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STEM Shortage Claims and Facebook's $19 Billion Acquisition of WhatsApp

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Re: STEM Shortage Claims and Facebook's $19 Billion Acquisition of WhatsApp

#241
post #230

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just like my questions weren't arguments? I thought you saying that knowledge was timeless was related to older people (the topic) having knowledge. A person may understand principles but if they are not wiling to learn what a company wants they won't be hire able - do you disagree with that too? I'm trying to understand exactly what on topic (you arguing that ageism is real but not explaining why people would possib…

You conflated statements. You were (and still are) putting words in my mouth. This statement [of mine] : > Application level tools do change quite fast. The fundamentals of technology do not. Was in response to your blanket assertion that technology changes so fast current knowledge will be useless in 15 years. I believe this claim to be false, and provided evidence to that effect. You then claimed I had claimed this…

>Was in response to your blanket assertion that technology changes so fast current knowledge will be useless in 15 years.

What I meant was that some of what is useful now won't be useful in years to come not absolutely all technology ever. Some people choose to specialize in company specific technology which wouldn't be at all useful outside of it.

Re: STEM Shortage Claims and Facebook's $19 Billion Acquisition of WhatsApp

#242

>> $19 billion in cash and stock (slightly less than the inflation adjusted cost of the Manhattan Project) Holy Crap !!! That cannot be right - surely not.... Edit: According to Wikipedia : "The Manhattan Project began modestly in 1939, but grew to employ more than 130,000 people and cost nearly US$2 billion (about $26 billion in 2014 dollars)." So, if you allow 7bn to be slightly less, then yes. It is right. And the…

There may be a disparity based upon how inflation is calculated. Plus or minus 40% after an interval of 75 years is not unreasonable for the purposes of an "about this big" comparison. A Paasche index will understate price inflation, while a Laspeyres index will overstate it, due to demand elasticity. Governments may change the formula used to report changes in the money supply, using different measures like M1, M2,…

Where do you get your marvellous comparison figures from?

Yes, it puts it into a more depressing perspective. Although I would tip my hat to the founders if they decided to build "WhatsAppTown", a city of the future.

In fact I want them to - because when we throw around this kind of cash (the amounts normally only State actors have) we get outliers - sometimes a boring miser who just wants more, sometimes a visionary who tries to build their Jeston style future.

I just hope Facebook stock is going to those who watched the Jetsons on Saturday mornings.

Re: STEM Shortage Claims and Facebook's $19 Billion Acquisition of WhatsApp

#243

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There may be a disparity based upon how inflation is calculated. Plus or minus 40% after an interval of 75 years is not unreasonable for the purposes of an "about this big" comparison. A Paasche index will understate price inflation, while a Laspeyres index will overstate it, due to demand elasticity. Governments may change the formula used to report changes in the money supply, using different measures like M1, M2,…

Where do you get your marvellous comparison figures from? Yes, it puts it into a more depressing perspective. Although I would tip my hat to the founders if they decided to build "WhatsAppTown", a city of the future. In fact I want them to - because when we throw around this kind of cash (the amounts normally only State actors have) we get outliers - sometimes a boring miser who just wants more, sometimes a visionary…

I searched the web for "megaprojects" and grabbed figures from any site that at least sounded legit, so caveat emptor. I pulled anything that felt like it would cost between 15 and 25 billion US$ if it was completed (or completed again) this year.

Re: STEM Shortage Claims and Facebook's $19 Billion Acquisition of WhatsApp

#244
post #5

No one seems to want to discuss the idea that Yahoo! and Facebook were simply adhering to their illegal agreement to not poach talent from each other. http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2014/01/15/silicon_valle...

Ahem... http://www.businessinsider.com/emails-eric-schmidt-sergey-br...

Re: STEM Shortage Claims and Facebook's $19 Billion Acquisition of WhatsApp

#245
post #5

No one seems to want to discuss the idea that Yahoo! and Facebook were simply adhering to their illegal agreement to not poach talent from each other. http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2014/01/15/silicon_valle...

Ahem... http://www.businessinsider.com/emails-eric-schmidt-sergey-br...

Double AHEM..

http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/google-viewed-fac...

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