I'm a little curious about the revenue issue here. Let's assume that Facebook really does have 80 million users plus millions visitors without accounts. (http://is.gd/2Y6d)
These people spend lots of time creating a map of their social network, taking tests wherein they describe their preferences, interests, etc. Additionally they share information with each other about what they're doing, what they're interested in and what they dis/like. Now, lets's assume that this takes place on a massive scale and wager that there are one hundred million conversations taking place on Facebook every day. I'll bet you can cull some valuable data from this massive chatter box. Instead of waiting for the next Gallup poll or Synovate Monitor, you could have access to a large, live data stream of preferences, opinions and behaviors. According to its business plan, Google aims to create value "By organizing the worldʼs information and making it accessible and useful". Several pages later, they explain more truthfully that they do it "By providing advertisers with the opportunity to deliver measurable, cost-effective online advertising that is relevant to the information displayed on any given page". In my view, Facebook is an elegant ruse. On the surface, it's a "social utility that connects you with the people around you". Further down, it is more likely a machine that motivates regular people to connect, converse and share, and finds a way to extract valuable data from the millions of ongoing conversations. - Fredrik ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
