6 ms·

Spool is joining Facebook

47 points by antr 14y ago

achompas 14y ago
Build and Analyze -- the 5by5 Network podcast with Marco Arment and Dan Benjamin -- had an excellent discussion this week[0] on whether larger companies like Twitter and Facebook would acquire any of the popular "read later" services. Paraphrasing, but Marco said that Pocket would "be acquired within a couple of years." Today's Spool acquisition, however, removes one potential buyer from the running. I imagine these VC-backed "read later" services might be slightly concerned today. [0] http://5by5.tv/buildanalyze/85 http://5by5.tv/buildanalyze/85
- gojomo 14y ago
  …removes one potential buyer… Facebook is not limited to one buy per category, if the users/talent/tech is otherwise attractive.
- ankur-singh 14y ago
  They are closing down their services so this is a talent acquisition. http://blog.getspool.com/instructions/ http://blog.getspool.com/instructions/
  - sbisker 14y ago
    Could be a tech acquisition in addition to a talent acquisition - entire possibly that the services will magically reappear on Facebook someday. (Yes, Facebook could easily build this, but sometimes it's cheaper to buy.)
dave1619 14y ago
Spool's killer function for me was the recording of flash video into mp4 so I can watch on my iPhone and airplay to my TV. Too bad they're going away. Thanks for while it lasted.
- achompas 14y ago
  Agreed. I was a big Spool fan (used their iOS app a lot) so I'm sad to see them go. Watched tons of tech presentations on my iPhone during long flights.
- hesselink 14y ago
  This was what I loved about them too. Does anyone know of any alternatives?
  - mandeepj 14y ago
    There are ton....ton....ton. This market is over crowded and they are so poor in seo. Yesterday I was trying to find an app to view youtube offline and nothing came in google search. I know iSwift from the days when I was searching for job. Here is the link http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/iswifter-flash-web-browser/id388857173?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/iswifter-flash-web-browser/id...
dave1619 14y ago
Spool's killer function for me was the recording of flash video into mp4 so I can watch on my iPhone and airplay to my TV. Too bad they're going away. Thanks for while it lasted.
ricardobeat 14y ago
Business as usual. In the mold of great businesses we admire, our goal is to efficiently use our outside investment to improve the lives of millions of users (6 months ago)
- billclerico 14y ago
  i would argue that by joining facebook, they are maximizing the chances of improving the lives of millions of users
- tptacek 14y ago
  What, you mean they set an extremely ambitious goal and failed to achieve it completely? THOSE BASTARDS.
  - ricardobeat 14y ago
    All things point to the app being a hit, users loved it. Nothing suggests a failure, in fact they say that in spite of the good feedback "we’ve decided to pursue our vision in a new way". I posted this knowing that it looks snarky, but it is business as usual. I just can't help feeling annoyed every time a great service shuts down for no apparent reason, and guess this sentiment is very common. I'm relieved it's not one I trusted with any important data or depended upon.
    - tptacek 14y ago
      You don't even use this app?
      - ricardobeat 14y ago
        I signed for the private beta in 9/23/11.
scottmagdalein 14y ago
Makes me think of... http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=rY0WxgSXdEE#t=26s http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v...
mycodebreaks 14y ago
I loved Spool. Why didn't Facebook decide to integrate and continue to offer Spool to users?
- tubbo 14y ago
  We don't know that they didn't...
guynamedloren 14y ago
Not that it really matters for Spool, but a request to everyone that has a product or company blog: please make it easy for me to get to your main site. A simple link would work. Edit: woops, looks like spool's primary domain redirects to the blog anyway. Perhaps the lack of a link is intentional.
cvursache 14y ago
really loved spool, sad to see something that nice vanish :(
rsiqueira 14y ago
Can anyone please post the source of Getspool bookmarklet code somewhere (e.g. pastebin) ? I was not able to find it anywhere.
mandeepj 14y ago
find the alternates under the comments at http://techcrunch.com/2011/09/12/spool-is-instapaper-on-steroids/ http://techcrunch.com/2011/09/12/spool-is-instapaper-on-ster...
rsiqueira 14y ago
What are other free alternatives to Getspool? I'm trying now getpocket.com
- rsiqueira 14y ago
  I found one more alternative: readability.com
  - mycodebreaks 14y ago
    readability.com is also good. I use it when I want to send some story on my Kindle e-reader.
draftable 14y ago
Shame. Waste of a good logo.
ams6110 14y ago
Am I the only one who for most of these "X joining/acquired by [Facebook|Google]" announcements, has never heard of X?

47 points by antr 14y ago

Build and Analyze -- the 5by5 Network podcast with Marco Arment and Dan Benjamin -- had an excellent discussion this week[0] on whether larger companies like Twitter and Facebook would acquire any of the popular "read later" services. Paraphrasing, but Marco said that Pocket would "be acquired within a couple of years." Today's Spool acquisition, however, removes one potential buyer from the running. I imagine these VC-backed "read later" services might be slightly concerned today. [0] http://5by5.tv/buildanalyze/85 http://5by5.tv/buildanalyze/85

gojomo 14y ago
…removes one potential buyer… Facebook is not limited to one buy per category, if the users/talent/tech is otherwise attractive.
ankur-singh 14y ago
They are closing down their services so this is a talent acquisition. http://blog.getspool.com/instructions/ http://blog.getspool.com/instructions/
- sbisker 14y ago
  Could be a tech acquisition in addition to a talent acquisition - entire possibly that the services will magically reappear on Facebook someday. (Yes, Facebook could easily build this, but sometimes it's cheaper to buy.)

dave1619 14y ago

Spool's killer function for me was the recording of flash video into mp4 so I can watch on my iPhone and airplay to my TV. Too bad they're going away. Thanks for while it lasted.

achompas 14y ago
Agreed. I was a big Spool fan (used their iOS app a lot) so I'm sad to see them go. Watched tons of tech presentations on my iPhone during long flights.
hesselink 14y ago
This was what I loved about them too. Does anyone know of any alternatives?
- mandeepj 14y ago
  There are ton....ton....ton. This market is over crowded and they are so poor in seo. Yesterday I was trying to find an app to view youtube offline and nothing came in google search. I know iSwift from the days when I was searching for job. Here is the link http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/iswifter-flash-web-browser/id388857173?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/iswifter-flash-web-browser/id...

dave1619 14y ago

Spool's killer function for me was the recording of flash video into mp4 so I can watch on my iPhone and airplay to my TV. Too bad they're going away. Thanks for while it lasted.

ricardobeat 14y ago

Business as usual. In the mold of great businesses we admire, our goal is to efficiently use our outside investment to improve the lives of millions of users (6 months ago)

billclerico 14y ago
i would argue that by joining facebook, they are maximizing the chances of improving the lives of millions of users
tptacek 14y ago
What, you mean they set an extremely ambitious goal and failed to achieve it completely? THOSE BASTARDS.
- ricardobeat 14y ago
  All things point to the app being a hit, users loved it. Nothing suggests a failure, in fact they say that in spite of the good feedback "we’ve decided to pursue our vision in a new way". I posted this knowing that it looks snarky, but it is business as usual. I just can't help feeling annoyed every time a great service shuts down for no apparent reason, and guess this sentiment is very common. I'm relieved it's not one I trusted with any important data or depended upon.
  - tptacek 14y ago
    You don't even use this app?
    - ricardobeat 14y ago
      I signed for the private beta in 9/23/11.

scottmagdalein 14y ago

Makes me think of... http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=rY0WxgSXdEE#t=26s http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v...

mycodebreaks 14y ago

I loved Spool. Why didn't Facebook decide to integrate and continue to offer Spool to users?

tubbo 14y ago
We don't know that they didn't...

guynamedloren 14y ago

Not that it really matters for Spool, but a request to everyone that has a product or company blog: please make it easy for me to get to your main site. A simple link would work. Edit: woops, looks like spool's primary domain redirects to the blog anyway. Perhaps the lack of a link is intentional.

cvursache 14y ago

really loved spool, sad to see something that nice vanish :(

rsiqueira 14y ago

Can anyone please post the source of Getspool bookmarklet code somewhere (e.g. pastebin) ? I was not able to find it anywhere.

mandeepj 14y ago

find the alternates under the comments at http://techcrunch.com/2011/09/12/spool-is-instapaper-on-steroids/ http://techcrunch.com/2011/09/12/spool-is-instapaper-on-ster...

rsiqueira 14y ago

What are other free alternatives to Getspool? I'm trying now getpocket.com

rsiqueira 14y ago
I found one more alternative: readability.com
- mycodebreaks 14y ago
  readability.com is also good. I use it when I want to send some story on my Kindle e-reader.

draftable 14y ago

Shame. Waste of a good logo.

ams6110 14y ago

Am I the only one who for most of these "X joining/acquired by [Facebook|Google]" announcements, has never heard of X?