Facebook IPO

[MisterCreosote]

Analysts say the company could be valued at up to $100 billion after Wednesday's offering:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/01/technology/riding-personal-data-facebook-is-going-public.html?_r=1&hp

Am I the only one who's uncomfortable with even more money being made off of what, essentially, is pimping Facebook members' personal information in order to target ads specifically to them?

 

[bigpern23]

Simple answer is not to have a Facebook account.

 

[WerenCole]

As a former sports reporter now turned tech journalist, this is not exactly the discussion thread I was expecting to see on SportsJournalists.com.

 

[bigpern23]

Believe it or not, many of us sports writers like to talk about subjects other than sports once in a while.

Also contrary to popular belief, carpenters don't often spend their downtime remodeling their homes.

 

[RickStain]

Haven't we always done that? People by newspaper ads because of what they know about the consumers who buy the newspaper. This is just more granular.

 

[RickStain]

"Buy some ads and we'll show them to a bunch of people who are from this area, are affluent enough to by newspapers, and are interested in news."

"Buy this ad and we'll show them to a bunch of people who are have XXX interest according to their self-submitted information."

Same thing, different degree.

 

[JackReacher]

Is it true that the stock will go off at $100 a share?

 

[Stitch]

An acquaintance of mine thinks he'll make a ton off of the Facebook IPO. Too bad his $2,000 won't get him anywhere near the IPO price.

 

[bigpern23]

An acquaintance of mine thinks he'll make a ton off of the Facebook IPO. Too bad his $2,000 won't get him anywhere near the IPO price.

From what I've read, average investors have no shot at purchasing Facebook stock.

 

[JackReacher]

Yeah. Regular donks can't buy in. At least not yet. Only a select group.

 

[bigpern23]

Yeah. Regular donks can't buy in. At least not yet. Only a select group.

Gotta let the rich get richer first.

 

[JackReacher]

Yeah. Regular donks can't buy in. At least not yet. Only a select group.

Gotta let the rich get richer first.

I wouldn't count on them getting rich. I've read multiple financial stories where "experts" are saying they wouldn't touch Facebook stock. Groupon opened with a lot of hype, had a good first day and leveled out. Same with LinkedIn, I believe, although when LinkedIn mellowed out, it was still at a substantial gain.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

The potential of Facebook as a stock is obvious. So's the risk. When the inevitable scandal about abuses of the information Facebook generates hits the fan, there will be clamor for government action, or laws written by a group of legislators who have repeatedly demonstrated they're just about getting up to cable television remote use in terms of technology adaptation.
As a result of reading advertising trade journals in my current job, I wouldn't join any social media outlet. Hell, I do most of my cold Internet searching at work.

 

[qtlaw]

Probably much differently run and more advance but somehow I keep thinking "MySpace".

 

[NoOneLikesUs]

Probably much differently run and more advance but somehow I keep thinking "MySpace".

They keep junking up the interface, so it's not out of the question.

 

[Biscayne]

The potential of Facebook as a stock is obvious. So's the risk. When the inevitable scandal about abuses of the information Facebook generates hits the fan, there will be clamor for government action, or laws written by a group of legislators who have repeatedly demonstrated they're just about getting up to cable television remote use in terms of technology adaptation.
As a result of reading advertising trade journals in my current job, I wouldn't join any social media outlet. Hell, I do most of my cold Internet searching at work.

Can you elaborate on that last part? What did you find?

 

[qtlaw]

According to the SEC filing FB made $1B in profit on revenues of $3.7B in 2011. That's an amazing profit margin for that amount of revenue.

Stimulus? If people spent that disposable income on consumer goods manufactured in the US, we'd be okay. Then again, at least it doesn't need 700,000 workers in China and it helps the trade deficit.

 

[Lugnuts]

Is it just me, or has Facebook already started becoming uncool? It seems like the grannies and the 12-year-olds are taking over, but I could be wrong...

 

[LongTimeListener]

You have no idea how many real-estate agents and luxury-car dealers in the Bay Area are masturbating on an hourly basis in reaction to this news.

 

[Stitch]

The IPO shows what a scam going public is. Only a small portion of the company is going public, with the vast majority of stock still in Zuck's hands.