Facebook buying WhatsApp

[triste]

gross.

[Sergei82]

I used WhatsApp bcuz its simple and powerful enough, isolated (no connection with any other social network), don't have enormous amount of incomprehensible clutter features like Facebook has. Now its screwed.

[triste]

I'm hoping something else takes off. I also liked that it was isolated, promised not to sell our data, and had no ads.

[Barnsley]

I guess the Facebook messenger didn't take off!!

Seems a lot of money for not very much..........

[bgd]

I mainly use Viber. Not sure who owns it though.

[ScoobyDoes]

Disaster......the last thing I want is to be associated with FB, which is why I've kept myself account free all these years

Hmmm....wonder what next, that everybody is going to use?

I had WeChat but that was hopeless and not so many are using Skype anymore, though I have a feeling this one might come back up again.

[Wd40]

The most insane thing is how such a small company of just 30 engineers managed to gain a valuation of 16B. A company of the might of Sony that has given the world such brilliant products is only 1.5B more worth than this Whatsapp deal.

If the dotcom was a bubble, then what will you call this?

[Max Headroom]

soon-to-be-rubble?

[Strong Eagle]

If the dotcom was a bubble, then what will you call this?

A BFB?

* That's a Big F*cking Bubble

[Sergei82]

Facebook has money.

[pisceangirl]

Not happy about this! Concerned about privacy especially since Whatsapp has access to all my contacts and their phone numbers and am not sure how Facebook will leverage this for mobile advertising/ other mobile revenue channels. Also at some point if I'm forced to tie my Whatsapp account to my FB account then I'm probably going to stop using Whatsapp!

[Sergei82]

So now even if I delete my WhatsApp account, Facebook will have my phone number anyway?

[pisceangirl]

At this point in time, no. Because while they would have access to Whatsapp database and their own database of FB accounts, they have no common info to be able to directly map user accounts (i.e match someone's FB to their Whatsapp). HOWEVER, should the terms of use change and Whatsapp request you for your FB login id then its a whole different play. I do believe that FB would be interested in linking the two as that would enable them to generate better advertising and mobile revenue opportunities.

[nathaly63]

This is money NOT well-spent. Facebook has already seen its best days. I wouldn't invest in it with the way it's spending its money.

[pisceangirl]

Am not too sure about that... it will be interesting to see how they leverage what they have.