WI: Google buys Friendster in 2003?

At the height of the social network's buzz in 2003, Google offered to buy Friendster for a hefty $30 million. Friendster's creator Jonathan Abrams declined, betting that the company could go much higher - and it did, for a very short time. But soon the open network Myspace ate the social media market whole, in no small part due to inaction at Friendster. Fast forward to 2008 and Facebook is booming, Myspace is drifting into obscurity, and Friendster is mostly used as a gaming platform in Indonesia. Fast forward to today and Facebook is the social network, Myspace is hanging on by a thread, and Friendster doesn't exist at all.

But what would happen if Google's bid were accepted? What could Friendster rise to with Google at the helm, and could this be enough competition for Myspace and later Facebook (if Facebook isn't butterflied away)? Could we see a polycentric social media world, or will one of them have to come out on top?
 
It becomes a joke that limps along for years like OTL's google+. It'd have positive dividends in the form of no google+ integration for youtube and google being well more conservative about doing changes on it's sites due to the disaster.

Perhaps if it chugs along long enough it could butterfly into a social media bubble popping in the great recession. Imagine it, Twitter and facebook's CEOs having to be hookers in the street due to it failing THAT far.:evilsmile:
:evilsmile::love:
 
Well, Google+ only was problematic becasue Facebook and Myspace was already there. Friendster's presence and so on alot earlier on could gimp Facebook and Myspace (or at least Facebook if Myspace presents itself as an alternate to Friendster if Google micromanages)
 
It becomes a joke that limps along for years like OTL's google+. It'd have positive dividends in the form of no google+ integration for youtube and google being well more conservative about doing changes on it's sites due to the disaster.

Perhaps if it chugs along long enough it could butterfly into a social media bubble popping in the great recession. Imagine it, Twitter and facebook's CEOs having to be hookers in the street due to it failing THAT far.:evilsmile:
:evilsmile::love:
I could vote for that timeline ;)
 
It becomes a joke that limps along for years like our timeline's Google+.
In fairness whilst it didn't become a rival to sites like Facebook it did fulfill one of its other main objectives - getting large numbers of people to add biographical data and personal relationships to it, and via that the profiles Google has on its users.
 
In fairness whilst it didn't become a rival to sites like Facebook it did fulfill one of its other main objectives - getting large numbers of people to add biographical data and personal relationships to it, and via that the profiles Google has on its users.

And people are worried about surveillance and intrusiveness from governments....
 
Neither have I and I barely remember Myspace and I'm not sure I was ever really aware of what google+ was supposed to be.

That said, I don't have a Facebook account either...
 
I've never even heard of Friendster...
the same, Dreamwight, angelfire and even myspace but never friendster.

At the height of the social network's buzz in 2003, Google offered to buy Friendster for a hefty $30 million. Friendster's creator Jonathan Abrams declined, betting that the company could go much higher - and it did, for a very short time. But soon the open network Myspace ate the social media market whole, in no small part due to inaction at Friendster. Fast forward to 2008 and Facebook is booming, Myspace is drifting into obscurity, and Friendster is mostly used as a gaming platform in Indonesia. Fast forward to today and Facebook is the social network, Myspace is hanging on by a thread, and Friendster doesn't exist at all.

But what would happen if Google's bid were accepted? What could Friendster rise to with Google at the helm, and could this be enough competition for Myspace and later Facebook (if Facebook isn't butterflied away)? Could we see a polycentric social media world, or will one of them have to come out on top?
google loss 30 millions, Abrams won 30 millions.
 
I feel like there's a bit of presentism here with Google+ and Orkut. What exactly made Google a less dynamic social media company than Myspace or Facebook? As @CountDVB said, Google+ failed with competition from those preexisting giants (and, admittedly, a pretty terrible marketing strategy - but I don't think that's inherent to Google, especially fifteen years ago, especially with the name recognition that Friendster had).
 
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