3 ms·

It is an attempt to provide perspective. Silver has many industrial and high-tech uses; Facebook is basically MySpace 2.0.

tptacek 16y ago
The value of silver fluctuates. If you cornered the world's silver market, it would get a lot pricier. But right now, anyone who charged you for silver at some hypothetical Facebook-parity valuation would get their lunch eaten by everyone else who will sell you silver at its market price. Facebook, on the other hand, is not substitutable. There exists no comparable social network (with a comparable number of active users) from which you can buy targeted ads, or game users, or whatever other product Facebook launches down the road.
- patrickgzill 16y ago
  The value of Facebook, Google, MSFT, GE, etc. also fluctuates (see stock charts) as well. Thus I am not exactly sure what your point is; I admitted I was offering only an alternate POV. "Facebook is not substitutable" - I am sure that 5 years ago some were saying the same about MySpace. In fact, they were! 60 seconds of searching found me: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20061005/104155.shtml http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20061005/104155.shtml (MySpace should have been valued at $20 Billion according to Brad Greenspan) http://www.itstheroi.com/search-engine-marketing/google-%E2%80%93-myspace-deal-a-huge-setback-for-community-sites/ http://www.itstheroi.com/search-engine-marketing/google-%E2%... (Google/MySpace deal to add $15 Billion to valuation of parent company News Corp.; deal is a huge setback to other sites) http://mashable.com/2006/09/27/myspace-worth-20-billion/ http://mashable.com/2006/09/27/myspace-worth-20-billion/ (RBC analyst evaluates MySpace) http://mashable.com/2006/07/11/myspace-americas-number-one/ http://mashable.com/2006/07/11/myspace-americas-number-one/ (MySpace has 80% of social network traffic, Facebook < 8% )
  - tptacek 16y ago
    Perhaps 5 years ago, MySpace was similarly difficult to substitute (I don't know). What I think I do know is that it would be riotously hard to bring a substitute for Facebook to the market. At its peak, MySpace had 1/6th the users Facebook had.
    - patrickgzill 16y ago
      You are no doubt aware of the rapid change in CPU, RAM, network, pricing. Surely this works to the advantage of potential FB competitors, as much as it benefits FB as they grow.
      - tptacek 16y ago
        "If only RAM would get cheaper, I could build Facebook!" :)

tptacek 16y ago

The value of silver fluctuates. If you cornered the world's silver market, it would get a lot pricier. But right now, anyone who charged you for silver at some hypothetical Facebook-parity valuation would get their lunch eaten by everyone else who will sell you silver at its market price. Facebook, on the other hand, is not substitutable. There exists no comparable social network (with a comparable number of active users) from which you can buy targeted ads, or game users, or whatever other product Facebook launches down the road.

patrickgzill 16y ago
The value of Facebook, Google, MSFT, GE, etc. also fluctuates (see stock charts) as well. Thus I am not exactly sure what your point is; I admitted I was offering only an alternate POV. "Facebook is not substitutable" - I am sure that 5 years ago some were saying the same about MySpace. In fact, they were! 60 seconds of searching found me: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20061005/104155.shtml http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20061005/104155.shtml (MySpace should have been valued at $20 Billion according to Brad Greenspan) http://www.itstheroi.com/search-engine-marketing/google-%E2%80%93-myspace-deal-a-huge-setback-for-community-sites/ http://www.itstheroi.com/search-engine-marketing/google-%E2%... (Google/MySpace deal to add $15 Billion to valuation of parent company News Corp.; deal is a huge setback to other sites) http://mashable.com/2006/09/27/myspace-worth-20-billion/ http://mashable.com/2006/09/27/myspace-worth-20-billion/ (RBC analyst evaluates MySpace) http://mashable.com/2006/07/11/myspace-americas-number-one/ http://mashable.com/2006/07/11/myspace-americas-number-one/ (MySpace has 80% of social network traffic, Facebook < 8% )
- tptacek 16y ago
  Perhaps 5 years ago, MySpace was similarly difficult to substitute (I don't know). What I think I do know is that it would be riotously hard to bring a substitute for Facebook to the market. At its peak, MySpace had 1/6th the users Facebook had.
  - patrickgzill 16y ago
    You are no doubt aware of the rapid change in CPU, RAM, network, pricing. Surely this works to the advantage of potential FB competitors, as much as it benefits FB as they grow.
    - tptacek 16y ago
      "If only RAM would get cheaper, I could build Facebook!" :)