

How Facebook Could Beat Google - svag
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/11/google-fears-facebook/all/1

======
brown9-2
_Some tech pundits foresee a Facebook future where friend recommendations
replace search_

I don't even understand how anyone can think this would be useful.

Would it be helpful when shopping for a new phone to know if my "friends" have
had better experience with Android or an iPhone? Sure.

But will a friend's recommendations help me find driving directions to a
location, or help me search for the answer to an elusive error message from a
piece of software I'm using, or help me find out more information on a
historic event or disease I want to learn more about?

How often are these "tech pundits" correct in their prognostications anyway?

~~~
drats
The confusion of all these journalists lies in the fact that Google and
Facebook are direct competitors because they both are advertising companies
based on data. But they both have fairly different usage scenarios so you'd
say that they are in partial competition like fast food being sold in a theme
park and a fast food company that does deliveries to homes and offices. But
maybe it's not that distinct; I suppose the product recommendation engine
could go beyond your local graph into friends of friends so that you can see
what SLR camera your "greater tribe" has been most satisfied with, see what
they said about it and see some of their photos they've taken with it. But am
I going to really be swayed by this vs. an Anandtech style SSD review or a
camcorderinfo.com one[1]? I think not. Maybe for something I don't care much
about and wish I could care less about, like clothes, I could be swayed. But
as soon as Amazon has a system where I can send in all my measurements and
then browse appropriate stuff from home and set up "manpacks" style periodic
deliveries I doubt I will step foot in another clothes store again. As I
understand it, that's pretty much in development right now. And as you say,
Google is organising the world's information well beyond products. I share
your disappointment in these tech pundits, but even HN returns to them
constantly like moths to a flame.

[1] some of these reviews are seriously impressive in their depth vs CNET
"senior" editors (btw has anyone ever actually seen a non-"senior" CNET
editor?) [http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Canon-
HF-S100-Camcorder...](http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Canon-
HF-S100-Camcorder-Review-36389/Color-amp-Noise-Performance.htm)

~~~
joe_the_user
I think cameras are a great example.

I don't care what my "greater tribe" thinks of a camera. Why should I?

What difference could it _possibly_ make - unless I'm a moron who needs to be
seen carrying the same camera as Bob-the-cool-guy?

Even more, only a dull minority of modern people have only one "tribe". I
might share a friendship with one group of people based on a single interest
and another group based on another and the two groups only marginally
intersect. I was impressed that a member of my martial arts group brought a
camera to video our practice group. But I have no reason to think he actually
knows more about cameras than the average camera using person and I didn't ask
his advice in buying a camera when I did buy one (I bought my camera used off
craiglist after Googling up some reviews - basically finding the cheapest item
that satisfied my needs).

~~~
marquis
Friend's suggestions are highly valued, especially for large ticket tech items
where the options are endless and often seemingly the same. Those who are not
tech-savvy have no idea what model camera, monitor, computer etc to buy. My
family is always asking my advice for these things, and I'm sure if Facebook
released some kind of recommended-by-your-friends product search they'd take
it to quickly. Variety and freedom of choice is not always seen as a good
thing, in those areas where someone has little experience of purchase.

------
kingkawn
The mainstream trajectory of web experience from AOL to Google to Facebook is
ironic. If it happens.

------
jdp23
quick summary: after winning the identity war, launch a third-party ad
service. if it happens, Ryan projects FB could be worth $100B

~~~
rsingel
jdp23, you are hereby given the tl;dr Wired.com badge. Submit your Facebook
UID and we'll let you prominently place it on your page.

~~~
jdp23
thanks! do you want my SSN and bank account numbers too?

------
S_A_P
Why does any one company have to "win" the internet? Why do people need to
have a "best" web company? Pitting companies as enemies? I cannot understand
the line of thinking- does this person _want_ there to be some sorta web
monopoly big brother type figure that strikes down all who oppose? This is
tabloid writing...

------
gnaritas
They can't, Facebook is a gnat, Google is an elephant, they aren't even in the
same league. When their profit is 10 times what it is now, then maybe they can
be in that conversation, but just barely as it'll still only be half of what
Google makes.

------
skbohra123
why suddenly everyone is talking about Google vs Facebook , instead of Google
vs Microsoft? Though I hate MS but still it's a good rival to fight with.
Facebook? Uh oh.

------
lhnn
The baiting headline about "winning the net" is really annoying. I really,
truly doubt any one company will own the Internet. Google has tons of fiber, a
cache of a ton of the Internet already, maps of the entire planet, algorithms
that can predict the stock market... I think Google still has more muscle than
Facebook.

Also, unless we get into some seriously Orwellian stuff, identity will not be
required for EVERY site on the net.

Therefore, no one owns the net.

~~~
malloreon
Think about how fast the "like" button was adopted all over the internet. All
these sites did so for two reasons: the possibility of getting additional free
traffic from facebook, and access to their fans' feed and potentially friends'
feeds.

If FB can make the case that requiring people to FB connect on a 3rd party
site will drive traffic, raise revenues, and whatever, many/most sites will
make the change. They won't shut out non-connected users, but they may degrade
the experience to encourage connectedness.

It sounds Orwellian, but it's not difficult for it to make business sense for
large swaths of the internet.

~~~
chopsueyar
I bet most websites have no idea why the hell they have a 'Like' button on
their site. Everbody else is doing it, why shouldn't I?

