It's a pretty solid analogy, and definitely not the most ridiculous you have ever heard.

In layman's terms it is showing that if we pooh-poohed all new technology platforms then we would be nowhere.

What I mean't is that Facebook is hardly the equivalent of transport or computers which basically enable the whole modern world to work.

It's preposterous to compare a social utility like Facebook to cars and planes which basically enabled us to advance to where we are today.

You're comparing revolutionary technology to a data mining service at the start of what could be a personal data privacy awakening. It not like these companies tend to stay at the top for long either, the really big companies have more than one trick, unless Facebook has something else coming up, Snoopy is bang on the money.

Wow, that's a truly frightening mindset to have.

--- Post Update ---

I didn't say it was. Jesus, just replace the subjects in my analogy with Amazon, Google and Microsoft then. Stop going out of your way to be pig-headed just to try and make me look like I'm talking rubbish.

There are lots of things Facebook can do.

For a start, make their own search engine with a "search the internet" bar on every page.

How about Facebook auctions? If they really pushed it they could do some serious damage to eBay.

I don't know what's so scary about it, Facebook is a trend right now, something else will be a big trend later on. Once upon a time Myspace had more hits per day in the US than Google, then Facebook came along.

As for your analogy, even using Amazon, Google and Microsoft, they are still basically being compared to the new Myspace. Unless they make something new they be replaced by the next shiny site that attracts teenage girls.

You did say that. You made the proposition that having a doubtful mindset would be detrimental to our advancement.

It would be idiotic to doubt the benefits of better land and air transport and or computers which enabled us to advance so much.

People doubt facebook's viability, usability and relevance because it's not like we were using smoke signals or carrier pigeons to communicate and socialize before we had facebook.

I don't agree that it's a fad either, because it's clearly not but at the same time I find that even the comparison to Google, Microsoft or Amazon is nonsensical.

No, that's Google's model, although that's worked pretty well you'd have to say. Facebook will generate revenue in a variety of ways on top of basic 'ads', which managed to bring in more than $3bn in revenue last year:

- Games: Zynga has already shown it can basically print money, and you can bet more sophisticated social games will be on their way. About 30% of Zynga's current share price is because of one game; Texas HoldEm Poker. That makes that one game worth $2bn. How much is Diablo III worth?

- Marketing: Got a friend who just bought a new Sony TV, and blabbed about it on Facebook. Hit 'like' or make a comment along the lines of 'I need a new TV too' and boom! Suddenly a special offer just for you, your income, location, buying habits. Maybe even a special 0% interest offer on your credit card (purely by coincidence of course) to tempt you even further.

- Streaming Live Events: If Facebook have any imagination, they'll start doing this, and make a load of cash

- Information: Facebook already provides information about you to intermediaries who sell it on to credit agencies, recruiting agencies, academic institutions and others.

But that's such small-minded thinking. Amazon and Google were both "a trend" at one point and people doubted their ability to make money for ages. Investments are all a gamble, that's acknowledged, but some people are prepared to take the risk and might get rich, and others sit there trying to find any excuse at all the put a downer on things.

I wouldn't mind but you don't seem to have any real point, other than you think so. Have you looked into the pro's and con's of Facebook?

So you think there are a billion teenage girls using Facebook? http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ies/laugh1.gif

It's not small minded, they've all diversified, and none of them rely on user content. As for investing, $38 a share is steep as hell. I'm not saying it can't grow, and I'm not saying they won't shift shares. But I am saying they have to do something with this momentum because if they get caught napping they'll die in their sleep, and those shares won't be worth anything.

No, but all rely on user interaction to generate revenue and were originally going through their own struggles. OK, maybe it's not literally small-minded, but I think some people are failing to see the bigger picture.

I could see Facebook being used as our global address book, providing TV listings, streaming live events, providing travel packages. The list is endless of things that a social network with such a vast active user base could tap into.

The initial price may well drop a bit, and the nay-sayers will crow for victory, but it should bounce back in the next few years as it becomes a more settled and advanced platform for developers and third-party integrators.

A successful IPO, from a financing perspective, is defined by exactly what you said. An initial spike (I'm guessing up to $45 - $50, maybe higher) followed by a crash to $25 or so a week later.

So what happens?

- Zuckerberg and his cronies sell at the offer price of $38 to those who got in on the ground floor (basically the banks)
- The banks sell to the mob (mom and pop) at a rapidly escalating price ($40, $45, $50)
- Some early whales dump and jump, and over the next week the mom and pops get nervous and sell off. Price drops to $25
- Zuckerberg and his cronies buy back the stock at $25

I buy a cake for $2, sell it to you for $5 and then buy it back from you for $1. Greed is good...

I would never invest in .com that didn't either sell a tangible product or provide a service that I saw as being useful in the long term. Facebook doesn't produce their own content, and many of their attractions could migrate or be replicated easily elsewhere. For example, Zynga could launch their own site or partner with whatever the next big thing in social networking is. Facebook relies on being popular to live.

Facebook is Paris Hilton... I like it.

So you are writing Google off as well then?

Don't get me wrong, I agree with you in principle, but I'm willing to bet Facebook is going to remain popular for long enough to become firmly embedded in our culture.

Like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAynvmMoWaA

edit: damn that clip does not have the end on :/

Only good thing about Facebook is I found my Girlfriend on it, the downside is it is open to abuse from people who cyber-bully, Paedophiles, Stalkers, prospective Future employers and anyone who wanted to know anything about anyone else.

Also the biggest problem, that I've personally experienced, is that its creating a whole new generation of children who can't socially communicate with each other, "face to face".

Stick twenty 13 year old kids in a room and say talk amongst yourselves and more than likely the room would remain silent, whilst if you stuck them all in the same room and gave them Blackberry's and/or laptops the room would be filled with frenetic typing within a few minutes.

Its a sad fact that teenage children have been made into introvert, socially inadequate moron's by the Use of social networking sites like Facebook.

I don't remember a single time when my step-son didn't have his Blackberry in his hand and was furiously typing away in the whole of the last year, he even took it into the bathroom when he had a bath, How sad is that ? http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ilies/sad1.gif

If Facebook went bellyup tomorrow, teenage suicide rates would drastically climb overnight. http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ies/wacko1.gif

I loved that show... absolute class!

I have that episode on "never delete" on my TiVo. John Sullivan wrote some of the best comedy on British television. He could make you laugh and cry at the same time and didn't have to resort to a single swear word. Just in case it's not obvious, I am a fan of his.

--- Post Update ---

Maybe time to realise that your argument is against the internet in general, not just facebook. You've found a handy scapegoat though. so well done.

And maybe it is time for you to see that the banks (zoo's I would guess) had to come in at the end of the day to support FB's price and will likely have to again Monday. Apparently the market is neutral on FB too. More sellers than buyers at least today.