We had a lot o' fun with that Facebook IPO back in May, as did the political cartoonists who provided EIP with a LOT o' blog-fodder during that time. Most of our fun centered around the immediate loss in value of FB shares, which left a lot of investors holding the proverbial bag and it's getting worse. From Reuters:
(Reuters) - Shares of Facebook Inc (FB.O) fell about 1 percent on Tuesday, extending the previous day's losses after an investment analyst reported a decline in U.S. users for the No. 1 social network.
Capstone analyst Rory Maher said he used proprietary software to track user numbers by country over the past six months across more than 200 countries and worked out that the social network had shed users in both the United States and Europe. U.S. users declined by 1.1 percent, he said in a research note.
RTWT, as we citizen-journalists say. What? People are leaving FB? Color me surprised. Heh.
I wonder if there's a way to measure those who signed up but never used it?
ReplyDeleteProlly not would be my guess. That's an interesting question, though.
DeleteI admit, I'm a FB Addict. Especially in the wake of our Beloved Lex's death; it has kept me connected with the Lexicans in a way that would never have been possible otherwise.
ReplyDeleteI suppose you're right where Lex is concerned. I'm a lil bit disappointed that The Lexicans hasn't garnered as much of an audience as I think it should have.
DeleteKris and Buck - I read these comments, shut the computer down, went outside for a smoke then realized that I wanted to chime in on this here thread. Even though it's 2330 and I worked a solid 10-hour day. Yup. I'm tired. So here goes. I've been, shall we say, annoyed with Facebook lately. I've been getting lots of disconnects and other crapola lately which has ticked me off to no end. At first the Lex Facebook page was pretty special, especially the virtual wake held shortly after The Man left us so abruptly. But now it's like any other FB page. Not so special anymore, at least not to me. The Lexicans is still my first visit every day, though really it's for "The Daily Lex". Though I do admit, any post by Comjam gets the juices flowing, that fella can write real purty!! But I'm continually faced with the fact that Lex is gone. That insight, that sense of humor is no more. Many's the time over the past few months I've stopped and wondered what Lex would say about some of the shenanigans going on in the news. But FB just doesn't do it for me anymore. Getting too many yahoos trying to "friend" me that I've never heard of. (Not talking about Lexicans though, I always recognize their handles, a "friend" request from a Lexican is ALWAYS honored.) Quite frankly, the stuff I really look forward to reading now-a-days is here on EIP, over at "Noodling On It", Hogday Afternoon and perhaps a few others. (Sorry if someone's blog didn't get mentioned, but you can see the whole list of stuff I like over at my place.) I'm also having a blast interacting with my own readers, but the days of Neptunus Lex are, sadly, over. There's no way we'll ever re-capture what was happening there. But we can "soldier on" and do our own bit to entertain, inform and ponder on the 'net. Hell my kids don't do FB much anymore either. Guess it's no longer "hip" (or whatever the kids say these days). Anyhoo - that's my two cents. I did kinda ramble on didn't I?
Delete"There's no way we'll ever re-capture what was happening there."
DeleteRoger that, Sarge. I think we all realized at the time that something almost magical was happening at Lex's place insofar as the camaraderie of the commentariat and our interplay with Lex himself was concerned. Contrary to popular wisdom, some men are virtually irreplaceable, and Lex must be counted in that number. It's almost like pining for NeverNever-Land. But like in the land of the Lost Boys, we had fun while it lasted. Come to think of it we are ALL now Lex's "lost boys," aren't we? Adrift in the blogosphere, as it were..
Sarge and Virg... Both yer points are well taken, all of 'em. I've been in and around the blogosphere since 2004 and I NEVER saw another example of a community like Lex created... not one. His writing was the main thing, to be sure, but the interplay of his commentariat was simply amazing. I've NEVER seen a more well-informed, literate, and pleasant group of people in one virtual place... and I doubt I ever will again.
DeleteAmen, brother Buck, amen..
DeletePS to "...and I doubt I ever will again." "Course in our case the wait for a new replacement Lex won't be that long. Now in the case of our grand-children....lol
I'm a fan of FB too. I like keeping up with friends and finding old friends.
ReplyDeleteWell, not to flog a dead horse, but I'm not a fan. Could ya tell?
DeleteI'm with Lou.
DeleteIIRC I commented at the time something about FB's IPO being "the gift that keeps on giving" or words to that effect...nothing like validation, eh, Buck? :)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely.
DeleteAnd here we are, still talking about our community loss. Boy, Lex's impact on all our lives really runs deep.
ReplyDeleteIt always will Kris. The man was special in the deepest sense of the word.
Delete