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Executive Says Facebook Will Be All Video, No Text In 5 Years (mashable.com)

Posted by msmash on from the from-the-future dept.

Kellen Beck, writing for Mashable: Video must be doing well on Facebook, because an executive at the company just predicted that's all Facebook will be in five years. Nicola Mendelsohn, Facebook's vice president of European, Middle Eastern and African operations, said at a conference Tuesday that in five years, Facebook "will be probably all video," Quartz reported. Mendelsohn added that video is "the best way to tell stories in this world" and "helps us to digest much more information." Mendelsohn is predicting the obsolescence of the written word, at least on Facebook, according to Quartz. That sounds far-fetched, but consider the way Facebook is decreasing an emphasis on text and diving headfirst into video with numerous recent updates and features.

11 of 244 comments (clear)

  1. haha by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    how stupid

  2. Fuck that... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    There are countless situations where it is easier and more appropriate to write a short text comment than to make sure you are presentable enough to record video of you saying something.

    All video... that is ridiculous.

    1. Re:Fuck that... by tattood · · Score: 5, Insightful

      This is quite true. If Facebook is all video, then that means people can no longer view Facebook at work, or any other place where you don't want to draw attention to yourself. The day Facebook is all video is the day their user base starts to drop.

      --
      WTB [sig], PST!!!
    2. Re:Fuck that... by Tukz · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Have you seen the staggering amount of YouTube DIY Videos, that lasts for more than 10 minutes, but could be summarised in a paragraph of text?

      So many times when I am looking for solutions to a problem, I find hordes of videos explaining it, where a simple paragraph of text could have done the same thing.
      Why? I don't get it.

      It's much easier, and faster, to read some text than watching through a video of some guy explaining it with 4 different analogies.

      --
      - Don't do what I do, it's probably not healthy nor safe. -
    3. Re:Fuck that... by Chalnoth · · Score: 5, Insightful

      There's also the point that it's typically far faster to read than it is to listen to a video.

    4. Re:Fuck that... by bozzy · · Score: 5, Insightful

      A short, concise, thought-out video demonstration of a task can be more informative than pure text.

      However, most of these DIY videos are neither short nor well thought-out. Such videos take effort to produce.

      If you can't take the time to do a good job with a video, you'd save time by writing the simple paragraph. A maybe have a static image or two.

      --
      playmoney.me - The free alternative to paper board game play money
  3. LMAO by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "helps us to digest much more information."

    Yes, if you have the attention span of a goldfish.

    Of course, if you're a facebook executive, that's probably the case.

  4. Only users left by mpol · · Score: 5, Insightful

    That means that the only users that will use Facebook are people that want videos.
    People that do not want videos will not use Facebook anymore.

    --

    Well, don't worry about that. We can get you back before you leave. (Dr. Who)
  5. Too Slow by Geoffrey.landis · · Score: 5, Insightful

    No.
    It's not the bandwidth-- it's just that video is too damn slow.
    I can skim a text post in a second, maybe two. If I slow down to read it, maybe fifteen seconds tops. If I have to watch a video from every person on my friends list-- I just won't.

    --
    http://www.geoffreylandis.com
  6. Uh good one by redmid17 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Ms Mendelsohn,

    What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

    It's quicker to consume text than video. Just an FYI

  7. Re:Bandwidth? by Barny · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So in five years, would that just block facebook?

    --
    ...
    /me sighs