Do you mean unforced error? They didn't need the metaverse, but they did need some sort of new direction; buying out nascent social networks was a stall tactic

Do you mean unforced error? They didn't need the metaverse, but they did need some sort of new direction; buying out nascent social networks was a stall tactic to prolong the time before they became uncool with the hip youths. I don't think it's too far of a stretch to say that Zuckerberg read Snow Crash as a teenager, loved it, and either missed the punk ethos or edited it out of his memory when he found himself in a position of respectable authority.