With Myspace & Google coming, how much is Facebook worth?
These Facebook developer platform conferences keep coming. Why?
Facebook doesn’t want to waste any time, because a small company called Google is expected to unleash its own open social network platform next month, and MySpace may have its own coming soon, followed by Hi5 and others. But we’re told Facebook isn’t secretly funding these events or anything, it’s merely supporting some of them by sending key executives to speak.
The next conference is Oct. 26, in SF. It’s called SNAP, which stands for Social Network Application Platform. It will host hundreds of developers and entrepreneurs to talk about how to launch apps, how to make them viral and what other platforms to look out for. If MySpace’s platform really is out, this could be a lot of fun. This time, I’ll be moderating a panel on “Facebook and platform strategies.”
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At a conference I moderated Tuesday, I was bamboozled with pro-Facebook panelists. Facebook investor Luke Nosek claimed MySpace’s parent company is so unimaginative that MySpace will “slowly go away.” Another Facebook proselyte, investor Lee Lorenzen, claimed Facebook may be worth $100 billion. Only audience member and entrepreneur Jason Calacanis came to the rescue, shouting out that they were “drunk.” This time, I’ll be more prepared.
Other speakers include:
- Robert Scoble (Scobleizer.com)
- Jia Shen (RockYou)
- Mark Kantor (Graffiti)
- Keith Rabois (Slide)
- Rodney Rumford (FaceReviews)
- Lee Lorenzen (Altura Ventures)
- Dave McClure (500hats.com)
- Susan Wu (Charles River Ventures)
- Keith Schacht (GrowAGift)
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About the Author, Matt Marshall
Matt launched VentureBeat in September of 2006, with the realization that no one else was covering the entrepreneurial and tech innovation scene with the velocity or depth that he was. Prior to founding VentureBeat, he covered venture capital for the San Jose Mercury News from 2001 to 2006. In 2002, Matt was awarded "Journalist of the Year" by the Northern California Society of Professional Journalists. Prior to working at the Merc, he was a correspondent for the Wall Street Journal in Bonn, Germany from 1995 to 1998, and a writer for the Washington Post in 1994. Matt holds a PhD in Government and an MA in German and European Studies from Georgetown University. In addition to VentureBeat, Matt is also the Executive Producer of DEMO, the leading launchpad event for emerging technologies.
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