Facebook Roadshow Video - A Must

[moore_capital54]

http://facebook.retailroadshow.com/launch.html

 

What a performance Bravo!!

[bathtime]

Slick production. The video seems targeted to the retail investor. My dental assistant, who dabbles in penny stocks, asked me if I was going to be buying the Facebook IPO. He was surprised that I had no interest.

 

I spoke with a friend in his mid-20s yesterday whose passion is the future of technology. He has pointed opinions and is skeptical about companies like Facebook remaining successful in the long term. He foresees a mass explosion of data that people aren't yet comprehending. He made an analogy that people are aware of the sound of the ocean behind them, but haven't turned to see that a tsunami is approaching. He believes people will find better ways than Facebook to mediate and organize the data.

 

I hope he's correct as despite their marketing lingo, I get little feeling of connection when using Facebook. Even interactions with my closest friends feel superficial. I receive much more out of a community like the one here at Corner of Berkshire.

 

I don't believe that Zuckerberg cares about the user experience in the way Steve Jobs did. Facebook's user interface design and its questionable privacy practices seem to revolve around maximizing Facebook's ability to exploit, monetize, and market user data. I think Jobs' spiritual orientation brought a level of introspection, inquiry, and depth to his ideas and creations. I don't see or feel this when I watch Zuckerberg talk or use his products.

[sdev]

Thanks! Cool video.

[Packer16]

I agree that Facebook is tyring to replicate community online with a platform.  This has never been financially successful except for earlier investors who sold thier shares to buyers who were willing to buy into the hype.  Remeber all those on-line communities during Net 1.0?  In my mind this a sophisticated version of those.  How many of those are still around? None.  They had to merge with other firms who could make money on the web (search engines) to survive financially.  Facebook will survive financially but once you try to monitize your community in a large scale way, I think you lose a sense of community and question what is the community about - to monitize me?

 

Packer

[roundball100]

Slick production. [...]

 

I get little feeling of connection when using Facebook. Even interactions with my closest friends feel superficial. I receive much more out of a community like the one here at Corner of Berkshire. [...]

Yes, perhaps not so surprising that automated sharing of your personal thoughts with 700 of your closest friends doesn't replicate the connection of real life.  Facebook seems to be doing a great job maximizing the number of people you share pictures and thoughts with, consuming as little of your time as possible - also with as little customization as possible for individual friends.  Some people are more interested in sharing with a smaller number of people.  However I have always found that it is hard to predict what the masses want, and a mistake often made is to believe that other people want the same thing that we do.    I agree it's a great video and worth watching to see the ideas they are selling. 

[nwoodman]

I receive much more out of a community like the one here at Corner of Berkshire.

 

I agree, I would rate this site in my top 5 clicks in the morning to get the day started....one of which is the Nespresso.  I can't say the same for FB. 

[alwaysinvert]

I receive much more out of a community like the one here at Corner of Berkshire.

 

I agree, I would rate this site in my top 5 clicks in the morning to get the day started....one of which is the Nespresso.  I can't say the same for FB.

Have in mind that the demographics of this board probably is the most ill-suited as Facebook customers/users. Mostly introverts, high IQs and on top of that most people here are above 30 (thus in general don't use computers as an integral part of IRL communication but as complement/substitute) and the board is exclusively male. The most ardent Facebook users are the antithesis to those attributes, so your experience doesn't really matter to Facebook.

 

That's also the reason why Google+ is failing so miserably. It's aimed at a group of people who just plain sucks at gossiping and small talk, which makes for the cyber version of a ghost town.

[Green King]

I receive much more out of a community like the one here at Corner of Berkshire.

 

I agree, I would rate this site in my top 5 clicks in the morning to get the day started....one of which is the Nespresso.  I can't say the same for FB.

Have in mind that the demographics of this board probably is the most ill-suited as Facebook customers/users. Mostly introverts, high IQs and on top of that most people here are above 30 (thus in general don't use computers as an integral part of IRL communication but as complement/substitute) and the board is exclusively male. The most ardent Facebook users are the antithesis to those attributes, so your experience doesn't really matter to Facebook.

 

That's also the reason why Google+ is failing so miserably. It's aimed at a group of people who just plain sucks at gossiping and small talk, which makes for the cyber version of a ghost town.

 

Nice perspective +1

[racemize]

I receive much more out of a community like the one here at Corner of Berkshire.

 

I agree, I would rate this site in my top 5 clicks in the morning to get the day started....one of which is the Nespresso.  I can't say the same for FB.

Have in mind that the demographics of this board probably is the most ill-suited as Facebook customers/users. Mostly introverts, high IQs and on top of that most people here are above 30 (thus in general don't use computers as an integral part of IRL communication but as complement/substitute) and the board is exclusively male. The most ardent Facebook users are the antithesis to those attributes, so your experience doesn't really matter to Facebook.

 

That's also the reason why Google+ is failing so miserably. It's aimed at a group of people who just plain sucks at gossiping and small talk, which makes for the cyber version of a ghost town.

 

agreed.  I actually like Google+ and still don't use it much (maybe a post every few days).

[Cardboard]

http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2012/05/08/facebook-roadshow-day-2-without-zuckerberg-video/?mod=yahoo_hs

 

At least, Mark Benioff at SalesForce.com does whatever presentation is required from him to keep interest in his company and sky high valuations. Zuckerberg is a little arogant prick IMO. I don't know why anyone with his right mind would even consider buying into this thing. The guy controls the company and does not even bother attending some of the most important meetings with shareholders.

 

This IPO may end up being the biggest disappointment in a long time. I sense that the big boys are not too pleased with Zuckerberg and recent numbers and that these shares will be off-loaded to unwary retail investors. Looks to me also that some of the momo stocks out there are being taken behind the woodshed or right on time for the IPO.

 

Cardboard

[DCG]

I am a 36-year-old male and do check FB a few times a day.

 

I have also (on a few occasions) tried placing ads on FB, and will say that their ad submission/display process is currently awful (nowhere near as horrendous as Microsoft's bing ad platform, but that's a different subject..which I posted a while back in the MSFT thread). I basically tried to give Facebook money, and they had a hard time getting people to click the ads so they would make money. I look at this 2 ways: 1. They don't seem to have a very good understanding of selling ads, and this can continue to depress the company's earnings. 2. If they take a page from Google, and make their ad platform much more effective and user friendly, it seems like they can increase earnings from this alone.

[nodnub]

I respectfully disagree on the ads platform. Facebook shows the ads which will earn them the most income.  Perhaps you did not bid high enough given your target demographic, or perhaps your ad copy and image was not interesting to your target audience.  If the clickthrough rate is too low on the first batch of test traffic then you will not get ads impressions, because they will display other ads which will make them more money.

 

Look into Sheryl Sandberg's current and previous positions if you have any doubts that Facebook will do well on selling ads.

 

I am a 36-year-old male and do check FB a few times a day.

 

I have also (on a few occasions) tried placing ads on FB, and will say that their ad submission/display process is currently awful (nowhere near as horrendous as Microsoft's bing ad platform, but that's a different subject..which I posted a while back in the MSFT thread). I basically tried to give Facebook money, and they had a hard time getting people to click the ads so they would make money. I look at this 2 ways: 1. They don't seem to have a very good understanding of selling ads, and this can continue to depress the company's earnings. 2. If they take a page from Google, and make their ad platform much more effective and user friendly, it seems like they can increase earnings from this alone.

[Liberty]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-15/facebook-said-set-to-finish-taking-ipo-orders-tomorrow.html

[Liberty]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/joannmuller/2012/05/15/gm-says-facebook-ads-dont-work-pulls-10-million-account/