Facebook on the Defensive: Friendster Fate Looms?
To add insult to Facebook injury, and rub salt in Mark Zuckerberg’s wounds, Google is flaunting THEIR “social graph” all over the World Wide Web. Result? The supposed Facebook social utility is NOT looking so useful after all.
Facebook is understandably getting defensive, pleading OpenSocial ignorance and scrambling to figure out how to save F8 face.
BUT, was it not just days ago that Facebook had Microsoft AND Google scrambling to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in homage to Mr. Zuckerberg? AND, was in not just months ago that Mr Z. was deemed to be the Internet’s savior?
Microsoft has been notably quiet on the API fate of their new strategic investment. Microsoft blogger extraordinaire Don Dodge, however, rises to the defense of his new strategic relation, insisting Facebook is not “dead,” much as he rallies Microsoft to still be among the very living, despite what Paul Graham says.
In Google’s Facebook KILLER Strategy, Microsoft Too yesterday, I analyzed how both Facebook AND Microsoft are losing the perception game to Google, regardless of ultimate merit of the social utility and the Windows dynasty.
Google is not killing Facebook thanks to OpenSocial and Google is not killing Microsoft Office thanks to Apps. Nevertheless, momentum and (tech) public opinion is surely Googley.
Will Facebookers remain faithful to their first true social graph love, as Dodge predicts? OR, are Facebookers same as the fickle defectors that sealed Friendster’s fate?
Moreover, would Facebook have obtained a $15 billion dollar valuation if OpenSocial had been on the open market just last week?
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