the new fight - M$ and FB vs. Everyone

there's a big problem i can see right now that might be imminent. a microsoft takeover of facebook.

whatever your feelings are of the big fight between m$ and google, you need to put them aside. if microsoft takes over facebook they will kill the open social internet. yes, both m$ and google are about keeping themselves on top, but that's not the point. what matters here is the way they get there.

the facts right now are that m$ is dropping fast. google is killing them in search and advertising and are creating new and innovative ways to level the playing field for everyone. i try and follow both very closely, and every action that both companies make follow two very distinct rules:

microsoft tries to force people to use their closed data system, google tries to force everyone to use their open data system.

the new fight: keeping YOUR social information open, or closed

whether or not you know it, you don't own your data that you put on facebook or myspace. they do. and it's worth a lot of money. if facebook gets bought by m$ it'll put a very real number on each person, but say it happens for $15billion(it will go for more than that) and there are over 70million users, each user will be worth an average of over $200!

what's wrong here is that most people don't realize what's going on. this is a fight for our data, and if we don't make the right choice one company will own the future of the web. we can't let that happen.

google may be a beast, but they are doing everything they can to help us keep our data. they know that what is best for all is an open network, where you get to choose who can use your data and anyone can use it. i have faith that when microsoft buys fb and tries to sell your data that you won't let them. when it happens please, TAKE YOUR DATA ELSEWHERE.

the right network to join will come when it's needed(i think within the next year) and when it does jump on. the future of the web is in everyone's collective hands. don't let innovation be killed by a monopoly. be informed and make the right decision. this is important.