Facebook Acquires Friendfeed

Let the frenzy begin...

[goaliegirl]

Friendfeed has announced on their blog that they have been acquired by Facebook.

[blog.friendfeed.com...]

[GaryK]

Facebook has confirmed it.

[facebook.com...]

[JS_Harris]

And the news has spit it out with a dozen different flavors.

Good move - Buy Friendfeed (to eliminate them), over time integrate it to work as part of facebook instead of a side service and take on Twitter (or should I say take out).

I wonder how long before Twitter tries to buy a social networking company to stave off being gobbled up. I bet classmates would be willing to be bought by Twitter, Facebook already offers a great "friend finder" for free so classmates isn't going anywhere via their paid approach...

I'm getting ahead of myself, none of these companies monetize very well, yet.

[Gomvents]

I think classmates is owned by UNTD, and from what I remember, profitable. If that's correct they are making more money than any other social site...

[wyweb]

I wonder how long before Twitter tries to buy a social networking company to stave off being gobbled up.

Good question.

Would being gobbled up be such a bad thing though?

[GaryK]

In a way I'd hate to see Twitter go. I know people talk about how Facebook should be the next Twitter. Personally I don't see it. Sure they're both social networking sites, but they each have their own little niche. For me at least Twitter is how I get news out about business-related things. It's quick and easy. Facebook is for personal things. Sure I could setup a business account on FB, but the Wall just doesn't have the same feel to me as posting on Twitter. Twitter seems better, to me at least, for quick updates where not much interaction is needed. FB is better for allowing people to comment directly on each of my updates. It's more threaded I guess you could say. In that sense Facebook and Friendfeed seem like a natural combination. I'm sure they'll do well together.

[MWpro]

I know people talk about how Facebook should be the next Twitter.

Wasn't Facebook around before Twitter, and isn't Twitter basically just based off the concept of Facebook status updates?

[Gomvents]

MWpro, Yes.

[GaryK]

Double yes. But that doesn't stop people from saying it. I hear it all the time from clients and non-techie friends.

[JS_Harris]

Gomvents, yes classmates is owned by UNTD but the majority of UNTD income is derived from their FTD flower chain. UNTD used to make hordes of money via their free (ad filled) website service but they dropped the ball by remaining dial-up only(imo) when competitors like Verizon went DSL or better. That part of the company is shrinking steadily as you'd expect.

Classmates isn't gaining ground, they're new subscriber numbers for the past quarter are down over 65% from the same period last year and an IPO looks even less likely now that UNTD lowered its projected outlook below what was expected. Facebook offers a free classmate finder so it doesn't make sense to pay classmates for that service really.

Also, UNTD leadership bailed out when photobucket was purchased instead of myphotosite, hopes of a buyout didn't materialize (if they existed) and myphotosite was shutdown right after that.

All that ads up to "bail out now or hold on till we hit rock bottom and hope to rebuild". For now the stockholders are happy with dividend earnings, when the cash runs out to continue paying those I expect to see classmates move.

Twitter might actually be able to infuse life into classmates and the timing won't get better than now.

[koan]

Doesn't Classmates has a nasty reputation what with their "A former classmate is looking for you" marketing campaign that apparently turns out to be false? I don't think other social networks would want to approach it.