tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17898384.post3277805956037102427..comments2024-03-25T21:41:06.801-07:00Comments on Mobile Opportunity: The Seductive Foolishness of a Facebook PhoneMichael Macehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17966107280587843091noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17898384.post-27929409100767859212012-08-28T15:55:38.614-07:002012-08-28T15:55:38.614-07:00> "In this world, customers choose which w...> "In this world, customers choose which websites and web apps they want to use, without being forced into a particular choice by a hardware manufacturer." <br /><br />You write as if customers would rather chose web apps if they were not forced by carriers or manufacturers. This is a position flying in the face of evidence to the contrary. Customers and developers clamored for native apps, when Apple offered web apps as the only option at first. Just think about email, possibly the most common web app in the world. As soon as the cost barrier is removed and people expect to be the only legitimate user of a computer, (as in the case of work supplied laptops) they start using native programs, such as Outlook, to access email, even though web access is still possible in many, if not all, corporate email systems. <br /><br />Facebook distributed an almost web app, heavily dependent on HTML5, through iOS app store and its performance was noticeably bad until it switched to a native version. For many, many applications, there are performance or usability gains to be had by going native and if you don't provide it, your competitors will.tatilsevernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17898384.post-87919398979954429892012-08-25T04:03:53.484-07:002012-08-25T04:03:53.484-07:00Excellent read and relevant comments.
I'd lik...Excellent read and relevant comments.<br /><br />I'd like your opinion on the 'reverse' scenario whereby FB enables the functions of the mobile phone to be fully available. e.g. voice and SMS are still a huge part of how we all communicate. I wonder if another scenario is to picture FB as a giant worldwide MVNO with 950m subscribers.<br /><br />It seems to me that this scenario plays to FBs strength as a (near)-ubiquitous communication platform and could create more leverage over the smartphone manufacturers to integrate FB.<br /><br />Comments welcome!Steve Lnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17898384.post-7191655171461190812012-08-24T10:20:16.213-07:002012-08-24T10:20:16.213-07:00John wrote:
>>Facebook is also facing the q...John wrote:<br /><br />>>Facebook is also facing the question of how to replace the ad revenue that is being lost as its audience transfers from desktop to mobile (where ads aren't as prevalent or lucrative).<br /><br />I wanted like to ask Mace, actually what "is" Facebook's revenue model? At the time FB got started I wondering what is their business model. When it gathers momentum and draws zillion contacts in, I figured it is capitalizing on the most important data on the web, profiling the people and what their needs..<br /><br />Then I wondered OK, how one can make a decent business out of "people's profiles" it has without really being evil or going underground?<br /><br />I still can't make sense that Facebook has a sound business.<br /><br />I read the stories Google going through snooping WIFI and StreetViews, in that regard Facebook has far more valuable data under their servers to be questions at if they use it to make money apart from ads and without being evil.<br /><br />Any insights?<br /><br />Mace: Bloggers new capchar actually suck! I am pretty damn sure no machine code can bypass it. But it hurts human eye!<br /><br />Chanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01987423721037603110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17898384.post-52654001843426188922012-08-24T09:04:58.355-07:002012-08-24T09:04:58.355-07:00Thanks for the comments, folks! A couple of thoug...Thanks for the comments, folks! A couple of thoughts...<br /><br /><br /><b>shoobe01 wrote:</b><br /><br /><i>>>I was waiting for you to point out some of the more spectacular failures. Two I like are ESPN (had an MVNO on Sprint that became a co-branded product vs. an MVNO maybe before it launched!) and Garmin</i><br /><br />Excellent point! I had meant to mention the ESPN fiasco (link), but forgot it, so thank you very much for pointing it out.<br /><br /> <br /><b>John wrote:</b><br /><br /><i>>>Facebook is also facing the question of how to replace the ad revenue that is being lost as its audience transfers from desktop to mobile (where ads aren't as prevalent or lucrative).</i><br /><br />Absolutely yes. And if they think believe could capture massively more Facebook ad money by making their own phone, then maybe that would be another reason to make a Facebook Phone. So thank you for pointing that out. I could picture this idea where if they can track all of your phone activity, plus all your web activity, they can give you even more targeted advertising. Google had (has?) the same idea when it talked about giving away free phones+service. I haven't heard them mention that idea for years.<br /><br />By the way, if Facebook really believes in the scenario above, why not just partner with the handset companies to install tracking software along with the Facebook app? I don't think it requires you to make your own phone.<br /><br /><br /><i>>>the captcha system on your blog is horrendous. I had to go through at least 10 attempts to post this comment.</i><br /><br />Yikes. I'm sorry for the trouble. The captcha system is generated by Blogger and I can't control it. If you have any more details on what happened, please send me a note directly (my contact info is <a href="http://www.mikemace.com/contact.php" rel="nofollow">here</a>), and I will complain to the Blogger folks.<br /><br />Thank you for being persistent.Michael Macehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17966107280587843091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17898384.post-67729156994390207712012-08-24T07:08:47.015-07:002012-08-24T07:08:47.015-07:00Facebook is also facing the question of how to rep...Facebook is also facing the question of how to replace the ad revenue that is being lost as its audience transfers from desktop to mobile (where ads aren't as prevalent or lucrative).<br /><br />To do this, they absolutely need to ensure that they have a world-class ad platform which can work on more than one phone.<br /><br />PS - the captcha system on your blog is horrendous. I had to go through at least 10 attempts to post this comment.Johnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17898384.post-14816730133359417202012-08-24T04:36:16.466-07:002012-08-24T04:36:16.466-07:00Bravo!
I think Mark will soon send (owe) you a 1M...Bravo!<br /><br />I think Mark will soon send (owe) you a 1M paycheck!<br /><br />You does his business consultancy so well, Mark doesn't need his own team of guys to do that!Chanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01987423721037603110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17898384.post-63429460076887706412012-08-23T21:32:32.452-07:002012-08-23T21:32:32.452-07:00I was waiting for you to point out some of the mor...I was waiting for you to point out some of the more spectacular failures. Two I like are ESPN (had an MVNO on Sprint that became a co-branded product vs. an MVNO maybe before it launched!) and Garmin, which points to another path: just let someone else make it and glue some software on top. I'd suspect a FacePhone would be like this, and be awful. Maybe it already got made in prototype, and someone had the sense to say it was terrible, that's why Mark can say they are not doing it and not blink. <br /><br />There, more unfounded rumors for you as well.Steven Hooberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02906610345363264283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17898384.post-13685562843380669252012-08-23T19:17:28.607-07:002012-08-23T19:17:28.607-07:00Facebook can take lead on the most powerful platfo...Facebook can take lead on the most powerful platform of them all- the web. On the web, Facebook not beholden to anyone. Facebook should knock off its walled garden nonsense. Walled gardens might be hugely profitable in the beginning due to their novelty, but more open platforms draw bigger, long-term, sustainable interest. <br /> <br />Apple's recent fortune is largely dependent on AT&T and Verizon's high iPhone subsidy. These high subsidies that are so chafing these carriers, that they're steering customers away from the iPhone, and in AT&T case, charging iPhone users to use Facetime to squeeze more money out of them.dang1https://www.blogger.com/profile/14090288327978562793noreply@blogger.com