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Post by The Doctor on Oct 21, 2012 9:58:57 GMT
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Oct 21, 2012 10:53:30 GMT
Investors, IPO's and dot com - always a bad mix.
Interesting read to be sure, but let's be honest, did anybody think it would buck the trend, I certainly was expecting the shares to drop very quickly.
Andy
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Post by Marc Graham on Oct 21, 2012 11:38:15 GMT
Most tech companies are vastly over-rated and the stock market is a total farce. Basically its a giant ponzi scheme - anyone who attempts to convince anyone otherwise is a liar or an idiot.
Facebook was massively over-valued at its launch, any moron could've seen that. Its in a strong position now, but that doesn't make it invincible, even Google is struggling. Companies so reliant on advertising need to constantly churn traffic - so they are vunerable when the wind changes direction.
I'm not sure there is any value in Twitter either, even Amazon took years before it broke even and its an internet behemoth. I think to be honest businesses would be better off without the stock market, it sucks in a huge amount of cash at the start and then becomes a total leech on any companies profits from then onwards.
So in short - not a fan of stock market and social networks = over-valued.
Marc. (possibly still a little drink writing this)
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Post by legios on Oct 22, 2012 19:15:46 GMT
The general feeling in the tech journalism world was very much that Facebook was strongly over-valued - hence there wasn't really much of a cry of surprise when the stock adjusted downwards. The problem with Facebook is that although it has a lot of users they haven't yet really been able to monetise that properly. They are moving in the right direction obviously - the more data that they can collect on individual users the better they can get at targeting the advertising to each users particular interests and proclitivies - which is after all what they are selling to their actual customers. They are very much in need of a method of turning their userbase into an actual revenue stream.
(Declaration of interests - I am not a Facebook shareholder, just an occasional user at the moment (likely to become a former user in the future)).
Karl
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Post by The Doctor on Oct 22, 2012 19:55:54 GMT
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Post by Marc Graham on Oct 22, 2012 20:15:07 GMT
Facebook I'm sticking with because its an easy way of keeping in touch with a disparate group of friends and former colleagues.
To think something like Friends Reunited could potentially have gotten there first if only they'd put faith in a non-subscription model earlier....
Those are the breaks - but then again - look at Bebo - sold to AOL for millions, later resold for a few dollars.
Ze internet is a fickle mistress!
Facebooks cashflow is in advertising and product placement, beyond that maybe mobile features, I can't stand the facebook apps myself.
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Post by The Doctor on Oct 22, 2012 21:20:14 GMT
I got off Facebook as I never liked the site interface in the first place and every 'improvement' seemed to make it less user-friendly. And the Ipad app version was utterly dreadful. I also realised that as I am already very easy to contact via multiple other means that if folk want to get hold of me it is very easy indeed. Keeping in touch was the only reason I used it and I was of the opinion that if folk only keep in touch because I use Facebook then they are more interested in the app than in communication and I can do without such shallow people.
-Ralph
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Post by legios on Oct 23, 2012 12:08:48 GMT
Thing is though, folk use Facebook to keep track of friends and for communication. Unless the folk running it can convince a large number of its users that it can also be used to buy things it's always going to lose money. Their current model seems to be leaning more towards the "sponsored stories" - effectively companies paying for adverts that will then appear as posts in folks Timelines. I'm not sure how far they have got with experimenting with this as I am steadily decreasing my time on Facebook due to the hideous design and lack of general utility of it. (The fact that I only go anywhere near Facebook about once a week is probably a sign that my days of using it are numbered). Karl |
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Oct 23, 2012 12:17:03 GMT
I think that when the sponsored and promoted posts really kick in, you will see a mass exodus from facebook.
Andy
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Oct 23, 2012 12:17:46 GMT
It might even bode well for myspace's attempt at a comeback!
Andy
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Post by The Doctor on Oct 23, 2012 16:59:27 GMT
Myspace's comeback attempt was just last month actually!
-Ralph
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Post by Marc Graham on Oct 23, 2012 17:00:20 GMT
I think the problem with breaking down facebook is its critical mass, not everyone is going to leave and go to the same place (or indeed anywhere else), so its likely to cling on for some time unless one of the other networks really digs into its huge lead.
Personally I find Twitter pretty awful, so avoid it, I'm not sure if social networks will totally be needed after the next few generations of software/hardware combinations will probably result in everyone having something like their own cloud account where they can build their own friends list on it - whether its Microsoft/Apple/Google or something more generic - who knows, but then again, predicting the future is a mugs game, especially in tech. OS/2 Warp anyone?
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Oct 23, 2012 17:07:05 GMT
There's a good wee app for smartphones that does that already it's called path - limits you to 150 friends max, designed for proper friends networking.
Twitter can be awful, it's about striking a balance between following folks who you will engage with regularly and those that broadcast interesting stuff. Once you have that right is when it becomes fun to use.
Andy
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Oct 23, 2012 19:14:17 GMT
Myspace's comeback attempt was just last month actually! -Ralph Oh I know, and I've had a look but nothing has convinced me to sign back up to it. had myspace when it was popular and I barely used it. Andy |
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Post by Bogatan on Oct 23, 2012 19:48:30 GMT
Been on Facebook for 5 years as it was useful for the job I had at the time and it is convenient to have a single location to be able to contact a wide range of people. I almost never use it for anything other than private messages.
Just got an invite from a friend for Google +, anyone tried it?
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Post by Shockprowl on Oct 23, 2012 19:56:18 GMT
Gentlemen. I'd like to introduce myself as a Social Network virgin. Yes, I'm sweat and innocent and very fresh faced etc etc. The only Social Networking I do is here on the Glory That Is The Hub. And that's just basically talking to other versions of myself from different realities who like the same stuff. It's pretty easy, and very nice indeed, and let's face it, we all should be in charge. Of at least a country each, if not a collection of countries. Faceback and Twatter, and others, I know nothing about aaaat aaaaall. Many of my workmates often say to me- "Are you on Facebook yet, Cookie?". I reply "Why?". They reply " 'Cos then I'd be able to chat to you online!". I reply "But, er, I see you at work often enough, why would I then go home and take up my valuable leisure time talking to you some more when I've already talked to you at work? Especially when I don't really like talking to you that much anyway?". (I actually did say the latter the a workmate once. She was most offended, and I was highly amused until she then concluded I was joking- which I was not). Faceback in particular seems to be used as a, I dunno, gossip station. Am I right? I don't really know, but that's the impression I get from my workmates. I don't know what Twatter is about at all.
I do, however, think I could use Faceback, or another similar social site, to stay intouch with real pals who I don't see much (and foolishly don't like and/or collect Transformers) and actually want to stay intouch with. Such as my training school buddies, or my Dutch pal, etc. That's the only time I can see myself using it/them. But to use them to just chat with folk I see all the time anyway- I don't get it, man!
But, as I say, I'm a Social Network virgin, so please be gentle and explain it to me.
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Post by Marc Graham on Oct 23, 2012 20:33:26 GMT
Basically my facebook friends break down like this:
40% is family - I have a huge huge family and there are loads of them (father from a family of 14) - so it keeps it easy to be in touch with people I'd otherwise only hear from a few times a year.
40% are Transformers fans I meet and hang out with at conventions, I only see these folk a couple of times a year and though I keep in touch anyway its easy to share stuff on facebook with them.
The remainder are a small group of friends from school/college/work (all former colleagues - none current) who tend to be the small few I'm still in touch with and are spread around a lot, so its nice to keep up with them too.
Thats how it works for me, I am a somewhat reluctant user - but facebook is a lot better than my previous effort - Bebo - yuck!
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Post by The Doctor on Oct 23, 2012 21:07:40 GMT
Generally when I want to stay in touch with people I leave them my e-mail address, postal address and telephone number, thus making it very hard indeed not to get a hold of me. If I never hear from them again then I conclude that we weren't that close in the first place or that we had a temporary acquaintance (which does happen, ie in workplaces and is not necessarily a 'bad' thing - not every relationship can transcend shared circumstances, times or interests and that's just life and does not imply that the bond that existed at that time was false, thin or not of a level of closeness).
This forum initially started as somewhere I went to to chat about a hobby but became somewhere were I made genuine friendships off-line over the years without which I would have moved on years ago (I still enjoy many Transformers things but it's now just a hobby rather than one of my primary leisure interests).
Twitter I find fun and manageable and is a good way to keep up with folk that don't do forums but whom I otherwise have gotten to know elsewhere initially. It's also useful for news and hobby updates and has actually helped cut down my time online.
I have a life long abhorrence of phones so I don't use things like Skype.
I find that if folk aren't interested in maintaining contact because I don't use xzy social networking thingy then they're not worth knowing.
And then there is Real Life where I shockingly see people in the flesh.
And that's enough social networking for me personally.
My training and work experience heavily rely on the ability to communicate in different ways and to maintain and sustain helping relationships for people in various levels of distress. So this has probably hardened me to folk who think the only way to sustain friendships etc is to use app y on the internet.
-Ralph
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Oct 23, 2012 21:32:36 GMT
Been on Facebook for 5 years as it was useful for the job I had at the time and it is convenient to have a single location to be able to contact a wide range of people. I almost never use it for anything other than private messages. Just got an invite from a friend for Google +, anyone tried it? I'm on it. It's a bit of a ghost town though, handy for group video chat though using the Hangout facility. Andy |
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Post by Shockprowl on Oct 26, 2012 23:49:30 GMT
Yes, yous uses of Faceback is as I would use upon it. You are wise gentlemen.
une autre question-
What on Earth is all this obsession with "like my Facebook page"? Seems the intersnatch is nothing but 'liking' Faceback pages? Why is it so important? what do they loose if they're not liked?
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dyrl
Empty
Transforming robots are no match for combat waitresses from the future!
Posts: 1,652
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Post by dyrl on Oct 28, 2012 14:14:08 GMT
I find myself agreeing with Ralph's sentiments. That said, I left FB for the simple reason that it felt like a job. Always having to update things...
Pete
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Post by Marc Graham on Oct 28, 2012 14:27:35 GMT
Yes, yous uses of Faceback is as I would use upon it. You are wise gentlemen. une autre question- What on Earth is all this obsession with "like my Facebook page"? Seems the intersnatch is nothing but 'liking' Faceback pages? Why is it so important? what do they loose if they're not liked? I guess its two fold - some feel more important if they have more likes. Secondly anyone who "likes" a page will get status updates from it. Marc. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2013 10:46:47 GMT
I tried both FB & Twitter, but hated them both! too many backstabbers on there, & ppl calling you Troll or Spammer at the drop of a hat!
mind you....i know this may be blasphemy to some.....but TFW doesn't fare any better!
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Jan 26, 2013 10:56:36 GMT
I quite agree there, TFW is a bit of a cesspool these days.
I still maintain a FB presence, but do enjoy twitter.
Andy
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2013 14:45:07 GMT
I quite agree there, TFW is a bit of a cesspool these days. Andy agreed! + the totalitarianism on that site is cranked up so high, that if you coughed or sneezed, you'd receive an infraction |
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Post by Shockprowl on Jan 26, 2013 20:57:01 GMT
I recently joined Faceback inorder to 'like' a Christmas card design that Piglet had had put on there by the her school via the card printers (sorry I didn't mean that sentence to last that long). I have since set about hunting down a couple of chumbs I'd like to stay in touch with but have lost the numbers there of -When today I had MY FIRST FRIEND REQUEST!!!!!!! I was very excited! Especially as it was from our very own BIG PHIL!!!!!!!! Naturally I accepted his request, at least I think I did.
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Post by Philip Ayres on Jan 26, 2013 22:08:30 GMT
You did.
I'd been trying to work out who was you for a few days now from the vast multitude of people with the same name as you. The Avatar proved to be a bit of a giveaway.
You may find a number of others of us there. And on Twitter
If anyone else wants to friend me on FB there's a link in my sig
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Post by The Doctor on Jan 27, 2013 0:30:31 GMT
I quite agree there, TFW is a bit of a cesspool these days. Andy agreed! + the totalitarianism on that site is cranked up so high, that if you coughed or sneezed, you'd receive an infraction I don't use their forum or main page so can't speak to that but I do enjoy their podcast as the folk who do it seem to enjoy their hobby and are quite enthusiastic. -Ralph |
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Post by Shockprowl on Jan 27, 2013 10:58:46 GMT
You did. I'd been trying to work out who was you for a few days now from the vast multitude of people with the same name as you. The Avatar proved to be a bit of a giveaway. You may find a number of others of us there. And on Twitter If anyone else wants to friend me on FB there's a link in my sig Yes I thought the avatar would be obvious to only those who know me. And none of the other rifraf. Did I accept your friend request ok Big Phil? |
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Post by Shockprowl on Jan 27, 2013 16:31:59 GMT
I've had two more friend requests!!! Andy and Nickos! Oh to be liked and wanted!
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