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Ask HN: Is 2018 the end of Facebook?

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Re: Ask HN: Is 2018 the end of Facebook?

#21

Post by oneeyedpigeon »

thieving_magpie wrote: post #7

Besides negative press are there any tangible indications of a large decline? Think about how many times you see a post like this on HN: "I barely use facebook. I just keep it for ".

I think this is how it will end up. Rather than everyone sitting on facebook all day (like we used to back in the noughties), people will keep their accounts active, but only login occasionally, or for very specific purposes (e.g. setting up events).

Facebook started off as twitter, then added the kitchen sink. People thought they wanted the kitchen sink, but realised it wasn't worth the noise and/or privacy/security risks. Twitter itself has suffered 'feature creep', but to much less an extent. Facebook does have the 'monopoly' advantage, so I can imagine a lot of people will hang around out of inertia, but I also think that other competitors to very specific subsets will arrive, just as twitter did, and some will prefer to jump ship.

Re: Ask HN: Is 2018 the end of Facebook?

#22

Post by benbenolson »

mseebach wrote: post #2

No. I think you're overestimating how much bad press Facebook is actually getting outside the tech bubble. Facebook is going to get done in by the fact that the younger generation doesn't like it, but that process has been underway for a few years now, and it will take many more years to complete (obviously offering Zuckerberg many chances to turn the ship around).

Yeah, it's definitely not just in the tech bubble at all. My parents in Tennessee, as well as my sisters and friends, all dislike Facebook for one reason or another-- the lack of privacy, the constant barrage of low-quality posts and annoying ads, the near-complete lack of content you actually care about, etc.

Re: Ask HN: Is 2018 the end of Facebook?

#23

Post by dazc »

edf13 wrote: post #12
mseebach wrote: post #2

No. I think you're overestimating how much bad press Facebook is actually getting outside the tech bubble. Facebook is going to get done in by the fact that the younger generation doesn't like it, but that process has been underway for a few years now, and it will take many more years to complete (obviously offering Zuckerberg many chances to turn the ship around).

I don't think it is just within the tech bubble... here in the UK for example it is now mainstream news on a weekly basis. It's at the tipping point where grandparents are starting to talk about the "snooping" and data gathering of Facebook.

'... here in the UK for example it is now mainstream news on a weekly basis.'

Well mainstream news 'in the UK' seems to focus on most things that are not in the UK, so no surprises there.

Re: Ask HN: Is 2018 the end of Facebook?

#24

Post by HenryBemis »

Short answer: unfortunately no.

Proper answer: I just saw their stock plunged 10%. And I use the word plunged, because it created a gap (which I am super fool not to have taken advantage from this and short their stock since I knew of the 50m users fiasco way before NYSE opening). And although I do not appreciate, nor use FB, I do undertstand that they serve a purpose, and as many note, the average Jo/Jane doesn't care for privacy violations as "they got nothing to hide", and for as long people abandon(ed) their right to privacy, then Facebook will be growing stronger.

Re: Ask HN: Is 2018 the end of Facebook?

#25

Post by Agathos »

non_sequitur wrote: post #4

I keep thinking about this article[1] whenever I see bad press about FB lately. Relevant portion: "Murdoch hosted Zuckerberg at his Sun Valley, Idaho, villa and expressed discontent with Facebook's News Feed algorithm and its handling of news. He requested Facebook consult publishing partners and be more generous sharing digital ad revenue, or he vowed, News Corp executives would take their dislike of Facebook public…

"Fox News declares war on Facebook" would at least help toward restoring Facebook's image, at least among those who are most upset about Cambridge Analytica.

Re: Ask HN: Is 2018 the end of Facebook?

#27

Post by smcl »

non_sequitur wrote: post #4

I keep thinking about this article[1] whenever I see bad press about FB lately. Relevant portion: "Murdoch hosted Zuckerberg at his Sun Valley, Idaho, villa and expressed discontent with Facebook's News Feed algorithm and its handling of news. He requested Facebook consult publishing partners and be more generous sharing digital ad revenue, or he vowed, News Corp executives would take their dislike of Facebook public…

Trying to decide who I dislike more out I News Corp and Facebook. I think News Corp have actively done a good deal more "evil" than FB, while FB have mostly been just sort of clueless or ambivalent about their negative effect on the world.

Re: Ask HN: Is 2018 the end of Facebook?

#28

Post by mitchty »

edf13 wrote: post #12
mseebach wrote: post #2

No. I think you're overestimating how much bad press Facebook is actually getting outside the tech bubble. Facebook is going to get done in by the fact that the younger generation doesn't like it, but that process has been underway for a few years now, and it will take many more years to complete (obviously offering Zuckerberg many chances to turn the ship around).

I don't think it is just within the tech bubble... here in the UK for example it is now mainstream news on a weekly basis. It's at the tipping point where grandparents are starting to talk about the "snooping" and data gathering of Facebook.

Indeed, I've had almost strangers at the bar even start to talk about how bad facebook is now. I don't ever remember this happening before. I don't think its just in the tech bubble, this definitely appears to me to be outside the tech bubble now. I also notice people texting more often lately in my friend groups. It definitely feels more mainstream.

Re: Ask HN: Is 2018 the end of Facebook?

#29

Post by ajb257 »

mseebach wrote: post #2

No. I think you're overestimating how much bad press Facebook is actually getting outside the tech bubble. Facebook is going to get done in by the fact that the younger generation doesn't like it, but that process has been underway for a few years now, and it will take many more years to complete (obviously offering Zuckerberg many chances to turn the ship around).

> Facebook is going to get done in by the fact that the younger generation doesn't like it

All the younger generation I know are big users of Instagram and WhatsApp - both FB properties.

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