News Ballmer says social networking is a fad

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/10/03/ballmer_says_social_networking_is_a_fad/1

Following the rumours of Microsoft looking to invest in Facebook, Steve Ballmer is now saying that social networks are a fad.

 

On a related note, Robert Scoble (well known blogger, used to work for Microsoft as it happens) has this to say: http://scobleizer.com/2007/10/02/steve-ballmer-still-doesnt-understand-social-networking/

 

Awesome read

 

I just dont get these sites, if you want to speak or see someone, ring them or meet up with them.

 

QFT

 

A lot of people say that and yet a lot of those people use Facebook still. I know a lot of people who find uses for it as a hub for sharing photos or communicating for free without having to send emails. I've organised trips and holidays between people when I just can't be bothered to ring round everyone and don't have the credit for a mass text.

I also know people who are very close to me but who it isn't appropriate for me to go meeting up with every week or who are constantly on the move. Got an ex-girlfriend who's off doing journalism about apertheid in Ghana and South Africa and want to get in contact and share photos easily? Facebook is the easy way to get in contact without worrying about emails getting flushed out with the junk or lost in the mass and is a great way for one person to share photos with a larger group.

 

So Microsoft just invested a load in being the exclusive advertiser then Ballmer comes out and looks like an old fart.

They need to bring back Allard.

 

So it's like skype then Joe? Utterly useless unless you have a genuine need (in other words you don't have a mobile with free texts/credit etc or have to call abroad regularly).

The only thing I've found facebook handy for so far is contacting people I've not spoken to in years :/

 

I think thats fair, but also true of most things, a car is useless if you live in the middle of city and don't have use for it.

 

Pretty much the only use I have for facebook is contacting people I don't have the contact details for, or if I think what I have to ask isn't really worth the effort of a phone call. I think Facebook is much better than myspace, I find people use that for the sake of using it, whereas facebook is a bit more useful IMO, you don't get all this **** with music on the front page and crap like that. Still, I hardly go on facebook either.

 

Geowhat?

Whatcities?

whatwhat?

 

In a way he is correct. A year ago the hype was all about Myspace, now it's all about Facebook. What's going to be the next one?

 

Wow... he said something I agree with, I wonder if hell froze over?

 

I think it did... because I agree to it as well...

 

I think that's a gross generalisation...

What if it's not convinient to use skype?

What if you are in england and your best mate is in Japan? Would you get up at 5am to speak to him/her on skype? Just not practical really is it...

Of course it's utterly useless unless you have a need for the damned thing, otherwise you wouldn't start using it in the first place, would you?

Joe just listed several things he likes to use facebook for, all perfectly valid reasons...just because he finds it extremely useful, and you find it only mildly so, doesn't mean it's a crap idea.....different strokes different folks man!

 

protip: pretty much everything is useless unless you have a need for what it does....

 

Facebook is better than email because it seems more personable and I like how you can share pictures and show your interests and being in college myself and having a hectic schedule as it is, it is easy to keep in touch with what's going on in multiple friend's lives in a relatively easy way.....I think Facebook is popular for a reason, but I do think it's a little overrated and I can't see how it's worth as much money as it is.....

 

As a nineteen year old whose grown up around and on these sites I've to agree. I lost interest early enough and only wasted my time on two really. I've never used Facebook and have no reason to do so, I still occasionally use Myspace, but not to 'communicate' with real life friends (30 Jul 2007 15:31 - last time someone left a comment), I use it mainly to 'talk' with people from my university on the forums and find out what's happening. It's an interesting and simple way to get to know personalities that I otherwise would never get to meet due to them being in other departments and what not. I has its uses but beyond curing boredom for adolescents in class you're struggling to justify it.

 

or getting laid, as some of my friends seem to think it's for

 

how about Myface ???? lol

tm and copyright me in case anyone makes millions from it