Facebook, can it fall?

[Roxors]

It is always going to be a maybe since none of us can see into the future. There may be something bigger and better that comes along but not for a long while. so i pretty much aggree with half the ppl

 

[A.Nonymous]

I'm one of the few people in the entire world that isn't on Facebook. I tried, but found that I don't understand it.

 

[d4005]

I'm one of the few people in the entire world that isn't on Facebook. I tried, but found that I don't understand it.

Well, not "few people". In fact, 90% of the world is not on facebook. As the world population creeps closer to 7 billion, Facebook is losing US and UK members before they've even reached 700 million.

 

[Vihzel]

It would be good to know a bit more behind that drop, like if there are certain age groups that are deleting their accounts. I'd suspect the older crowd would delete it but with middle-schoolers, high-schoolers and college students? Not so much.

 

[Eric Bishop]

I don't know if it will be, but facebook SHOULD be completely defunct as a social network within 3-5 years. Case in point...

---

Zuck: Yeah so if you ever need info about anyone at Harvard

Zuck: Just ask.

Zuck: I have over 4,000 emails, pictures, addresses, SNS

[Redacted Friend's Name]: What? How'd you manage that one?

Zuck: People just submitted it.

Zuck: I don't know why.

Zuck: They "trust me"

Zuck: Dumb f#cks.

---

That was his attitude towards handing out personal information to a friend for free. Today, "Zuck" is practically tripping over marketing and advertising firms that would bury him in money just to get 5 seconds with the database of user info that he's compiled.

If Diaspora becomes sufficiently robust, we'll just be waiting for a tipping point, and it'll be curtains for facebook. Of course, it might not happen.

If Google were to get its head out of its a$$, they could build and open source model, similar to Android, that could decentralize social networking and make privacy more of a right than a privilege in the digital society.

 

[SolidOrange]

It would be good to know a bit more behind that drop, like if there are certain age groups that are deleting their accounts. I'd suspect the older crowd would delete it but with middle-schoolers, high-schoolers and college students? Not so much.

I think it is the exact opposite. As more of the older crowd joins, the middle/high school and college kids are bowing out so that their parents/relatives aren't following their every move. At least that's what I have seen lately. That, and the 20-somethings that would rather delete their account entirely than remove tons of individual posts/pictures for their new job.

 

[Vihzel]

I think it is the exact opposite. As more of the older crowd joins, the middle/high school and college kids are bowing out so that their parents/relatives aren't following their every move. At least that's what I have seen lately. That, and the 20-somethings that would rather delete their account entirely than remove tons of individual posts/pictures for their new job.

I've never heard of that happening personally. A few of them perhaps would leave but such a staggering amount of kids leaving because of parents? That seems to be a real stretch. Only about 20% of 13-17 yr olds have a Facebook account according to the Facebook demographics (a few million). Facebook isn't as set in with the middle and high-schoolers because it's a far more tight nit community of people that you see very often. Even when I was in high school and a lot of people had MySpaces, I didn't have any use for it because I already saw everyone 5 days a week. If history is bound to repeat itself, when they turn 18 and go off to college, they will get one to keep in touch with friends because it's much easier than emailing or texting/calling.

 

[SolidOrange]

I've never heard of that happening personally. A few of them perhaps would leave but such a staggering amount of kids leaving because of parents? That seems to be a real stretch. Only about 20% of 13-17 yr olds have a Facebook account according to the Facebook demographics (a few million). Facebook isn't as set in with the middle and high-schoolers because it's a far more tight nit community of people that you see very often. Even when I was in high school and a lot of people had MySpaces, I didn't have any use for it because I already saw everyone 5 days a week. If history is bound to repeat itself, when they turn 18 and go off to college, they will get one to keep in touch with friends because it's much easier than emailing or texting/calling.

Put it this way: you and your friends all hang out at a club, you have a good time and do what you please. One day your uncle starts hanging out there... then your aunt... then your grandparents, then your parents and all their friends. Are you still going to hang out there? Probably not, and if you do, you certainly can't have a much fun as you used to. I guess I have a different perspective since I live in a college town and joined facebook as a freshman in '03 when it was still thefacebook and required a university email address to register. However, of the hundreds of people I have seen leave, at least 75% have done it because of family members joining or jobs requiring them to censor themselves so much that it is not worth the hassle.

 

[d4005]

If Diaspora becomes sufficiently robust, we'll just be waiting for a tipping point, and it'll be curtains for facebook. Of course, it might not happen.

If Google were to get its head out of its a$$, they could build and open source model, similar to Android, that could decentralize social networking and make privacy more of a right than a privilege in the digital society.

Google? Privacy? Hold on a sec while I LMAO for a few minutes. That's like saying you hate Microsoft because Bill Gates is evil, that's why you use Apple products. Steve Jobs makes Gates look like an Angel. Same deal with Google over FaceBook IMHO.

I never trusted FB with anything more personal than my D.O.B. and trust Google even less. It's the one (very annoying) reason why I haven't been able to buy any apps on the market yet, despite being with-droid for over a year.

 

[gr8erminds]

For the ones who think it will fall, I promise you it will. We are developing it's successor. What Facebook did to MySpace, we will be doing to Facebook.

Because Android has taken market share over the iPhone, we have decide to launch our Next Era Social Media on the Android OS, exclusively.

What we have done is so innovative, that we believe we will have your attention for 10-20 years. We've designed it so well, that it will be difficult for the user to say "Why would I use THAT, over THIS?" You will shortly see why. And you will use it everyday. Multiple times. It's that awesome.

We have solved 6 major GLOBAL problems with this Network. Social Awkwardness, the ability to meet new people, Internet Integrity, Internet Privacy, Direct Communication between users, and User Interface Simplicity for ALL users.

We have a safe network, that is a privilege, not a right, and it simplicity makes it that much more appealing for all to use the way intended.

This will also be the worlds largest marketing platform created to date. It is one of the most lucrative and sought after kinds, of ventures available. If you think you are innovative enough to get on board with our program, we plan on making a lot of money. When we make this money, the plan is to create our other 80 inventions, and create jobs. We are Humanitarians. We have some of the coolest concepts around.

We figured out how to go paperless, in a huge market. A market that wastes the heck out of some paper. It won't after our Network takes off. It is such a cool idea, by the way. And it will work perfectly.

We are the outside-of-the-box thinkers, that the world needs. We are taking action, and would love for you to support us. We have big dreams, and we will shortly have the money to follow all of our dreams. We are the future.[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

 

[Tangent]

I must be one of the only people that's never had a facebook account...

 

[BiggestManEver]

Friendster didn't think it could die. MySpace didn't think it could die.

 

[jroc]

I remember when Facebook required the college email address too. When the games started popping up, I got worried it was about to become the next Myspace.

Facebook is a dilemma....its still has that plain, clean look that I liked when it was new. It added some features that made me dump Myspace with the quickness. Facebook beats Twitter IMO because its easier to follow along with what someone's posting and their replies to ppl.

Google+ seems to be a real challenge to Facebook tho. I heard that Facebook has Groups and might be similar, but the Circles thing with Google+ is nice. If Google+ can make it where you can really have specific folks see specific things and vice versa and make it easy to do...it could be a hit and have Facebook looking over its shoulders..

 

[Bramsy]

facebook is garbage. too intrusive and time sensitive for me. had it, but nuked it. ITS SO F'N dumb. u have family? PICK UP THE PHONE and talk. facebook misconstrues emotion and feeling. it's as dumb as Twitter. if anybody had AIM back in the day, they will see the similarity of away messages.

ok i get facebook to a point, i do, but 700+ mill people? is everybody aware an account can be made for dogs and cats? how about advertising purposes? my father has multiple accounts for advertising purposes.

facebook really is the devil. how everything stored on their site is their property....

i hate facebook. HATE. life is so much brighter without it. i'm not chained to my phone/tablet/laptop/pc whatever. buuuuuuuuuuut that's just me. i'm proudly NOT one of the many

 

[gr8erminds]

I remember when Facebook required the college email address too. When the games started popping up, I got worried it was about to become the next Myspace.

Facebook is a dilemma....its still has that plain, clean look that I liked when it was new. It added some features that made me dump Myspace with the quickness. Facebook beats Twitter IMO because its easier to follow along with what someone's posting and their replies to ppl.

Google+ seems to be a real challenge to Facebook tho. I heard that Facebook has Groups and might be similar, but the Circles thing with Google+ is nice. If Google+ can make it where you can really have specific folks see specific things and vice versa and make it easy to do...it could be a hit and have Facebook looking over its shoulders..

We believe that Social Networking needs to take a completely different approach. All of the newest companies are following the path of it's predecessor's, and it's predecessor's, but they are not diverging from that path. We have.

 

[sethman88]

It will stay for many years to come. It has essentially "conquered" any other social networking site like it (ex. MySpace). Facebook is so mainstream now that it'll be very difficult for it to die away... like Twitter. There is also more room for it to grow in other countries where Facebook is still competing with native social networking sites.

I remember when Facebook used to be more of a "college thing" and that once you graduated from college, you moved up from MySpace to Facebook. That has definitely changed and more and more people are getting Facebook at far younger ages. When you grow up with Facebook... it's very difficult to stop using it, especially when all your friends are using it.

I agree, I remeber when facebook was only for college people and everyone else(me included used myspace all the time), but now facebook is the new myspace and everyother social site combined, and I dont think its such a bad thing, i mean it lets us communicate with people for free, play games, and share tons of other things, some people though do use it for the wrong reasons, and some people are seriously addicted to it to where they are on facebook more then they actually hang out with real people, but I think its a pretty good thing, and another reason I think it will be here for a long time is becuase it is a well run website, If you look at myspace for instance there are still a lot of people who use it on a day to day basis, but myspace has become so slow internet speed wise, I mean it takes a long time to load pages and do anything on it, and as long as facebook maintains a good website that is up to todays speeds then I think that nothing will top it because they can always add stuff to the website

 

[jroc]

^One thing I give Facebook credit for is not allowing ppl to do their own backgrounds with HTML. (Unless thats changed) Thats a big reason for the slowness of Myspace. So many things can be loading at the same time for somebody's Myspace page its crazy. Then if not done right you hear overlapping music with other Myspace music features.....its crazy.

Yea Myspace allows for greater individuality, but sometimes it can be overboard. And I dont miss it at all if its gonna cause the pages to load slow.

 

[_mw_]

We believe that Social Networking needs to take a completely different approach. All of the newest companies are following the path of it's predecessor's, and it's predecessor's, but they are not diverging from that path. We have.

Okay is that a general statement of your project, or is that a not-so-subtle plug that you're on the Google+ development team? If it's the latter, where's my invite?

 

[lordofthereef]

Sure it can fall. First it was myspace, now it's facebook.

Back in the day, AOL WAS the internet. Things change rapidly.

 

[gr8erminds]

Okay is that a general statement of your project, or is that a not-so-subtle plug that you're on the Google+ development team? If it's the latter, where's my invite?

Nope. We are the next big company. Our product, is waaaayyyyy better, than anything conceived, thus far.

 

[jroc]

Everybody talking about Myspace....how many remember Black Planet? Another thing that pissed me off with Black Planet and Myspace....they both became a hoe-asis spot, if you get my drift.

Facebook doesnt seem as bad as those 2. Maybe because I remember when it was college email oriented I dont see like My space. Although some of the pics ppl post on My space can be....lol.

 

[AndroidSPCS]

Facebook will fail, because Facebook does not care about its users.

I am aggravated time and time again whenever Facebook introduces a new feature to share your data, and you are automatically "signed up" for it, like the recent faces / photo tagging feature.

Facebook will fail because it is too large, too arrogant, and too uncaring about you and me. It is after revenue, and when it loses focus on the user, it loses everything.

I trust Google way more because Google offers me security first - full SSL encryption via gmail, google search encrypted, etc. It took Facebook A LONG LONG LONG time to offer SSL encryption when browsing, and even when you choose it, it can be easily turned off when you view pictures. Facebook does not care about the security / privacy of its users.

I don't share any real info with Facebook. Never have, never will.

 

[incredible x4]

It failed for me the day my 89 year old grandmother added me as a friend. Trying to use facebook for social purposes becomes alot harder when your entire extended family reads it.

You took the words right out of my mouth. To me, Facebook died when my family and relatives started friending me. As best I can remember, I am currently friends with 8 different family members with one more constantly annoying me to friend them. Facebook is a much better place when your parents are not the first people to comment on or like your statuses.

But ultimately Facebook will fail because, I feel, after a while it gets boring and awkward. You eventually friend everyone you have ever met. After this, boredem sets in and all you are left to do is start playing farmville and pour your life and soul into your profile. Then it gets awkward because you realise you share your entire life with people you barely know. But they cannot be defriended because you know/knew them well enough to make defriending very awkward.

If you couldn't tell, I'm tired of Facebook. I really haven't been active on Facebook for probably a year and a half. I haven't even gone to the site in the last month. I am one of the many people in their target college demographic that has walked away.

 

[zuben el genub]

The way the damned human race is behaving right now, I don't think I want to be social.
Besides which, not too many of my family are computer literate. Most of my other friends would rather text.

I'll follow the Mars robots instead. They have no axe to grind, just pure information.

 

[mikedt]

The problems with MySpace were all the bots, hacking, link spoofs, and five billion surveys from one person in the last ten minutes. Also the complete saturation of drama queen 12 year olds, teenagers who think they can do whatever they want with no consequences, and 40 year olds who think they're still 18.

All those things are beginning to come into Facebook. Especially the emergence of idiots after they allowed the general public access to it. In all honesty, the college e-mail requirement kept a lot of those morons out.

This.