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This man is seriously banking on Unreal Second Life to turn around the Exxon Valdez. I can’t tell if he’s lost the plot or this is just another layer to hide F

This man is seriously banking on Unreal Second Life to turn around the Exxon Valdez. I can’t tell if he’s lost the plot or this is just another layer to hide Facebooks dependence on user data. Considering the loss Meta took after the iOS privacy update, he realizes user data is no longer viable so he’s just cutting as much possible to keep things afloat.

gsatic 4y ago
Look at Google's results. They are just leaves in the wind. They dont make the wind anymore.
holografix 4y ago
No he realises he needs to control the distribution medium. Apple and Google can’t be allowed to dictate what Facebook does in their platforms. MZ needs to create an attractive platform of his own. For a brief moment he had one, Facebook was a platform, they managed to even get a killer app: FarmVille. Then the iPhone came around and ate their lunch. No one cared about developing for Facebook anymore, only iOS and Android. He will bet the company on a VR device that rivals the smartphone category. He has to.
- wly_cdgr 4y ago
  ^^^ this. AR/VR is do or die for FB.
  - sprkwd 4y ago
    How long before they buy Unity?
    - astlouis44 4y ago
      They already considered it in the past, in fact Mark penned an email explaining why and how it would be beneficial to their broader ambitions to own more of the stack as a hedge for the future of computing. You can read more about it here: https://sriramk.com/memos/zuck-unity.pdf https://sriramk.com/memos/zuck-unity.pdf https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/13/facebook-mulled-multi-billion-dollar-acquisition-of-unity-book-claims/ https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/13/facebook-mulled-multi-bill... It will likely happen at some point, if not by Meta than it'll be another tech giant like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, or even Apple.
      - pipeline_peak 4y ago
        Amazon has an engine https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_3D_Engine https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_3D_Engine
        holografix 4y ago
        Cynically, I think they made it open source so they could get some free development for it. Also they open sourced the bits they didn’t want yo keep proprietary…? According to Wikipedia: > In July 2021, Amazon and the Linux Foundation announced _that parts_ of the engine would be used to create a new open source game engine called Open 3D Engine
- otikik 4y ago
  He could have released a “facephone” instead. It’s equally challenging, competes against apple, could use open source Android as a base. Perhaps it was too obvious of a route?
  - maneesh 4y ago
    This was already tried https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/heres-why-the-facebook-phone-flopped/ https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/heres-why-the-facebook-phon...
    - lotsofpulp 4y ago
      An Android skin phone is not trying. Risking billions of dollars and years into R&D like Apple and Google did would be trying.
      - pipeline_peak 4y ago
        Considering the general public doesn’t know what “Android skin phone” means and they still failed, R&D wouldn’t save them. They’re too late to the race.
        lotsofpulp 4y ago
        The general public does know what a phone with a better screen, better battery life, longer lasting build quality, longer lasting software updates, faster processing power and snappier responses, secure operating system (less malware), and better camera quality means though. But all that requires expensive and risky R&D.
- Bubble_Pop_22 4y ago
  > MZ needs to create an attractive platform of his own He already has it. A platform of people > a platform of apps Despite what people think about this guy being evil, robotic etc. He never used his 2.5B people platform to attack Apple, Google or any of the other tech companies. Nor to glorify himself or FB Manufacturing hatred against competitors or super positive narrative for self can be done trivially and with little or no investment from Meta, given that they own FB, WA, IG. The moment Zuckerberg steps down and another person gets at the helm of FB is gonna be a very tumoltous moment for humanity. People worried about Trump, Putin, Musk, Gates, WHO, WEF.. having too much power have seen nothing yet compared to a bad actor at the helm of FB. It needs to be broken up, because if a bad actor manages to gain control of it, then it would be like the 1930s all over again. Except there would not be any place to escape to this time around
  - lapcat 4y ago
    "Facebook paid GOP firm to malign TikTok" https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/30/facebook-tiktok-targeted-victory/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/30/faceboo...
  - TheOtherHobbes 4y ago
    Why would you waste time farming likes from the little people when you can swing elections and use your power to elevate certain politicians? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook%E2%80%93Cambridge_Analytica_data_scandal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook%E2%80%93Cambridge_Ana... Naturally Zuckerberg was shocked - shocked! - that this happened. Meta would - at best - be more of the same: harvesting interests, attention, and orientation and leveraging them for mass behaviour modification.
- oneoff786 4y ago
  DMA gonna snuffle out that dream nicely
- pipeline_peak 4y ago
  Considering Apple cut his losses with the flip of a switch, he's permanently lost control of the distribution medium.
dr_kiszonka 4y ago
I think Metaverse is still firmly into data collection, just a different type of data. Not long ago they were hiring folks with expertise in physiology, analyzing biosignals (HR, HRV, galvanic skin response, gaze analysis) [0], which - if used in ad tech - could lead to nightmarish dystopian scenarios. Metaverse would also give them access to data about all of the things you do during your time there, including all websites you visit, everything you say, and - thanks to the physio data - how you feel about the interactions with websites, ads, and other people. On the one hand, Metaverse could be wonderful for keeping in touch with loved ones and for, e.g., health monitoring. On the other, I am very concerned that Mark Z. will create another FB hell. 0. I can't find the specific job openings that I mentioned but here is a somewhat similar one: https://mobile.twitter.com/dzwetmore/status/1453726967325356037 https://mobile.twitter.com/dzwetmore/status/1453726967325356... Here is a nice review of biosignals use in VR: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frvir.2021.694567/full https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frvir.2021.6945...
whywhywhywhy 4y ago
Controlling AR is the what they're fighting for, it should be plainly obvious to Zuckerberg now that Facebook really screwed up by not building a mobile hardware platform while Apple and Google did. It's too late for that but they're actually really in the running for releasing the best hardware platform for AR. He talks a lot about the Ready Player One VR Metaverse idea but really it's more about getting glasses on your face that brings IG/WhatsApp/FB/ETC into the room and world around you, same thing Apple is working towards too. If he doesn't pull it off Meta will essentially always be in a position of weakness against Google and Apple who control the only platforms that matter going forward. Whoever manages to make the iPhone of AR will essentially be the conduit between all human interaction and IRL commerce going forwards. Zuckerberg realizes just how locked down the next generation of platforms are gonna be and how it's gonna become very difficult for his existing products to make money in that space if he doesn't have a beachhead on it.
diogenescynic 4y ago
He watched or read 'Ready Player One' and got really hyped on the vaporware.

gsatic 4y ago

Look at Google's results. They are just leaves in the wind. They dont make the wind anymore.

holografix 4y ago

No he realises he needs to control the distribution medium. Apple and Google can’t be allowed to dictate what Facebook does in their platforms. MZ needs to create an attractive platform of his own. For a brief moment he had one, Facebook was a platform, they managed to even get a killer app: FarmVille. Then the iPhone came around and ate their lunch. No one cared about developing for Facebook anymore, only iOS and Android. He will bet the company on a VR device that rivals the smartphone category. He has to.

wly_cdgr 4y ago
^^^ this. AR/VR is do or die for FB.
- sprkwd 4y ago
  How long before they buy Unity?
  - astlouis44 4y ago
    They already considered it in the past, in fact Mark penned an email explaining why and how it would be beneficial to their broader ambitions to own more of the stack as a hedge for the future of computing. You can read more about it here: https://sriramk.com/memos/zuck-unity.pdf https://sriramk.com/memos/zuck-unity.pdf https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/13/facebook-mulled-multi-billion-dollar-acquisition-of-unity-book-claims/ https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/13/facebook-mulled-multi-bill... It will likely happen at some point, if not by Meta than it'll be another tech giant like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, or even Apple.
    - pipeline_peak 4y ago
      Amazon has an engine https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_3D_Engine https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_3D_Engine
      - holografix 4y ago
        Cynically, I think they made it open source so they could get some free development for it. Also they open sourced the bits they didn’t want yo keep proprietary…? According to Wikipedia: > In July 2021, Amazon and the Linux Foundation announced _that parts_ of the engine would be used to create a new open source game engine called Open 3D Engine
otikik 4y ago
He could have released a “facephone” instead. It’s equally challenging, competes against apple, could use open source Android as a base. Perhaps it was too obvious of a route?
- maneesh 4y ago
  This was already tried https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/heres-why-the-facebook-phone-flopped/ https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/heres-why-the-facebook-phon...
  - lotsofpulp 4y ago
    An Android skin phone is not trying. Risking billions of dollars and years into R&D like Apple and Google did would be trying.
    - pipeline_peak 4y ago
      Considering the general public doesn’t know what “Android skin phone” means and they still failed, R&D wouldn’t save them. They’re too late to the race.
      - lotsofpulp 4y ago
        The general public does know what a phone with a better screen, better battery life, longer lasting build quality, longer lasting software updates, faster processing power and snappier responses, secure operating system (less malware), and better camera quality means though. But all that requires expensive and risky R&D.
Bubble_Pop_22 4y ago
> MZ needs to create an attractive platform of his own He already has it. A platform of people > a platform of apps Despite what people think about this guy being evil, robotic etc. He never used his 2.5B people platform to attack Apple, Google or any of the other tech companies. Nor to glorify himself or FB Manufacturing hatred against competitors or super positive narrative for self can be done trivially and with little or no investment from Meta, given that they own FB, WA, IG. The moment Zuckerberg steps down and another person gets at the helm of FB is gonna be a very tumoltous moment for humanity. People worried about Trump, Putin, Musk, Gates, WHO, WEF.. having too much power have seen nothing yet compared to a bad actor at the helm of FB. It needs to be broken up, because if a bad actor manages to gain control of it, then it would be like the 1930s all over again. Except there would not be any place to escape to this time around
- lapcat 4y ago
  "Facebook paid GOP firm to malign TikTok" https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/30/facebook-tiktok-targeted-victory/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/30/faceboo...
- TheOtherHobbes 4y ago
  Why would you waste time farming likes from the little people when you can swing elections and use your power to elevate certain politicians? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook%E2%80%93Cambridge_Analytica_data_scandal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook%E2%80%93Cambridge_Ana... Naturally Zuckerberg was shocked - shocked! - that this happened. Meta would - at best - be more of the same: harvesting interests, attention, and orientation and leveraging them for mass behaviour modification.
oneoff786 4y ago
DMA gonna snuffle out that dream nicely
pipeline_peak 4y ago
Considering Apple cut his losses with the flip of a switch, he's permanently lost control of the distribution medium.

dr_kiszonka 4y ago

I think Metaverse is still firmly into data collection, just a different type of data. Not long ago they were hiring folks with expertise in physiology, analyzing biosignals (HR, HRV, galvanic skin response, gaze analysis) [0], which - if used in ad tech - could lead to nightmarish dystopian scenarios. Metaverse would also give them access to data about all of the things you do during your time there, including all websites you visit, everything you say, and - thanks to the physio data - how you feel about the interactions with websites, ads, and other people. On the one hand, Metaverse could be wonderful for keeping in touch with loved ones and for, e.g., health monitoring. On the other, I am very concerned that Mark Z. will create another FB hell. 0. I can't find the specific job openings that I mentioned but here is a somewhat similar one: https://mobile.twitter.com/dzwetmore/status/1453726967325356037 https://mobile.twitter.com/dzwetmore/status/1453726967325356... Here is a nice review of biosignals use in VR: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frvir.2021.694567/full https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frvir.2021.6945...

whywhywhywhy 4y ago

Controlling AR is the what they're fighting for, it should be plainly obvious to Zuckerberg now that Facebook really screwed up by not building a mobile hardware platform while Apple and Google did. It's too late for that but they're actually really in the running for releasing the best hardware platform for AR. He talks a lot about the Ready Player One VR Metaverse idea but really it's more about getting glasses on your face that brings IG/WhatsApp/FB/ETC into the room and world around you, same thing Apple is working towards too. If he doesn't pull it off Meta will essentially always be in a position of weakness against Google and Apple who control the only platforms that matter going forward. Whoever manages to make the iPhone of AR will essentially be the conduit between all human interaction and IRL commerce going forwards. Zuckerberg realizes just how locked down the next generation of platforms are gonna be and how it's gonna become very difficult for his existing products to make money in that space if he doesn't have a beachhead on it.

diogenescynic 4y ago

He watched or read 'Ready Player One' and got really hyped on the vaporware.