Facebook is slowly eating the rest of the Internet

#1

Post by FrankyHollywood » Tue, Apr 19, 2016, 12:43 PM UTC

Facebook is slowly eating the rest of the Internet
washingtonpost.com

Re: Facebook is slowly eating the rest of the Internet

#2

Post by sharemywin » Tue, Apr 19, 2016, 1:01 PM UTC

facebook - microsoft for the next 50 years.

Re: Facebook is slowly eating the rest of the Internet

#3

Post by steego » Tue, Apr 19, 2016, 1:29 PM UTC

I'm really ashamed to admit it, but I am addicted to Facebook. As much as I despise the lack of depth in the average content, I feel confident that Facebook has stumbled on something in our animal behavior that draws us closer to it.

I've always explained the phenomenon of gossip rags as a surrogate for our innate need to be social. Rather than engaging in actual social scenarios (which can carry social risks), many people have fulfilled our social needs with television shows and gossip rags. Celebrities have become a surrogate community members for many people, and I suspect Facebook ups that by one by creating a platform where you can interact with friends, celebrities and strangers in an environment that mitigates most (not all) risks.

I wish I had a clever idea for a solution to this because I really think the world deserves an open social platform that not only engages people socially, but provides the social lubricant to enable people to form online/offline clubs and interact with each other in a high-bandwidth so we can use the internet to teach each other and create fun things with each other.

Maybe it's only a matter of bandwidth, transistors and time.

Re: Facebook is slowly eating the rest of the Internet

#4

Post by blowski » Tue, Apr 19, 2016, 1:32 PM UTC

I wonder if and at what point competition authorities will start requiring Facebook to make these options available with accounts on other social networks. Otherwise, we end up in the same place as Internet Explorer killing Netscape on Windows - a company releasing technically inferior products that squash competition by using their strengths in other irrelevant areas.

I can use Whatsapp and Instagram without a Facebook account, and there's no reason I couldn't use this new video streaming thing in the same way.

Re: Facebook is slowly eating the rest of the Internet

#5

Post by cm3 » Tue, Apr 19, 2016, 1:33 PM UTC

I've never used Facebook or LinkedIn and I'm someone who doesn't feel the urge to sign up. Should I be concerned?

Re: Facebook is slowly eating the rest of the Internet

#6

Post by Retric » Tue, Apr 19, 2016, 1:35 PM UTC

steego wrote: post #3

I'm really ashamed to admit it, but I am addicted to Facebook. As much as I despise the lack of depth in the average content, I feel confident that Facebook has stumbled on something in our animal behavior that draws us closer to it. I've always explained the phenomenon of gossip rags as a surrogate for our innate need to be social. Rather than engaging in actual social scenarios (which can carry social risks), many…

Facebook has a large disincentive to connecting people in the real world. If you're at a watching movies, camping in the woods, or just hanging out then you're not online.

Worse, the more you connect in the real world the less interesting passive browsing becomes. Sure, you can still use FB to IM, but that's far less profitable for them.

...

Re: Facebook is slowly eating the rest of the Internet

#7

Post by Gratsby » Tue, Apr 19, 2016, 1:37 PM UTC

Until you talk to a teenager. "Facebook is for old people..."

Re: Facebook is slowly eating the rest of the Internet

#8

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Apr 19, 2016, 1:38 PM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Facebook is slowly eating the rest of the Internet

#9

Post by cbeach » Tue, Apr 19, 2016, 1:41 PM UTC

cm3 wrote: post #5

I've never used Facebook or LinkedIn and I'm someone who doesn't feel the urge to sign up. Should I be concerned?

I find that my friends who don't use Facebook become a little bit detached from my social scene. It's sad but true.

It's a bit like those friends that stubbornly refused to get a mobile phone in the nineties - I just didn't keep in touch with them as much as my friends that had mobiles. Their argument was that they didn't want to be reachable all the time. Fair enough, but the trade off for them is that they're less reachable socially.

Eventually, of course, they got a phone. And eventually I'm sure everyone will be on Facebook too. There's nothing dystopian about sharing news, plans and photos.

Re: Facebook is slowly eating the rest of the Internet

#10

Post by Tenhundfeld » Tue, Apr 19, 2016, 1:43 PM UTC

steego wrote: post #3

I'm really ashamed to admit it, but I am addicted to Facebook. As much as I despise the lack of depth in the average content, I feel confident that Facebook has stumbled on something in our animal behavior that draws us closer to it. I've always explained the phenomenon of gossip rags as a surrogate for our innate need to be social. Rather than engaging in actual social scenarios (which can carry social risks), many…

I go through an experience about once a year:

1) Log in to Facebook to look at picture of friend's new baby. This is nice.

2) Start browsing around, seeing what other friends have been up to. Oh neato. ... an hour later

3) Looking up people I knew in high school but haven't kept up with. ... another hour later

4) Holy crap, where'd the morning go? I can't do this. Shut it down.

5) Wait ~12 months for next event that draws me to the site. Repeat.