Instagram Is Estimated to Be Worth More Than $100B • Hacker News Board

Re: Instagram Is Estimated to Be Worth More Than $100B

#171

Post by nmeofthestate » Tue, Jun 26, 2018, 4:45 PM UTC

delecti wrote: post #161

ddtaylor wrote: post #129

I think I'm officially old now since I truly don't "get" Instagram or care to.

Instagram is one of the simplest social networks. It's twitter with a focus on picture posts. It's blogging but every post is centered around a picture. It's one thing to not want one yourself, but to be willfully ignorant about something so simple and publicly visible seems like an odd thing to feel the need to advertise.

Bizarrely I find that Twitter is better for posting pictures (they're not so low resolution and compressed, and the UI is less hostile to viewing them).

Re: Instagram Is Estimated to Be Worth More Than $100B

#172

Post by ChuckMcM » Tue, Jun 26, 2018, 4:46 PM UTC

FWIW this is the HN response when Facebook acquired Instagram: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3817840

Fun to see how well Amanda Peyton's comment held up.

Re: Instagram Is Estimated to Be Worth More Than $100B

#173

Post by deltateam » Tue, Jun 26, 2018, 4:47 PM UTC

nmeofthestate wrote: post #167

I simply do not understand the attraction of Instagram. My brother posts photos on it, and the quality of the pictures is rubbish. They're small, with compression artifacts. The app itself doesn't even let you pinch to zoom without snapping back when you let go (fair enough given how low resolution the pictures are). Obviously I'm looking at this wrong - it's clearly not an app for posting photos, because it sucks at…

the frustration is the attraction

its like why cosmopolitan gives bad and ridiculous relationship advice

but yes, you are looking at it wrong

Instagram gets away from all scrutiny by looking like a toy. Like when you are hacking someone's wifi with a Nintendo 3DS while they are wondering the appeal of this cute device for children. Instagram is likely the most technologically sophisticated social network out there and has been for a while.

The UI merely escaped feature creep for most of the decade.

Re: Instagram Is Estimated to Be Worth More Than $100B

#174

Post by simplecomplex » Tue, Jun 26, 2018, 4:47 PM UTC

myf01d wrote: post #155

What a time to be alive. Many tech companies now that don't offer any actual product or service and don't even make money are valued multiple times more than the biggest car manufacturers.

Instagram makes money. Companies pay them to purchase ads. Isn’t that obvious ?

“In 2018, [Instagram]'s estimated net mobile advertising revenues are projected to reach 6.84 billion U.S. dollars, up from 1.86 billion U.S. dollars in 2016.“

https://www.statista.com/statistics/448157/instagram-worldwi...

Re: Instagram Is Estimated to Be Worth More Than $100B

#175

Post by thanatropism » Tue, Jun 26, 2018, 4:47 PM UTC

admn2 wrote: post #48

I've long had a theory (maybe it's not that revolutionary) that part of Instagram's success is it allowed people a free pass to be vain and show off-y. On Facebook, it was a bit stigmatized to post a picture of an expensive purchase, amazing house interior, fancy vacation, or workout picture of your physique. However, it's the entire point of Instagram. Couple that in with all the brands and other accounts of inspira…

Two people on my Facebook who went to Russia for the World Cup are basically posting photos from every game. I figure the games they haven't selfied are the ones they didn't buy tickets for.

Re: Instagram Is Estimated to Be Worth More Than $100B

#176

Post by xkjkls » Tue, Jun 26, 2018, 4:47 PM UTC

tspike wrote: post #98

matte_black wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If pictures are depressing you you might be following the wrong people.

To me, what's depressing is the amount of energy people spend proving their experiences were so amazing versus actually experiencing them.

Photography has been a huge hobby for decades. Is the fact that it is so much more accessible now really mean that the entire basis is proving your experiences were amazing rather than experiencing them?

10 years ago, no one every would have accused someone who brings his DSLR onto a hike of "not experiencing" the hike. (Though you might have a point that it would have been pretty weird to have brought a camera to brunch just to get a great photo of your eggs benny)

Re: Instagram Is Estimated to Be Worth More Than $100B

#177

Post by kevin_thibedeau » Tue, Jun 26, 2018, 4:47 PM UTC

artursapek wrote: post #132

lowq wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Millennial here, deleted my account a few days ago. Unlike most platforms, Instagram cuts strait to the most depressing part: pictures. I've had enough with social media, and I envy those who never created a Facebook.

> I envy those who never created a Facebook. what? is it some virus you can't cure from your mind now? just stop using it. I stopped about 6 years ago and have never missed it.

No. It's like being a pureborn, never connected to the Matrix.

Re: Instagram Is Estimated to Be Worth More Than $100B

#178

Post by xb3000 » Tue, Jun 26, 2018, 4:48 PM UTC

xkjkls wrote: post #169

lowq wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Millennial here, deleted my account a few days ago. Unlike most platforms, Instagram cuts strait to the most depressing part: pictures. I've had enough with social media, and I envy those who never created a Facebook.

Why do pictures depress you so much? Honestly, I think if that's the case, it says that you have some unresolved issues you probably should deal with. Part of what makes social media seem depressing is your attitude with it.

He should go into a reeducation camp, take some Soma and enjoy life like everyone else.

Damn free thinkers!

Re: Instagram Is Estimated to Be Worth More Than $100B

#179

Post by alextheghost » Tue, Jun 26, 2018, 4:48 PM UTC

nmeofthestate wrote: post #167

I simply do not understand the attraction of Instagram. My brother posts photos on it, and the quality of the pictures is rubbish. They're small, with compression artifacts. The app itself doesn't even let you pinch to zoom without snapping back when you let go (fair enough given how low resolution the pictures are). Obviously I'm looking at this wrong - it's clearly not an app for posting photos, because it sucks at…

Clearly you missed the whole point of the app, which is not about posting pictures with perfect quality.

Re: Instagram Is Estimated to Be Worth More Than $100B

#180

Post by swang » Tue, Jun 26, 2018, 4:48 PM UTC

code_duck wrote: post #68

dmvinson wrote: post #45

I wonder about Instagram's success if they had decided to reject the Facebook acquisition. While there's no way to know who got the better end of the deal, it would be better for the tech ecosystem to have more large players and their success feels inevitable in hindsight.

Facebook probably would have copied them somehow, though I don't know if it would have been successful. FB's duplicate of Snapchat has been a huge success and is a major part of IG today. I don't know if FB would have been able to successfully replace Snapchat without using the Instagram app as a springboard.

they did copy them, it failed. it was called "facebook camera"

edit: they also had a snapchat clone called, "poke" that too failed. the only reason they got to snapchat was because instagram was so popular and they just went ahead and copied the most popular aspect of snapchat: stories.