I'm in your camp, thinking there're far better existant tools out there. I just know from my own experience I'm 'missing out' on stuff shared or put in there by people locked into a domain I do not myself have access to.
- briandear 9y agoThe problem with email, calls and SMS is one of discovery. How do you find your high school friend's email or phone number? People like(d) FB because it was trivial to look up and stalk old friends. The "what are they doing now" effect is powerful as it the "look at me now" effect.
- orbifold 9y agoSimple, you don't. Most people are perfectly fine leaving the past behind. If I'm no longer in touch with someone there is typically a good reason for it.
- galdosdi 9y agoExactly! I think when FB came out, the newness of being able to reconnect with a high school acquaintance you were never that close to to begin with, with such low effort, got people excited. A few years later the novelty has worn off and we are realizing it's not that valuable anyway. Like, if you really wanted to, you could reconnect through mutual acquaintances. I mean you went to the same high school, right? All FB does is make it so low effort that you can therefore "reconnect" (does mutual Facebook wall stalking really count as human connection though?) with people yoy previously could have found if you really wanted to, but were not worth the effort