Scobleizer - Latest Comments in Microsoft wins Facebook bid? Here’s the insider scoop on why…

Re: Microsoft wins Facebook bid? Here’s the insider scoop on why…

Parul Bindra — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 02:13:22 -0000

http://www.bhopu.com/2007/1...

Re: Microsoft wins Facebook bid? Here’s the insider scoop on why…

hipposkin — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 19:27:05 -0000

what do you think about this article from forbes that says google didn't want facebook?
http://www.forbes.com/techn...

look forward to your thoughts.

Re: Microsoft wins Facebook bid? Here’s the insider scoop on why…

John Feeney — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 13:05:50 -0000

Somebody had to step forward in validating the use of social networks for business, who better than MS.

FB is already addressing .mobi, that is the key component. Encouragement of developers again is something that triggers MS interests. The fact a vehicle(FB), has a ridiculous number of users sends advertisers into WAR Rooms, an find a way to capitalize
on it.

What this investment/agreement/purchase does is lay value to the competitors. Is LinkedIn next?

Re: Microsoft wins Facebook bid? Here’s the insider scoop on why…

Pinecone — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:22:15 -0000

I am relieved that Microsoft won this and not Google.

This is good on so many levels it's hard to really explain why in one or two sentences.

Google "owns" too much of the Web for my liking. It's nice when there is actual competition out there.

I'll tell you what. I'm looking forward to Microsoft's Surface platform becoming available to the public. Talk about ads really taking off. Being able to sit in a hotel loby or a restaurant and actually interact with ads and programs like paying one's bill is outstanding technology. The only drawback is that is might kill off some jobs.

Re: Microsoft wins Facebook bid? Here’s the insider scoop on why…

David Lynch — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 10:21:02 -0000

Microsoft must view facebook as a programming language for the web, and wants to keep google away from screwing with that. But how powerful and flexible is the facebook api for integrating different software, and when did they start designing their api? :D:D

Re: Microsoft wins Facebook bid? Here’s the insider scoop on why…

Pissing — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 09:54:58 -0000

M$ didn't buy Fakebook.

They just pissed in the pool so nobody else could swim.

I would never do business with such unethical monopolist.

Period!

Re: Microsoft wins Facebook bid? Here’s the insider scoop on why…

anuj — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 04:11:00 -0000

Nothing against Microsoft but they have this tendency to pretty much f*** things up that they acquire and haven’t build themselves. Just hoping that the same thing doesn’t happen to facebook.

Re: Microsoft wins Facebook bid? Here’s the insider scoop on why…

thebusinessofsoftware.net — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 02:40:57 -0000

I think the buy was designed solely to keep Facebook out of Google's hands. They're not interested in playing the web 2.0 game.

Re: Microsoft wins Facebook bid? Here’s the insider scoop on why…

John The Tech Guy — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 20:56:21 -0000

Raoul,

I don't (continue to) use Facebook because journalists 'talked it up'. I might _try_ it because journalists talked it up, but the 'talking up' is certainly not what is going to keep me there.

How can you talk down the success of a product that is clearly being used by millions?

Additionally [analogy alert!], I may not be too fussed with Madonna's music - in fact I might even think that it is all crap - but there is no denying that she has made some excellent decisions and capitalised on them over the years, and I admire her for her initial and ongoing success.

Regardless of how much "assistive (I love making up words) hype" Facebook may be getting from the press, they certainly deserve credit for keeping people there.

Re: Microsoft wins Facebook bid? Here’s the insider scoop on why…

anon — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 20:38:56 -0000

It's true:
http://www.microsoft.com/Pr...

Re: Microsoft wins Facebook bid? Here’s the insider scoop on why…

Wanderley — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:27:22 -0000

It seems Microsoft got 1.6% of Facebook for $240 million (if reports are accurate).

Tomorrow's news: Google buys 3.2% stake on Facebook for $480 million.

Re: Microsoft wins Facebook bid? Here’s the insider scoop on why…

Christopher Coulter — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:54:24 -0000

$240 million for a 1.6% take, just dipping toes in, and gives Facebook enough to 'expand' (read: stay alive) and until they try to IPO (read 2-3 years, better climates). Blah, nothing here, except for the faux journalist drama of Google vs. Microsoft.

Re: Microsoft wins Facebook bid? Here’s the insider scoop on why…

Sriram Krishnan — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:47:48 -0000

And Robert, what is your take on this post now?
http://scobleizer.com/2007/...

Re: Microsoft wins Facebook bid? Here’s the insider scoop on why…

Jeffrey — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:14:30 -0000

Robert, your intelligence gathering efforts struck gold. It has indeed gone the way you suggested. Kevin Johnson just sent out an email confirming it.

Re: Microsoft wins Facebook bid? Here’s the insider scoop on why…

Jerome Paradis — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:06:49 -0000

If Microsoft wins this bidding round for Facebook, I think they'll want to keep the platform open.

As they are known to cater to developers, it might just be one of many reasons to really be in the Facebook bandwagon. Being more present in the first successful Web OS is not something to scuff at.

Re: Microsoft wins Facebook bid? Here’s the insider scoop on why…

Krish — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 16:52:38 -0000

Even if Microsoft wins the bidding war, they are the loser because they paid more than what they should be paying, just to make a point to Google. This, itself, is an acceptance of defeat by Microsoft.

Re: Microsoft wins Facebook bid? Here’s the insider scoop on why…

Mark Mayhew — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 16:36:59 -0000

Isn't the real winner in the bidding war...Mark Zuckerberg?!
We're talking about it in this FB group:
http://www.facebook.com/top...

Re: Microsoft wins Facebook bid? Here’s the insider scoop on why…

MSFT Fanboy — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 16:36:30 -0000

Microsoft has the biggest and arguably the most widely used social networking tool in the world today....MSN messenger (or Live messenger) They also have hotmail....with those assets, they should have, and could have been the leader in doing what Facebook does so well today much earlier...They should have brought those assets together much earlier...If they had, then maybe they would have been in a much better position today. In some countries messenger has over 90% marketshare....So either way, this would be catch up, but its a very expensive piece of catch up work for them...

Re: Microsoft wins Facebook bid? Here’s the insider scoop on why…

Christopher Coulter — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 16:30:31 -0000

Roaring start? Have you lost your marbles? (well, that is assuming you had any to lose). ;)

The head of a company Microsoft paid $5.5 billion toooo much for, gets a "great idea" to fork over tons of cash at outlandish valuations, at which points even crazies like Murdoch and Google be skeptical. Brian just needs something for that "world-class advertising sales team" to ACTUALLY do...

Microsoft should get out of Consumer and get out of Search and Web Advertising, and go back to making some great software. Frankly I am surprised the shareholders aren't daily circling Redmond with pitchforks and torches.

Facebook is just doing this as they have noooo idea how to sell advertising, and are pretty low rent revenuewise. Besides the close-knit college community feel that made the 'first' Facebook, was lost when it was opened up to everyone. Enter the Silicon Valley dorks throwing away their rolodex'es into Facebook's steel-jawed box, remaking Facebook into a status-swarmy network marketing spitz. And making it Microsoftish (even just the advertising backend) will weaken it further.

Classic dot.com con game: useful community tool, opened up, hyped up, journalists and bloggers as stooges, pit warring companies against each other, pump pump and dump dump.

Still I don't think Microsoft wants the whole thing, just the advertising network. If it goes total Microsoft, game over.

Best sales team in the industry? Soooo that accounts for UMPC/Tablet PC (Windows for Pen), Mira, Media2Go, Microsoft Reader, Smartphone, PlaysForSure, Windows Media Center and the whole XBox Division, Zune and Zune 2, Web TV, Ultimate TV, MSN TV2, MSN itself, SPOT, Microsoft TV IPTV Edition, WinCE/Windows Mobile (PPC, Palm PC), CAR.NET, Wireless hardware, WMA...and on and on. Best? In one market segment it's been a near TOTAL FAILURE, nothing 'best' about it.

But spend tons of shareholder cash, in eternal dreamland pursuit of greener grass, yeah, they can do that well.

Re: Microsoft wins Facebook bid? Here’s the insider scoop on why…

Raoul — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 16:15:54 -0000

Robert, you need to re-read my comment. I wasn't talking about growth in numbers, as you suggest. I was talking about market valuation and media presence -- the hype that journalists aided and abetted through their coverage.

And yes, I still stand by my words, regardless of whether you think my opinion is qualified or not.

Re: Microsoft wins Facebook bid? Here’s the insider scoop on why…

Phil Wolff — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 16:00:47 -0000

Do you think Facebook (powered by Microsoft) will remain a neutral/open environment for developers? Skype just started integration with MySpace's IM client and other elements of their network.

Would a Microsoft property be open enough to allow non-Microsoft parties to inject themselves into the core user experience? Or would other Microsoft properties (like Live Messenger, for example) get an inside track and preferential treatment? At the expense of an open space for community innovation?

Re: Microsoft wins Facebook bid? Here’s the insider scoop on why…

Matt — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:51:33 -0000

We are going to look back at the valuations of social networking sites just like we looked at "the bubble 1.0". Must be nice for large companies to piss shareholder money away. I'd love to see the ROI numbers on Facebook and MySpace. I'm not saying this is a fad but the prices being paid seem way out of line.

Re: Microsoft wins Facebook bid? Here’s the insider scoop on why…

Robert Scoble — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:46:36 -0000

Sriram: I've heard Ballmer speak several times. I don't think he gets the world of the Web and advertising. But it doesn't matter as long as he gets out of the way of those who do get it.

Ballmer does one thing well, though: built the best sales team in the industry.

Re: Microsoft wins Facebook bid? Here’s the insider scoop on why…

Andy Werner — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:41:48 -0000

Wow, that would certainly be big. Amazing...

Re: Microsoft wins Facebook bid? Here’s the insider scoop on why…

angela — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:41:25 -0000

I don't know that implementing aQuantive on Facebook merits Facebook's announcement that it had something explosive to share about the future of it's advertising. It would be nice to see relevant targeting and I'm not sure why it's so difficult to achieve. Stating that he wants to buy 50 advertising related companies in a year seems kind of silly. It's not quantity it's quality and integration. I'm sure he'd be happy to talk to you, do people decline your requests for an interview?