Of course no one has a chance in hell of acquiring any stake in facebook assuming they want something more than a mutual fund that is only has a 1% stake in it

How the hell can the valuation be in the same ballpark as Amazon or McDonalds? Facebook could disappear tomorrow and other than a week or two of severe withdrawl for some people the world would barely skip a beat.

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That's a lot of money for a company that hasn't turned a profit yet

Zynga finally went over IPO price.

Wasn't groupon the last big tech IPO people were going to make millions on? How'd that turn out?

Facebook's IPO will make a few people a lot of money everyone else will get up getting screwed.

Lost Thought 00: That's a lot of money for a company that hasn't turned a profit yet

Facebook crossed into the black a few years ago. They've been profitable ever since. The latest rumors from people who have seen the numbers from the filing put Facebooks profits at $1 billion last year.

Fizpez: How the hell can the valuation be in the same ballpark as Amazon or McDonalds? Facebook could disappear tomorrow and other than a week or two of severe withdrawl for some people the world would barely skip a beat.

Because the last tech bubble was more than 10 years ago, so that means it never happened and it's time to repeat all our past mistakes all over again.

Get used to it. Cyclical idiocy is one of the few constants you can reliably bet on (or against) when it comes to the markets. If you have the spare cash, it's sort of fun to throw a few cheap bets around on when these sorts of things will actually blow up in investors' faces.

BalugaJoe: Zynga finally went over IPO price.

I saw that too and can't help but think it's nothing but cynical day traders looking to make a quick buck off the Facebook speculation.

Carth: Wasn't groupon the last big tech IPO people were going to make millions on? How'd that turn out?

Facebook's IPO will make a few people a lot of money everyone else will get up getting screwed.

Unlike groupon - Facebook has a workable business model.

Remember when myspace got bought for $40 million and everyone though that was an insanely high number?

Who would have thought that one of the most valuable commodities in the world would be people's private information and records of their habits, which they willingly provide to a giant corporation?

Lars The Canadian Viking: Remember when myspace got bought for $40 million and everyone though that was an insanely high number?

In retrospect it was.

I'd love to have a look at Facebook's cap table to see how much of the company Zuckerberg still holds. I was recently out in Silicon Valley, and just about every investment group I met with said they have a stake in Facebook from seed to end stage VC. That could be a lot of cram down.

Even 1% of a $100 Billion company is a nice chunk of change.

Fizpez: How the hell can the valuation be in the same ballpark as Amazon or McDonalds? Facebook could disappear tomorrow and other than a week or two of severe withdrawl for some people the world would barely skip a beat.

1.- No, people wouldn't "barely skip a beat". Facebook has become so ingrained in our society that if the service dissappeared tomorrow, you'd see riots in the street.

2.- Stock market has always been a scam. It's just hot air. Has zero real justification in the physical world. It's all hype and prestige. The trick is that you need to keep pumping hot air into the balloon so it doesn't crash.

rocky_howard: 1.- No, people wouldn't "barely skip a beat". Facebook has become so ingrained in our society that if the service dissappeared tomorrow, you'd see riots in the street.


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tankjr: rocky_howard: 1.- No, people wouldn't "barely skip a beat". Facebook has become so ingrained in our society that if the service dissappeared tomorrow, you'd see riots in the street.


Notsureifserious.jpg

Hey, it's cool to be a snarky bastard here on FARK, but, as the ample offer of reality shows and pop starlets prove, FARK is a minuscule representation of the population.

At 800 million users, Facebook is just not something you dismiss as a "fad". Facebook is what people spend the most time doing on their computers nowadays. Facebook, well social media in general, but FB is the big behemoth, has surpassed pron as the most performed activity on the Internet. Think. About. That.

rocky_howard: 1.- No, people wouldn't "barely skip a beat". Facebook has become so ingrained in our society that if the service dissappeared tomorrow, you'd see riots in the street.

lolno

Fizpez: How the hell can the valuation be in the same ballpark as Amazon or McDonalds? Facebook could disappear tomorrow and other than a week or two of severe withdrawl for some people the world would barely skip a beat.

Wouldn't it be the same about McDonald's and Amazon? Both are just businesses and if either one disappeared, it's not like the government will topple (there are alternatives to both).

I'm guessing the valuation comes from what companies and "brands" think Facebooks is worth for marketing.

Other that the fact that it keeps retards occupied for hours, does facebook really have any monetary value?

rocky_howard: tankjr: rocky_howard: 1.- No, people wouldn't "barely skip a beat". Facebook has become so ingrained in our society that if the service dissappeared tomorrow, you'd see riots in the street.


Notsureifserious.jpg

Hey, it's cool to be a snarky bastard here on FARK, but, as the ample offer of reality shows and pop starlets prove, FARK is a minuscule representation of the population.

At 800 million users, Facebook is just not something you dismiss as a "fad". Facebook is what people spend the most time doing on their computers nowadays. Facebook, well social media in general, but FB is the big behemoth, has surpassed pron as the most performed activity on the Internet. Think. About. That.

Well that's not a surprise. I only need 12 minutes with pron.

What he says:

rocky_howard: 2.- Stock market has always been a scam. It's just hot air. Has zero real justification in the physical world. It's all hype and prestige. The trick is that you need to keep pumping hot air into the balloon so it doesn't crash.

What he means:

I don't understand even the most basic of investing principles and, because I'm incredibly lazy and can't be bothered to do even simple research, I make up shrill and ridiculous nonsense to try and make it look like I'm too smart to participate in the stock market so I don't have to admit to myself that I'm massively ignorant on the subject.

You're not fooling anyone, buck-o. Although I will say that particular brand of nonsense is more at home on something like Marketwatch's comment boards than it is the Fark business tab.

rocky_howard: tankjr: rocky_howard: 1.- No, people wouldn't "barely skip a beat". Facebook has become so ingrained in our society that if the service dissappeared tomorrow, you'd see riots in the street.


Notsureifserious.jpg

Hey, it's cool to be a snarky bastard here on FARK, but, as the ample offer of reality shows and pop starlets prove, FARK is a minuscule representation of the population.

At 800 million users, Facebook is just not something you dismiss as a "fad". Facebook is what people spend the most time doing on their computers nowadays. Facebook, well social media in general, but FB is the big behemoth, has surpassed pron as the most performed activity on the Internet. Think. About. That.

DjangoStonereaver: Why would they even bother with an IPO? That would make them beholden to stockholders, who would probably
not like all the bad press their high-handed interface tinkering garners.

Unless they skew it so Zuckerberg and the VC's have majority stakes, like how the McMahon's took WWE public.

The rumor/speculation at this point is that only 10% of the company will be actually traded, so Zuck and the VC's will still easily control FB.

/Zuck and the VC's would make a great band name.

Fizpez: How the hell can the valuation be in the same ballpark as Amazon or McDonalds? Facebook could disappear tomorrow and other than a week or two of severe withdrawl for some people the world would barely skip a beat.

My company spends a lot of time, money and energy getting "Likes" on Facebook.
I don't understand.

Jake Havechek: Other that the fact that it keeps retards occupied for hours, does facebook really have any monetary value?

They have information about what 800 million retards spend money on. Retard money being, of course, the easiest kind to take.

Splinshints: What he says:

rocky_howard: 2.- Stock market has always been a scam. It's just hot air. Has zero real justification in the physical world. It's all hype and prestige. The trick is that you need to keep pumping hot air into the balloon so it doesn't crash.

What he means:

I don't understand even the most basic of investing principles and, because I'm incredibly lazy and can't be bothered to do even simple research, I make up shrill and ridiculous nonsense to try and make it look like I'm too smart to participate in the stock market so I don't have to admit to myself that I'm massively ignorant on the subject.

What simple research? That the price of stock is dependant on the PR of the company and the FACT that it has been manipulated in the past is proof enough that it's a rigged system.

Also, stock market value is an inflated artificial value. Do you really think Apple is the largest company in the world? They're a pretty nimble company, it's just that their marketing department is incredibly good, which in turn has a direct effect on the investors, who end up buying stock since it's going to rise. Why do you think Apple hasn't had splits in more than a decade? Steve Jobs knew what that meant. It artiifcially kept the price high so people had a warped sense of their value ("So Apple stock is at what? 200 bucks? :O") and thought they could earn lots of easy money.

I know you're probably so invested in the lifestyle that you don't want to admit it lest your worldview ends up shattered, but you know it's true. And if you don't know...well...sorry for you pal.

That_Dude: rocky_howard: tankjr: rocky_howard: 1.- No, people wouldn't "barely skip a beat". Facebook has become so ingrained in our society that if the service dissappeared tomorrow, you'd see riots in the street.


Notsureifserious.jpg

Hey, it's cool to be a snarky bastard here on FARK, but, as the ample offer of reality shows and pop starlets prove, FARK is a minuscule representation of the population.

At 800 million users, Facebook is just not something you dismiss as a "fad". Facebook is what people spend the most time doing on their computers nowadays. Facebook, well social media in general, but FB is the big behemoth, has surpassed pron as the most performed activity on the Internet. Think. About. That.

[imgs.xkcd.com image 500x271]

Here's one from Reuters:

Link (new window)

And here's a Google Search results for more links

(new window)

Last of the Crazy People: They have information about what 800 million retards spend money on. Retard money being, of course, the easiest kind to take.

Don't forget the army of mindless drones it's collected. Read up about Cow Clicker and despair.

DjangoStonereaver: hp6sa: DjangoStonereaver: Why would they even bother with an IPO? That would make them beholden to stockholders, who would probably
not like all the bad press their high-handed interface tinkering garners.

Unless they skew it so Zuckerberg and the VC's have majority stakes, like how the McMahon's took WWE public.

The rumor/speculation at this point is that only 10% of the company will be actually traded, so Zuck and the VC's will still easily control FB.

/Zuck and the VC's would make a great band name.

That's scary.

I swear to God that I had no idea that there were real rumours about this. Then again, given Zuckerberg's
passive/aggressive megalomania this isn't exactly a shock, is it?

Venture backed companies like Facebook have to make an exit at some point. The VCs and seed investors need to see a return before their funds close. Companies like Facebook have two options for a successful exit, M&A, or IPO. Facebook isn't really interested in being merged with another company, and there are few companies that would be willing to pay the premium required to purchase Facebook. For a company with a valuation of 75-100 billion, an IPO is the only way. Staying private would give the investors a bunch of supposedly valuable stock that they can't sell.

If only 10% of the company is traded initially there may be other reasons. Facebook has been mulling an IPO for a while now, Zuck and his executive team want to get liquid and start living the life fantastic. The investors need to take the gains from investing in Facebook back to their funds to post those big multiples. They could be shelving a chunk of Facebook stock to hedge a bit against a crappy IPO, or the terms of the underwriters may only permit sale of a particular amount of the company.

You will probably also see a reverse stock split just prior to the IPO which will reduce the number of shares in the hands of Facebook employees

rocky_howard: Splinshints: What he says:

rocky_howard: 2.- Stock market has always been a scam. It's just hot air. Has zero real justification in the physical world. It's all hype and prestige. The trick is that you need to keep pumping hot air into the balloon so it doesn't crash.

What he means:

I don't understand even the most basic of investing principles and, because I'm incredibly lazy and can't be bothered to do even simple research, I make up shrill and ridiculous nonsense to try and make it look like I'm too smart to participate in the stock market so I don't have to admit to myself that I'm massively ignorant on the subject.

What simple research? That the price of stock is dependant on the PR of the company and the FACT that it has been manipulated in the past is proof enough that it's a rigged system.

Also, stock market value is an inflated artificial value. Do you really think Apple is the largest company in the world? They're a pretty nimble company, it's just that their marketing department is incredibly good, which in turn has a direct effect on the investors, who end up buying stock since it's going to rise. Why do you think Apple hasn't had splits in more than a decade? Steve Jobs knew what that meant. It artiifcially kept the price high so people had a warped sense of their value ("So Apple stock is at what? 200 bucks? :O") and thought they could earn lots of easy money.

I know you're probably so invested in the lifestyle that you don't want to admit it lest your worldview ends up shattered, but you know it's true. And if you don't know...well...sorry for you pal.

What the flying fark cocaine-fueled drivel is this?

You don't even know what the thing is yet. How big it can get, how far it can go. This is no time to take your chips down. A billion dollars isn't cool, you know what's cool? Ten billion dollars.

From a WSJ article, looks like active users are peaking. I am guessing they recognize this and know its time to cash out.

Once users peak, where does the growth come from? Annoying existing users with more adverts?

As one who missed out on becoming one of the many myspace millionaires, I'm poised with my nest egg to invest in this farking mutt.

rocky_howard: What simple research? That the price of stock is dependant on the PR of the company and the FACT that it has been manipulated in the past is proof enough that it's a rigged system.

Also, stock market value is an inflated artificial value. Do you really think Apple is the largest company in the world? They're a pretty nimble company, it's just that their marketing department is incredibly good, which in turn has a direct effect on the investors, who end up buying stock since it's going to rise. Why do you think Apple hasn't had splits in more than a decade? Steve Jobs knew what that meant. It artiifcially kept the price high so people had a warped sense of their value ("So Apple stock is at what? 200 bucks? :O") and thought they could earn lots of easy money.

I know you're probably so invested in the lifestyle that you don't want to admit it lest your worldview ends up shattered, but you know it's true. And if you don't know...well...sorry for you pal.

NYSE or NASDAQ?

TedDalton: From a WSJ article, looks like active users are peaking. I am guessing they recognize this and know its time to cash out.

Once users peak, where does the growth come from? Annoying existing users with more adverts?

[si.wsj.net image 225x336]

If only there was a constant stream of new people coming into the world.

Carth: TedDalton: From a WSJ article, looks like active users are peaking. I am guessing they recognize this and know its time to cash out.

Once users peak, where does the growth come from? Annoying existing users with more adverts?

[si.wsj.net image 225x336]

If only there was a constant stream of new people coming into the world.

The future BIG growth for facebook (and gmae companies on it) is when online gaming (gambling) happens. And it's not an if at this point, it's a when. Facebook then instantly becomes the biggest money making "casino" the world, and it doesn't even have do a darned thing---it just collects 30% from every "chip purchase" and whistles to the bank.

snowshovel: Carth: TedDalton: From a WSJ article, looks like active users are peaking. I am guessing they recognize this and know its time to cash out.

Once users peak, where does the growth come from? Annoying existing users with more adverts?

[si.wsj.net image 225x336]

If only there was a constant stream of new people coming into the world.

The future BIG growth for facebook (and gmae companies on it) is when online gaming (gambling) happens. And it's not an if at this point, it's a when. Facebook then instantly becomes the biggest money making "casino" the world, and it doesn't even have do a darned thing---it just collects 30% from every "chip purchase" and whistles to the bank.

I hope the stock goes 10x IPO in the first two months. Then I can safely short the FARK out of this stock.

Then bail before the casino aspect comes in. I believe here in 'land of the red man', it is already legal if people could/would implement the gambling purely INTRAstate.

Until then I have to burn some crushed plesiosaur remains to get the 30 miles to the nearest casino with a poker room.

Jake Havechek: Other that the fact that it keeps retards occupied for hours, does facebook really have any monetary value?

Same goes with many forms of entertainment. Is there intrinsic value in television? It keeps people occupied for hours. However, advertisers pay a lot of money to show their ads to those people. Is there intrinsic value in Fark? People pay $5/mo and ads are served on this site (I know, I know, "but adblock"), so there is some financial gain for the site owner.

I know it's cool to haterade on Facebook, but I find it to be an extremely useful tool sometimes. It's an easy way to keep in touch with friends, share pictures/video, etc. Granted, I have a pretty stringent friend "acceptance" policy, largely out of respect for my own privacy. Not sure how those who have 2000 "friends" and accept any and every request deal with it, though.