I was once a Facebook fool • Hacker News Board

Re: I was once a Facebook fool

#21

Post by hello_moto » Fri, Sep 23, 2011, 2:27 PM UTC

brown9-2 wrote: post #10

While Dave Morin worked quietly and bravely to defend me against the moves of iLike and Facebook executives to shut down Audio, he eventually found himself as a casualty in a greater power play quietly orchestrated by Sean Parker and Mark Zuckerberg, in which he was demoted and replaced by Chamath Palihapitiya. Do the two guys that run the company really need to "orchestrate" a "power play" to promote one person over…

Growth company, big money over the horizon, you don't want to see another lawsuit coming from your employees.

Re: I was once a Facebook fool

#22

Post by jakemcgraw » Fri, Sep 23, 2011, 2:28 PM UTC

See Gruber[1] on being a middle man. If your business is reselling someone else's content on someone else's platform, you're going to get fucked right quick.

[1]: http://daringfireball.net/2011/03/dirty_percent

Re: I was once a Facebook fool

#23

Post by pingswept » Fri, Sep 23, 2011, 2:29 PM UTC

zerostar07 wrote: post #13

elliottcarlson wrote: post #7

"If you are entrusting your life data to Facebook, or if you are depending on Facebook and its platform for your livelihood, beware." I think you should always be careful when you are entrusting any third party with your livelihood. You can only plan so much, but when your business plan requires that one crucial system and you have no way to even have a contingency plan, then you have to realize that it could easily…

On the other hand that doesn't mean you can avoid them altogether. In the ideal case, you have the option to choose among competing platforms. The problem with facebook is that since the end of myspace, it's still the largest web app platform.

> In the ideal case, you have the option to choose among competing platforms.

My ideal is not to entrust my livelihood to any third party.

Obviously, it depends on what I want to build, but so far I'm happy not using any social platform beyond, say, email. The free, open platform of the Internet, LAMP stack, a web framework, and search engines is fine for me. I almost, but not quite, regret the time I've put into using Facebook at all, never mind basing my livelihood on it.

Re: I was once a Facebook fool

#24

Post by alecco » Fri, Sep 23, 2011, 2:34 PM UTC

pge wrote: post #19

sid6376 wrote: post #17

A google search about numair faraz turned up this article http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/26/motorola-insider-tells-al... . An interesting read mainly because it was brave.

or one could conclude that he has a history of publicly blaming higher-ups and corporate management for failures in which he was involved. what's brave about embarrassing your boss and your company publicly? or making unsubstantiated claims about conspiracies against you?

He sounds like someone who cares about the company instead of a soulless drone who keeps quiet and counts his chips while looking for the next job.

Re: I was once a Facebook fool

#25

Post by elliottcarlson » Fri, Sep 23, 2011, 2:36 PM UTC

zerostar07 wrote: post #13

elliottcarlson wrote: post #7

"If you are entrusting your life data to Facebook, or if you are depending on Facebook and its platform for your livelihood, beware." I think you should always be careful when you are entrusting any third party with your livelihood. You can only plan so much, but when your business plan requires that one crucial system and you have no way to even have a contingency plan, then you have to realize that it could easily…

On the other hand that doesn't mean you can avoid them altogether. In the ideal case, you have the option to choose among competing platforms. The problem with facebook is that since the end of myspace, it's still the largest web app platform.

I don't think you should avoid those situations either, the thing is you need to set your expectations to what is realistically possible. A startup is a gamble, we all know that - and you are increasing the odds against you when you are relying on some third party. It doesn't mean everyone should stop working with third parties, but it does mean that it is a sizable risk that you are adding to your business model, and you need to be aware of that when analyzing the risks you are willing to take.

Re: I was once a Facebook fool

#26

Post by onosendai » Fri, Sep 23, 2011, 2:37 PM UTC

kevingadd wrote: post #2

Sobering to see a story in which the record labels are, in comparison, the good guys.

Why the "good guys"? At best they were a neutral party who just wanted to flog their wares.

Re: I was once a Facebook fool

#27

Post by gyardley » Fri, Sep 23, 2011, 2:43 PM UTC

pingswept wrote: post #23

zerostar07 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the other hand that doesn't mean you can avoid them altogether. In the ideal case, you have the option to choose among competing platforms. The problem with facebook is that since the end of myspace, it's still the largest web app platform.

> In the ideal case, you have the option to choose among competing platforms. My ideal is not to entrust my livelihood to any third party. Obviously, it depends on what I want to build, but so far I'm happy not using any social platform beyond, say, email. The free, open platform of the Internet, LAMP stack, a web framework, and search engines is fine for me. I almost, but not quite, regret the time I've put into usi…

Spoken like someone whose business was never impacted by a search engine update, or whose email was never filtered by a major email provider.

While some platforms are more free and open than others, our livelihoods are all somewhat dependent on third parties. Hope for the best and plan for the worse.

Re: I was once a Facebook fool

#28

Post by rmc » Fri, Sep 23, 2011, 2:48 PM UTC

It seems like doing any sort of business around the Music Industry is a massive pain in the head, and liable to get you sued/shut down easily.

Re: I was once a Facebook fool

#29

Post by dos1 » Fri, Sep 23, 2011, 2:53 PM UTC

praptak wrote: post #14

eyko wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Against bad-mouthing big, powerful, businesses? Yeah, I think so.

I believe that "bad-mouthing" does not imply "lying". There are no laws against vilifying, criticizing severely, speaking unfavorably of big, powerful businesses as long as you have some backup in facts. Edit: Supreme courts (or equivalents) in most countries make it very clear in their verdicts that protecting the right to expose scoundrels is very high on their priority list. Especially if the scoundrels are big an…

Big powerful businesses maybe, but apparently you can tell the truth and still have to pay damages to individuals: http://www.startribune.com/local/117805398.html

Re: I was once a Facebook fool

#30

Post by mnutt » Fri, Sep 23, 2011, 2:59 PM UTC

kevingadd wrote: post #2

Sobering to see a story in which the record labels are, in comparison, the good guys.

Definitely not the good guys. While I totally sympathize with Numair's story, I can actually see scenarios where both Numair and Chamath would be telling the truth.

We were sitting in the record label's offices with the biz dev guys (and even the CEO!) telling us how great this partnership was going to be, and somewhere else in the building the general counsel was issuing threatening statements. The business side had very little control over the legal side.