Microsoft may buy part of Facebook

September 24, 2007 By

Wow, I go to lunch with my parents and the entire world shifts due to a Wall Street Journal report that Microsoft may buy part of Facebook which would value Facebook at $10 billion or so.

Too bad that Microsoft’s management didn’t listen to Jeff Sandquist and others two years ago.

Funny, you know Dave Morin? He works at Facebook on the app platform now but used to work at Apple. He told me that he tried to get Apple to pay attention too. But got frustrated with Apple’s inability to get Facebook. So, he left to join Facebook.

What’s funny, he told me, is now a good percentage of Apple employees are on Facebook. At the latest Apple press conference I noticed that Steve Jobs even showed off the iPhone Facebook app on stage.

Filed Under: Facebook app, Microsoft Office
  • http://autodidactus.wordpress.com/ The Autodidact

    Scoble, isn’t it obvious? Facebook would never have become the all-important web platform it is today had it been subsumed into the Redmond behemoth! As someone who cares very much about the future of Technology and the Web, I am hoping this is nothing but a rumor. We do NOT need further consolidation. Facebook staying independent is important for our industry.

  • http://autodidactus.wordpress.com The Autodidact

    Scoble, isn’t it obvious? Facebook would never have become the all-important web platform it is today had it been subsumed into the Redmond behemoth! As someone who cares very much about the future of Technology and the Web, I am hoping this is nothing but a rumor. We do NOT need further consolidation. Facebook staying independent is important for our industry.

  • Again, you’re right

    Yeah, MSFT should have listened to you and others years ago. But perhaps this is the beginning of a new era at Microsoft. A global holding company of cool stuff. Think about Bungie, Facebook, etc. and the list can grow of companies that MSFT could “own” but not touch, therefore not infect them and screw them up. Enough of that and the company would be cool again. (not holding my breath BTW)

  • Again, you’re right

    Yeah, MSFT should have listened to you and others years ago. But perhaps this is the beginning of a new era at Microsoft. A global holding company of cool stuff. Think about Bungie, Facebook, etc. and the list can grow of companies that MSFT could “own” but not touch, therefore not infect them and screw them up. Enough of that and the company would be cool again. (not holding my breath BTW)

  • http://doknir.blogspot.com/ doknir

    || Too bad that Microsoft’s management didn’t listen
    || to Jeff Sandquist and others two years ago.

    Why ??

    Regards, Roman

  • http://doknir.blogspot.com doknir

    || Too bad that Microsoft’s management didn’t listen
    || to Jeff Sandquist and others two years ago.

    Why ??

    Regards, Roman

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  • DaveD

    Meh.

  • DaveD

    Meh.

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  • Christine

    Microsoft or not, Facebook will be dead in about five years anyway. These fads simply don’t last.

  • Christine

    Microsoft or not, Facebook will be dead in about five years anyway. These fads simply don’t last.

  • http://luke.gedeon.name/ Luke Gedeon

    @Christine – Mircosoft meddling will kill it faster though. Too bad… it has come in handy for finding old college friends. Maybe this time I can do a better job of keeping track of them and move the contact info into the next fad.

    @Autodidact – I totally agree. I am so glad Microsoft did not crush them before now.

  • http://luke.gedeon.name/ Luke Gedeon

    @Christine – Mircosoft meddling will kill it faster though. Too bad… it has come in handy for finding old college friends. Maybe this time I can do a better job of keeping track of them and move the contact info into the next fad.

    @Autodidact – I totally agree. I am so glad Microsoft did not crush them before now.

  • http://www.facetplay.com/ S. Srinivasan

    Google should just buy Friendster for their killer social networking patents and then sue the pants off of Msft/Facebook….

    oops! that would make them evil though :-)

  • http://www.facetplay.com S. Srinivasan

    Google should just buy Friendster for their killer social networking patents and then sue the pants off of Msft/Facebook….

    oops! that would make them evil though :-)

  • John Gibson

    Microsoft should buy Facebook and manage the acquisition similarly to how they handle Bungie.

  • http://wheatridgeranter.blogspot.com/ Ryan Rapp

    Hey Scoble,

    Why does this Daniel guy keep writing filler responses so he can redirect to his spamsite. And no, he’s not the lil Mac kid.

  • John Gibson

    Microsoft should buy Facebook and manage the acquisition similarly to how they handle Bungie.

  • http://wheatridgeranter.blogspot.com Ryan Rapp

    Hey Scoble,

    Why does this Daniel guy keep writing filler responses so he can redirect to his spamsite. And no, he’s not the lil Mac kid.

  • Journeytech

    It’s a simple Facebook pump and dump tactic, WSJ being the duped proxy, leak details, push up the price. If Microsoft dares spill cash on this latest hype, so much the worse for them, they have already taken a few bullets to the brain in their Google and faddish envy.

  • Journeytech

    It’s a simple Facebook pump and dump tactic, WSJ being the duped proxy, leak details, push up the price. If Microsoft dares spill cash on this latest hype, so much the worse for them, they have already taken a few bullets to the brain in their Google and faddish envy.

  • http://scobleizer.com/ Robert Scoble

    Ryan: I blocked Daniel’s messages as spam. Sorry about that.

    Doknir: big companies don’t get small ideas before they get big. Read “Innovator’s Dilemma.”

  • http://scobleizer.com/ Robert Scoble

    Ryan: I blocked Daniel’s messages as spam. Sorry about that.

    Doknir: big companies don’t get small ideas before they get big. Read “Innovator’s Dilemma.”

  • http://blog.infurious.com/ mj

    Microsoft is spending billions to become the #2 hottest games console on the planet.

    I’m sure this could help Facebook becomes #2 as well.

  • http://blog.infurious.com mj

    Microsoft is spending billions to become the #2 hottest games console on the planet.

    I’m sure this could help Facebook becomes #2 as well.

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  • http://www.eweek.com/ Michael Hickins

    Robert, Joe Wilcox on Microsoft Watch is rethinking his earlier comments that Microsoft would ruin Facebook by integrating it into its stack. He now sees Facebook as an operating system for the Internet–something Microsoft is sorely lacking. Do you think that’s a good analogy?

  • http://www.eweek.com Michael Hickins

    Robert, Joe Wilcox on Microsoft Watch is rethinking his earlier comments that Microsoft would ruin Facebook by integrating it into its stack. He now sees Facebook as an operating system for the Internet–something Microsoft is sorely lacking. Do you think that’s a good analogy?

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  • http://blackthir13en.andablog.com/ Blackthir13en

    Microsoft is just trying to do their best to ensure that Google’s new open API doesn’t get as much buss as it can. It’s not the first time Microsoft has butted heads with Google, and the Facebook/Social Network ownership is just another example of this.

  • http://blackthir13en.andablog.com Blackthir13en

    Microsoft is just trying to do their best to ensure that Google’s new open API doesn’t get as much buss as it can. It’s not the first time Microsoft has butted heads with Google, and the Facebook/Social Network ownership is just another example of this.

  • http://www.sha.tc/ uncle sha

    responding to Christine comment: I don’t think it’s a fad.

    When application are made by the users themselves, it has far reaching ‘value’ to it. People know what they want and get an application made

    5 years down the road, I would still be on Facebook like I did with Friendster back in 2002 when it started

  • http://www.sha.tc uncle sha

    responding to Christine comment: I don’t think it’s a fad.

    When application are made by the users themselves, it has far reaching ‘value’ to it. People know what they want and get an application made

    5 years down the road, I would still be on Facebook like I did with Friendster back in 2002 when it started

  • http://personalbrandingblog.wordpress.com/ Dan Schawbel

    I see facebook as a great asset. Microsoft is making a strong move in the right direction if this goes through.

  • http://personalbrandingblog.wordpress.com Dan Schawbel

    I see facebook as a great asset. Microsoft is making a strong move in the right direction if this goes through.

  • vikramrajan

    we can now easily create our own Facebook application – for our profiles, or for it to become a viral [marketing] campaign.

    I blogged about it on my site: http://www.personalbrandmarketing.com/2007/09/25/make-your-own-facebook-application-easily/

    ~ Vikram
    PersonalBrandMarketing.com

  • vikramrajan

    we can now easily create our own Facebook application – for our profiles, or for it to become a viral [marketing] campaign.

    I blogged about it on my site: http://www.personalbrandmarketing.com/2007/09/25/make-your-own-facebook-application-easily/

    ~ Vikram
    PersonalBrandMarketing.com

  • http://www.nathansokalski.com/ Nathan Sokalski

    I am a big fan of FaceBook. I am a big fan of MSN. But if you combine them, which I am pretty sure Microsoft would, it would simply take the fact of how specialized FaceBook is, because it would end up being blended with stuff that is NOT social networking. I also have a feeling that the reason FaceBook did not want to join Microsoft or Apple when it started (and hopefully they don’e want to now) is because just having the name associated with them would lower their reputation. I am a big fan of Microsoft, and a hater of Apple. Some people are the opposite. but either way, with everything you hear about big companies, it would be hard to believe they would put enough effort into maintaining FaceBook.

  • http://www.nathansokalski.com/ Nathan Sokalski

    I am a big fan of FaceBook. I am a big fan of MSN. But if you combine them, which I am pretty sure Microsoft would, it would simply take the fact of how specialized FaceBook is, because it would end up being blended with stuff that is NOT social networking. I also have a feeling that the reason FaceBook did not want to join Microsoft or Apple when it started (and hopefully they don’e want to now) is because just having the name associated with them would lower their reputation. I am a big fan of Microsoft, and a hater of Apple. Some people are the opposite. but either way, with everything you hear about big companies, it would be hard to believe they would put enough effort into maintaining FaceBook.

  • vruz

    how funny, I had to re-read that headline.
    for a moment in my head it read like:

    “Microsoft may BURY part of Facebook”

    funny how our minds work…

  • vruz

    how funny, I had to re-read that headline.
    for a moment in my head it read like:

    “Microsoft may BURY part of Facebook”

    funny how our minds work…

  • http://geniusoflove.blogspot.com/ Michael Dillon

    How do you buy part of a site? I would be interested to see how this will work.

  • http://geniusoflove.blogspot.com Michael Dillon

    How do you buy part of a site? I would be interested to see how this will work.

  • http://www.entrepremusings.com/ Aruni

    No wonder I can’t get anyone at Microsoft to pay attention to us! :-)

  • http://www.entrepremusings.com Aruni

    No wonder I can’t get anyone at Microsoft to pay attention to us! :-)

  • http://jusdolgin.regeasy.hop.clickbank.net/ Johan

    Is Microsoft still a monopoly?

  • http://jusdolgin.regeasy.hop.clickbank.net/ Johan

    Is Microsoft still a monopoly?

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