This is the community, if one exists that has the ability to create the technical hacks necessary to create social change. We can create tools/systems to solve problems like these, e.g., measuring externalized costs that prices do not/cannot account for. Until we more accurately represent costs/effects in our behaviors/purchases, it will be difficult to effectively promote positive behavior, i.e., solving the big problem.

(Move along. Nothing to see here. All of you redders and diggers can go back home now.)

These developers will create great applications that function like advertising, only better. These applications will allow businesses to connect with customers like never before.

Furthermore, I predict because all major businesses will be interacting through Facebook, a new form of currency will begin to emerge.

We are only beginning to see the potential of this platform. Developers are just beginning to "learn the ropes" of this new medium on which to build. The next year will be one to remember for our species.

"Furthermore, I predict because all major businesses will be interacting through Facebook, a new form of currency will begin to emerge."

Can I hold you to that?

"The next year will be one to remember for our species."

You don't think you're overselling an API just a little?

I am sure they are considering something along those lines. The main problem they will face is how to create a viral system of distribution for these applications that can be as effective as the Facebook feeds.

"You don't think you're overselling an API just a little?"

It's about the precedent that Facebook has just set by opening up its doors to the world, allowing outside "add-ons" not even affiliated directly with FB to generate revenue through FB.

"the new Facebook Platform is a dramatic leap forward for the Internet industry." - Marc Andreessen

Of course it is, if you don't realize it, you just aren't creative enough to imagine the applications that will revolutionize the Industry. I'm not necessarily saying that Facebook will be the social network that can appeal to 90% of Internet users, but that is what they are betting on. Eventually everyone who uses the Internet will be interacting in a "social network", why? because its a more efficient way to share information.

I think MZ realized that there are so many people with so many amazing, revolutionary ideas, it would not be possible to try and incorporate all of their brilliant ideas. Instead, he decided to open it up and bet on the fact that these entrepreneurs with revolutionary ideas would figure out ways to monetize these ideas through Facebook.

Like MZ says, Everybody wins. Thats the precedent he is setting and that is why this year, leading up to Nov 2008 will be a year to remember. (remember there was no Youtube or Facebook in 2004)

Thanks to you I can no longer accurately claim that the Facebook Platform actually does measure up to all the hype. :-)

i know they're not free (as in beer), but there have been networks like this around for a while, and they have not become business platforms, even if they are "more serious". i'm thinking of linkedin.com.

i'm not trying to scrap, merely to understand why people think this, rather than believe such notions are matters of early -- and justified -- enthusiasm.

I'm sure the "OG's" of the platform wars, Apple and Microsoft, have plans and Google is almost certainly working on something.

There's a reason Google and Microsoft haven't bought facebook, and it's not just because Facebook's price is too high.

It would be a fantastic promotional documentary for all party's involved. Heck, you could even turn it into some kind of reality Tv show if your wanted to where the 2 incubators compete somehow. 1st season broadcast via Youtube + HD websites. 2nd season via NBC.

It's 1000x better idea for a show than this http://www.iamtheprodigy.com/

its a reality based tv show where 2000 door to door summer salespeople compete to see who can sell the most, what garbage!! The people at Ycombinator and Techstars are the future leaders of the world! How much more interesting can you get!?

If your interested in this idea I will be in the Bay area March 22-27. JimmyReam@gmail.com

The problem is that most of work starting a startup is boring. So either a documentary distorts what actually goes on and shows you the interesting parts (like the one above), or you lose interest and forget about it.

My day basically goes:

1. Wake up. Start development VM. Check yCombinator. Reply to a post or two while VM boots up.

2. Implement a feature, or some administrative script, or setup some software package on server, while eating breakfast.

3. Go to day job. Work on somebody else's startup for 8 hours. Use breaks etc. to resource technologies I'll need for that night's programming.

3.b. Sketch out some feature longhand in a notebook on the train home.

4. Come home. Implement the low-hanging fruit that I just researched.

5. Eat dinner

6. Spend 2-3 hours working on some of the larger tasks that need doing.

7. Repeat.

It's pretty productive, but hardly good TV. The documentary would basically be "Jonathan staring at computer. Jonathan staring at computer. Jonathan staring at computer."

I am keeping a blog (poorly - been 2 weeks since I updated) with the day-to-day stuff. But really, that's just "Here's the challenge we just faced. Here's how we solved it. Rinse, lather, repeat."

When a website incorporates all the positives of these types of websites into 1 all encompassing tool for organizing the unlimited information of the Internet, then we will see something great. We will see an evolution of these tools and it will not only be something people can use to get more efficiency out of life, it will actually improve people's lives and societies (globally).

If you think the effects social networks and human/computer interaction are amazing, wait until you see the children of these sites. It is *absolutely* not a coincidence that the founders of Reddit played WoW. They realize that power of a website is directly correlated to the amount of user input into a website. The dilemma we entrepreneurs are faced with today is creating systems that encourage maximum participation.

How does this tie into the 53,000 theory? None of the big winners, and I am talking the big ones, facebook, myspace, google, msnpages, orkut, (these are the sites that lead the world in user participation) succeeded because of blog recommendations. They succeeded because they were better ways of experiencing the Internet, not because some “expert” on techcrunch told the geeks it was a cool product.

Well, there are many amazing "web 2.0" websites out there that will never be used by the masses until their friends, not techcrunch, invites them.

On the Internet, the best solution always win. Humans are economical; they do what is best for themselves. When we create a search/browsing tool that is at the same time more rewarding and fun than myspace/wikipedia/delicious/digg we will see the whole world adopt this method, the same way the world has adopted the Google search, the same way all the “cool” people are on myspace. This website will not only be as "cool" and as fun, it will actually enhance people's lives.

This is the future of the web. It is also no coincidence that VC's like the one whom this post is referring to, have seen a lot of "like delicious but XXX" or "Digg killers" This is not just hype, one day it will happen. One day there will be a delicapedieddit that will emerge as the new Internet powerhouse.

"You often hear people say that you shouldn’t major in business in college, but this is actually an instance of a more general rule: don’t learn things from teachers who are bad at them."

The entrepreneurs on this "newsgroup" are ALL web entrepreneurs. This means that half of the criteria do not even pertain our needs/interests as founders of entrepreneurial ventures. (tech populations / graduation rates may apply but those should be looked at separately.

Let me pose this question. If VC/angel fudning / programmers needs / location was not an issue, where would you start your company?

There are a lot of places in this country that in my opinion would gather much more interest on a local level that starting a company in NY or SF. I think by starting a web company in an already "hot" web area is like opening a starbucks across the street from a starbucks? Sure you know it will get business, but it would be better if it was the 1st starbucks on a major University Campus.

By launching in a less saturated market, you have the benefit of traditional sources of media attention so that you receive high adoption rates locally, which as we know is vital to high adoption rates globally. Does company location have anything to do with adoption rates?

Thoughts?