Ballmer says social networking is a fad

Author: Phil Cogar
Published: 3rd October 2007
Comments (19) Stumble
"Social networking is a fad but we could still invest up to £250 million in Facebook!"

"Social networking is a fad but we could still invest up to £250 million in Facebook!"

Last week, rumours were abound over Microsoft's interest in Facebook. The company could be looking at investing between £150 and £250 million for a five percent stake in the company. Don't hold your breath though because Steve Ballmer is now saying that social networking is just a fad.

“I think these things [social networks] are going to have some legs, and yet there’s a faddishness, a faddish nature about anything that basically appeals to younger people,” Ballmer said to Times Online.

Ballmer would not comment on the talks between Microsoft and Facebook but he did hint as to how the investment holds value. Particularly the the networking environment where talk and use of applications can spread much faster than otherwise possible.

In a move to dispel Facebook's valuation reaching up to £5 billion if Microsoft does invest in the company, Ballmer said, “There can’t be any more deep technology in Facebook than what dozens of people could write in a couple of years. That’s for sure.”

Ballmer also commented that sites from the olden days of the Internet such as Geocities "had most of what Facebook has."

Did you know that Geocities was a social networking site? I didn't either but let us discuss Ballmer's other enlightening points over in the forums.
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Quote quack 3rd October 2007, 11:43
On a related note, Robert Scoble (well known blogger, used to work for Microsoft as it happens) has this to say: http://scobleizer.com/2007/10/02/steve-ballmer-still-doesnt-understand-social-networking/
Quote Tim S 3rd October 2007, 11:50
Quote:
Originally Posted by quack
On a related note, Robert Scoble (well known blogger, used to work for Microsoft as it happens) has this to say: http://scobleizer.com/2007/10/02/steve-ballmer-still-doesnt-understand-social-networking/

Awesome read ;)
Quote cjoyce1980 3rd October 2007, 12:01
I just dont get these sites, if you want to speak or see someone, ring them or meet up with them.
Quote naokaji 3rd October 2007, 12:14
Quote:
Originally Posted by cjoyce1980
I just dont get these sites, if you want to speak or see someone, ring them or meet up with them.

QFT
Quote CardJoe 3rd October 2007, 12:35
A lot of people say that and yet a lot of those people use Facebook still. I know a lot of people who find uses for it as a hub for sharing photos or communicating for free without having to send emails. I've organised trips and holidays between people when I just can't be bothered to ring round everyone and don't have the credit for a mass text.

I also know people who are very close to me but who it isn't appropriate for me to go meeting up with every week or who are constantly on the move. Got an ex-girlfriend who's off doing journalism about apertheid in Ghana and South Africa and want to get in contact and share photos easily? Facebook is the easy way to get in contact without worrying about emails getting flushed out with the junk or lost in the mass and is a great way for one person to share photos with a larger group.
Quote DougEdey 3rd October 2007, 12:57
So Microsoft just invested a load in being the exclusive advertiser then Ballmer comes out and looks like an old fart.

They need to bring back Allard.
Quote BioSniper 3rd October 2007, 12:57
So it's like skype then Joe? Utterly useless unless you have a genuine need (in other words you don't have a mobile with free texts/credit etc or have to call abroad regularly).

The only thing I've found facebook handy for so far is contacting people I've not spoken to in years :/
Quote steveo_mcg 3rd October 2007, 13:14
Quote:
Originally Posted by BioSniper
So it's like skype then Joe? Utterly useless unless you have a genuine need (in other words you don't have a mobile with free texts/credit etc or have to call abroad regularly).

The only thing I've found facebook handy for so far is contacting people I've not spoken to in years :/

I think thats fair, but also true of most things, a car is useless if you live in the middle of city and don't have use for it.
Quote Veles 3rd October 2007, 13:18
Pretty much the only use I have for facebook is contacting people I don't have the contact details for, or if I think what I have to ask isn't really worth the effort of a phone call. I think Facebook is much better than myspace, I find people use that for the sake of using it, whereas facebook is a bit more useful IMO, you don't get all this **** with music on the front page and crap like that. Still, I hardly go on facebook either.
Quote Johnny Bravo 3rd October 2007, 13:36
Geowhat?

Whatcities?

whatwhat?
Quote roadie 3rd October 2007, 15:33
In a way he is correct. A year ago the hype was all about Myspace, now it's all about Facebook. What's going to be the next one?
Quote Arlof 4th October 2007, 00:43
Wow... he said something I agree with, I wonder if hell froze over?
Quote proxess 4th October 2007, 01:07
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arlof
Wow... he said something I agree with, I wonder if hell froze over?

I think it did... because I agree to it as well...
Quote julianmartin 4th October 2007, 07:09
Quote:
Originally Posted by BioSniper
So it's like skype then Joe? Utterly useless unless you have a genuine need (in other words you don't have a mobile with free texts/credit etc or have to call abroad regularly).

The only thing I've found facebook handy for so far is contacting people I've not spoken to in years :/

I think that's a gross generalisation...

What if it's not convinient to use skype?

What if you are in england and your best mate is in Japan? Would you get up at 5am to speak to him/her on skype? Just not practical really is it...

Of course it's utterly useless unless you have a need for the damned thing, otherwise you wouldn't start using it in the first place, would you?

Joe just listed several things he likes to use facebook for, all perfectly valid reasons...just because he finds it extremely useful, and you find it only mildly so, doesn't mean it's a crap idea.....different strokes different folks man!
Quote Hamish 4th October 2007, 09:27
Quote:
Originally Posted by BioSniper
Utterly useless unless you have a genuine need
protip: pretty much everything is useless unless you have a need for what it does....
Quote devdevil85 4th October 2007, 20:18
Facebook is better than email because it seems more personable and I like how you can share pictures and show your interests and being in college myself and having a hectic schedule as it is, it is easy to keep in touch with what's going on in multiple friend's lives in a relatively easy way.....I think Facebook is popular for a reason, but I do think it's a little overrated and I can't see how it's worth as much money as it is.....
Quote evanbraakensiek 7th October 2007, 18:03
As a nineteen year old whose grown up around and on these sites I've to agree. I lost interest early enough and only wasted my time on two really. I've never used Facebook and have no reason to do so, I still occasionally use Myspace, but not to 'communicate' with real life friends (30 Jul 2007 15:31 - last time someone left a comment), I use it mainly to 'talk' with people from my university on the forums and find out what's happening. It's an interesting and simple way to get to know personalities that I otherwise would never get to meet due to them being in other departments and what not. I has its uses but beyond curing boredom for adolescents in class you're struggling to justify it.
Quote ou7blaze 8th October 2007, 11:46
Quote:
Originally Posted by BioSniper
So it's like skype then Joe? Utterly useless unless you have a genuine need (in other words you don't have a mobile with free texts/credit etc or have to call abroad regularly).

The only thing I've found facebook handy for so far is contacting people I've not spoken to in years :/

or getting laid, as some of my friends seem to think it's for :)
Quote pumpman 8th October 2007, 14:32
Quote:
Originally Posted by roadie
In a way he is correct. A year ago the hype was all about Myspace, now it's all about Facebook. What's going to be the next one?

how about Myface ???? lol

tm and copyright me in case anyone makes millions from it
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