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ALMOST HALF OF all people in the US think Facebook is nothing more than a passing fad, according to the results of a new poll.
Some 46 per cent of people believe the social media giant is likely to simply “fade away” as newer things arrive on the scene, an Associated Press/CNBC poll revealed.
Slightly fewer people, 43 per cent, reckon it will continue to be successful in the long term.
The figures emerged as Facebook prepares for its IPO, which is expected to be the largest in internet history.
Those surveyed also said the likely asking price for the firm’s shares – around $100billion in total – is too high.
More than 40 percent of American adults log in to the site — to share news, personal observations, photos and more — at least once a week. In all, some 900 million people around the world are users.
Among people in their teens and 20s, 55 per cent go on Facebook every day. A third log on several times a day.
Three of every five Facebook users say they have little or no faith that the company will protect their personal information.
Only 13 per cent trust Facebook to guard their data, and only 12 per cent would feel safe making purchases through the site. Even Facebook’s most dedicated users are wary — half of those who use the site daily say they wouldn’t feel safe buying things on the network.
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A company that makes $200m profit is somehow worth $100 billion. That’s a P/E ratio of 500:1. BUBBLE TROUBLE!
A $100 billion fad. But a fad none the less.
Its is a Fad until the next one comes along, $100 billion is ridiculous
Yes it may be a fad but in Tech Business terms it has been around a long time. The big question regarding Facebook that has not been addressed to date is the revenue model. Where will this Business, remember its a business not just a website, generate the funds to support shareholders expectations on returns. A clear plan has not emerged. In the same vane Google paid $6.5BN for YouTube and have never managed to draw a revenue stream from it. In fact they have been lumbered with the significant cost of servicing the content and accrued no bounce in their share price as a result of the acquisition. Face book may very well be here for the long haul but I predict that it will never justify a $100Bn valuation.
$100 billion is just a number they may aswell say $500 billion, its what people are willing to pay, and these times what they are asking for i doubt they will reach the target.
It feeds the needs of 99% of stalkers/cyber bullies and generally anyone who is socially stunted and under the illusion that anyone gives a monkeys about their sprogs photo superimposed on their profile or the hundreds of boring photographs of their year in Australia!!!
So why do you use it?
gossipbook it should be called!!!
It’s been going almost ten years, and it’s still growing. Name the last ‘fad’ to do that.
HMV
Adrian it is true that Facebook is losing Popularity in Australia, the U.S, Canada and parts of Europe. People are tiring of it. The owners of Facebook know this and are cashing in on it now before more and more people in the western world get bored of it.
It started in December 2003, and had 150,000 members by the following summer. Get your facts right. And still growing.
Enough time between posts to Google those stats Adrian.Like it…….
What would we do without google, we can live without facebook. You cannot search for what that spot is on your **** on facebook.
It was launched in February 2004 but wasn’t open to the general public until September 2006. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook#section_1
It’s a good idea to check your own facts before telling someone else to do so.
WAP.
Netscape.
Bebo to a lessor extent.
Christianity
Yoyo’s
Agreed. Although what’s the next big thing to replace it?
Dont know but probably some kid is working on it right now in his bedroom.
So some other kid can steal it from him.
When I deleted my Facebook account last year it felt like my last day at school
US is just a fad say half the people on Facebook
My Space, Bebo, Facebook, twitter… Next up who knows, but there will be something.
I use Facebook and like it, but this IPO will go down in history as the biggest scam in history! The big investment banks will flip their stock quite quickly and all the little fish will get eaten?? The valuation does not add up? Where is the revenue going to come from? Would you pay a subscription ? I wouldn’t and I don’t even notice the Ads never mind click on them! The bad feeling that this swindle will generate will hurt facebooks popularity to boot? Just my two cents?? But show me the money I can’t see it???
Here is a reply to your rhetorical comments??
I said this in 2009, would you believe. Of course it will die off eventually, but so too will Google. Even the internet will be dated sooner or late. And the world. So let’s keep some perspective.
Every single one of my friends, bar three, has a Facebook page, and seventy per cent of them update it daily. Social networking is an intrinsic part of the life of an entire generation. It will take a much more attractive product to get people to recreate their entire networks.
I wouldn’t be so quick to write it off tbh
This is coming from a country where 70 percent of people don’t even own a passport so what makes them experts?
Passports??
I’m confused.com
Why get a passport when your country is huge and has everything
I’d say it’s here for the duration but it will change to various forms in the future. Google + has failed to impress..like apple and the iPhone etc… It’s going to be a tough one to
Crack?
$100 billion,bit much,that is all.
Skateboarding was a fad. It’s now more popular than baseball.
I also use Facebook and enjoy it very much, and sorry to disappoint some of the snobs above but yes, I do also have actual real life friends and an active social life outside of this forum. FB however has allowed me to interact with people in an enjoyable way that I would never have ‘met’ otherwise and I have had the privilege to form actual friendships in terms of meeting some them in person.
It can also act as a social outlet for people unable to have full social lives that do many of us take for granted.
Of course there are abuses and bullying and very unpleasant exchanges on such an outlet as there are in any social situation, actual or virtual, and that aspect should be condemned by all right minded people, but some people would lead you to believe that the negative is all there is and that they are oh-so-superior for not having or needing Facebook in their lives.
If you don’t use it or want it, fine, but that doesn’t make you better than someone who does and enjoys it.
I don’t think it’s a fad. It’s easy to expect it to become a fad since MySpace and Bebo flopped. Twitter hasn’t made a huge dent on it, Google+ is good but people still stay on Facebook.
It’s so big at this stage that anything introduced by it’s competitors is introduced by Facebook on a bigger scale. I think Facebook will be around for another 10 years, possibly longer, but it will eventually fade away not in the way MySpace did but more like Nokia.
Can’t see the point in it personally but also can’t see it dying or even shrinking until an alternative is available.
have your say