Once Mocked, Facebook's $1 Billion Acquisition of Instagram Was Genius (bgr.com)

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Once Mocked, Facebook's $1 Billion Acquisition of Instagram Was Genius (bgr.com)

Posted by EditorDavid on Sunday January 1, 2017 @05:34AM from the finances-of-photo-sharing dept.

anderzole writes: "In April of 2012, Facebook shocked the tech world when it acquired Instagram for $1 billion," reports BGR. "At the time, the acquisition raised quite a few eyebrows, along with many more questions than answers. Not only did people wonder how Instagram would fit into Facebook's existing business, many also questioned if Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had lost his mind by outlaying $1 billion for a company that, at the time, had no revenue." Nearly five years later, Facebook's Instagram acquisition "not only looks like a bargain, but a full-fledged stroke of genius."

Today Instagram still shows no signs of slowing down. Instagram's active user base jumped from 500 to 600 million in just the last 6 months alone, marking its fastest growth rate ever. "Incredibly, Facebook saw the long-term potential and impact of Instagram and managed to swoop in and acquire the company long before its user base began to accelerate wildly," writes BGR. "From an economic standpoint, Instagram is already paying dividends via highly targeted and lucrative ads. During the first quarter of 2016, for example, it was estimated that revenue from Instagram checked in at $572.5 million and accounted for 10% of Facebook's overall revenue. In fact, analysts at Credit Suisse believe that Instagram will have delivered $3.2 billion in revenue for Facebook by the time 2016 comes to a close. That's not bad for a $1 billion acquisition that Facebook is still in the relatively early stages of monetizing."
Instagram was also the second-fastest growing app of 2016, increasing its user base by 36% in just 12 months.

105 comments

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

sounds like i better get something done by FudRucker · 2017-01-01 05:41 · Score: 1, Insightful

i need to get all of instagram's domain names and add them to the list of addresses for my hosts file to block

--
Politics is Treachery, Religion is Brainwashing
1. Re:sounds like i better get something done by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 06:26 · Score: 0
  
  You could stand up a BIND DNS server and use Response Policy Zones to NXDOMAIN *.facebook.com *.facebook.net and *.fbcdn.net. Because www.instagram.com is a CNAME to a .facebook.com subdomain, this will kill two birds with one stone.
2. Re:sounds like i better get something done by thegarbz · 2017-01-01 06:52 · Score: 1
  
  Didn't you hear? Whiplash sold Slashdot to Facebook a few days ago. You should add that to your hosts file too.
  At least then we wouldn't have to read about your off topic posts on the state of your hosts file, and the fact that you have been living under a rock this year.
3. Re:sounds like i better get something done by FatdogHaiku · 2017-01-01 06:59 · Score: 1
  
  Every time someone comes up with a solution to an issue, the birds have to suffer...
  Why, Oh Why do we hate the birds so much?
  I mean, other than the obvious envy of the freedom of flight and the whole crapping on our cars thing...
  
  --
  You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
4. Re: sounds like i better get something done by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 07:27 · Score: 0
  
  The fact that dinosaurs are fucking scary?
5. Re:sounds like i better get something done by Falos · 2017-01-01 07:45 · Score: 1
  
  Sometimes the fuckers like to start screeching at 4am.
6. Re:sounds like i better get something done by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 07:47 · Score: 0
  
  You don't want to do that. A bunch of hot chicks and cosplayers have Instagram accounts where they upload pictures. It's really quite convenient.
7. Re:sounds like i better get something done by FatdogHaiku · 2017-01-01 07:54 · Score: 1
  
  Sometimes the fuckers like to start screeching at 4am.
  Does it count if you kill two birds with one stone to solve the issue, or do you then have to seek out two more birds?
  Maybe these questions are best answered next to a poultry packing house...
  
  --
  You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
8. Re: sounds like i better get something done by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 09:29 · Score: 0
  
  FB understood that people like to spend $ on phones with hires cameras, and DSLR with fancy lenses.
  But people don't care about actual pixels in a picture.
  Pro photographers (unwisely) won't show a single hires pic, ... god forbid someone might download it and _remember the artists name_
  So www belongs to low resolution photos.
9. Re: sounds like i better get something done by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 09:40 · Score: 0
  
  Is a bird in the hand really worth two in the bush or does that depend on whose bush we're talking about?
10. Re: sounds like i better get something done by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 09:46 · Score: 0
  
  plz supply links. for research ðY
11. Re:sounds like i better get something done by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 11:31 · Score: 0
  
  Dinner, whether on two legs, or more, is still dinner. Food is as food does. I'm glad we're at the top of the food chain.
12. Re:sounds like i better get something done by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 12:22 · Score: 0
  
  GPP gets modded "Insightful" and the parent doesn't get modded "Informative"? Guess the nerds really have fled Slashdot!
13. Re:sounds like i better get something done by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-02 01:47 · Score: 0
  
  Do you know natural human sleeping pattern is to wake up at middle of night, do whatever few things and get back to sleep?
  That was before they invented things such a factory work and 9 to 5 elementary school (what I grew up with).
  What if we abandoned daylight savings time, cut massively on street lighting, perhaps even adopted variable length hours? used by the Romans : daytime hours are a fixed number of hours from sun rise to sun set, with noon in the middle. Ditto nighttime hours. Just a thought experiment, as that would make for interesting time zone implementations and software complexity. In arctic zones, similar problems to Jews possibly facing a months-long Shabbat but maybe you can cook up some formula built into such time zones.
  Perhaps it'd be awesome if we can keep industrial, urban etc. lifestyles but have more sensible rhythms. As it is, there are even elderly people dying during daylight savings time transition and I suspect it is very traumatic to urban and non urban wild life : armies of mass transiting workers, cars and vehicle change their pattern overnight.
Before abandonment. by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 05:41 · Score: 1

is still in the relatively early stages of monetizing.
i.e. they haven't pissed off their userbase enough yet. Nothing on the internet follows a linear growth curve forever. Remember AOL? MySpace?
Facebook is suffering from its own success. It's now a cesspool that has combined 'forwards from Grandma' and the Eternal September. Read the comments on any 'news' story. Worse is most people will say that with their real name attached.
1. Re:Before abandonment. by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 05:50 · Score: 1
  
  Instagram is becoming the new Twitter. It has better photo sharing than Twitter, better video support, and it allows for longer messages to be posted. As people flee the sinking ship that is Twitter, they're fleeing to Instagram.
  Which would have nothing to do with what you posted, except...
  
  i.e. they haven't pissed off their userbase enough yet. Nothing on the internet follows a linear growth curve forever. Remember AOL? MySpace?
  They're benefiting from Twitter pissing off their userbase by both censoring too much and not enough (different halves of the userbase, but it adds up to the whole). And then the process will repeat, as the same people that ruined Twitter flock to Instagram.
2. Re: Before abandonment. by hackwrench · 2017-01-01 05:55 · Score: 1
  
  I agree. Wait, this isn't Facebook, my bad.
3. Re:Before abandonment. by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 06:01 · Score: 0
  
  This has more to do with the fact that people who post online (even with registered accounts, even with "real names" (I purposely like to say it this way to piss of people from https://nymrights.org/ who say 'pseudonyms are 'real' hehe...)) still feel a high degree of anonymity. Anonymity breads people saying what they 'really' think... and not what they "think/know they should say(in 'polite company')"
  Facebook is letting people say their 'somewhat-inner'-thoughts/feelings without fear of persecution.... because they can self select who sees what they say (via selecting who reads what or via blocking people individually(white list vs black list))
  Also stop "quoting" news... There is no such things a 'fake' news. Once someone reads it and believes it is 'real news' to them. There are 'Fake News Companies' etc... but the nuance is fine grained but very important....
  Look at President Electoral Trump, his spokesperson had to go on MSNBC and repeated say "No, What he meant was... " ABOUT FUCKING NUCLEAR WEAPONS.... I'm sorry, but we've almost went to war with Russia over less than Trump's less than 2nd grade vocabulary tweets.... Reagan made a joke in a private mic test, there was on (at least) 2 occasions a radar blip caused by solar flares that _a single MFing_ Russian radar officer had to GO AGAINST PROTOCOL to not launch nuclear ICBMs on America...
  A 'fake' news story that says trump is doing XYZ is believable and enough people believe it.... then it BECOMES 'news' to those people...
  Jesus H Christ... I feel like I'm living in a Twilight Zone episode where I have to explain to children the concept of not starting the end of humanity over a tweet....
  Edit: Ohh F*** /.'s captcha... 'revenge'... fml...
4. Re: Before abandonment. by hackwrench · 2017-01-01 06:04 · Score: 1
  
  Whether or not psudonyms are "real names" depends on the person who has the psudonym and whether we can agree on what "real" even means in this situation.
5. Re: Before abandonment. by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-02 01:10 · Score: 0
  
  The word is spelled pseudonym. Does your internet connection block access to dictionaries?
6. Re:Before abandonment. by michael_wojcik · 2017-01-03 02:23 · Score: 1
  
  And then the process will repeat, as the same people that ruined Twitter flock to Instagram.
  Yes. Instagram is the new Twitter. How long before it becomes the new old Twitter?
  Of course, if the Credit Suisse estimate is anywhere close to correct, then Instagram has returned more than 3x revenue over the acquisition cost. No idea what part of that is net profit (and can't be bothered to try to figure it out). If Facebook continues to milk Instagram until it starts to crash, and then reduces costs aggressively, that $1B outlay might well turn out profitable (if it isn't already).
  I admit I was dubious about Facebook's prospects, and Instagram's. But Facebook has shown they can sell enough advertising space to make money. Until they screw that up, I suppose we have to count them as successful.
  I do wonder how much of the online advertising revenue is durable, and how much is a bubble. Online advertising is highly susceptible to fraud (because it can be metered, and thus sold, in ways that aren't available in non-interactive media like print and television). At some point ad buyers may look more closely at the existing online-advertising giants (Google and Facebook) and say, well, we're paying for a lot of theft here, and the viewership statistics are even less reliable than what we had with traditional media, and conversion rates aren't great either ... maybe we should pull back and look for other channels.
  Online advertising certainly isn't going to go away, but we could see a nasty correction.
21st century celeb magazines by known_coward_69 · 2017-01-01 05:44 · Score: 1

instagram is nothing more than a 21st century version of the 20th century celeb magazines in the supermarket checkout lane. only difference is the cost of entry is low where anyone can build a small following posting non-stop selfies and other photos to sell yourself.
1. Re:21st century celeb magazines by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 05:53 · Score: 1
  
  So it's the same thing, only totally different! I like this game, grandpa!
  Google is nothing more than a 21st century yellow pages, only it's easier to use and gives back different kinds of information.
  Podcasts are nothing more than 21st century serial dramas, only anybody can do them and they cover different things.
  Uber is just like the 21st century version of taking an ocean cruise, only there's no boat and you don't actually go anywhere.
2. Re:21st century celeb magazines by phantomfive · 2017-01-01 05:55 · Score: 1
  
  That sounds like a huge money-maker, actually.
  If you have any more ideas like that, let me know :)
  
  --
  "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
3. Re: 21st century celeb magazines by hackwrench · 2017-01-01 06:00 · Score: 1
  
  https://youtu.be/1lsn2tT5yTc says a lot on the subject for a song.
4. Re:21st century celeb magazines by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 06:41 · Score: 0
  
  Let's see, in 50 years or so some youngster will respond to you with:
  Google - sheesh gramps, who uses dumb website internet search when our pluggable brain modules download everything instantly when we need it
  Podcasts - you listened to people talking, hilarious grandma! Nobody talks anymore! It's all telepathy all the time!
  Uber - Cars are so early 21st century, teleportation is much faster and greener pops.
5. Re:21st century celeb magazines by thegarbz · 2017-01-01 06:53 · Score: 1
  
  You could have just written: "I have never used Instagram and I have no idea what I'm talking about". It would have been much shorter.
What is "instagram" by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 05:53 · Score: 0

Is it something similar to "Gesichtsbuch"? Some way of collecting data and controlling the generally stupid population?
1. Re: What is "instagram" by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 07:12 · Score: 0
  
  Sharing your Gesicht for facial recognition and tagging while also sharing your Geschichte for subsequent analysis and investigation. That is the real genius.
2. Re: What is "instagram" by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 23:03 · Score: 0
  
  Stop speaking Nazi already, you schutzstaffeln hitlerjugend shit. Also, go die in a feuer.
Like an ad by hackwrench · 2017-01-01 05:54 · Score: 2

And people thought that the Smalltalk post read like an ad. There's no use for articles only interested in only covering the upsides to a situation.
1. Re:Like an ad by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 06:02 · Score: 0
  
  What were being convinced to buy?
2. Re: Like an ad by hackwrench · 2017-01-01 06:54 · Score: 1
  
  In the Smalltalk post, the idea that Smalltalk's pure object-oriented supposed goodness was simply ideal for learning programming. In this one, the idea that there's no downsides only upsides to Instagram.
3. Re:Like an ad by SirSlud · 2017-01-01 08:35 · Score: 1
  
  Are you incapable of reading more than one article on a given subject?
  
  --
  "Old man yells at systemd"
4. Re:Like an ad by hackwrench · 2017-01-02 06:38 · Score: 1
  
  There are time pressures. But some articles fail to present any indication they are worth reading and one way they do so is a failure to be able to apply critical analysis of the subject matter.
119999900% growth? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 06:03 · Score: 2, Funny

From 500 to 600 million is a factor of 1.2 million!
Selling eyeballs by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 06:05 · Score: 1

"Instagram is already paying dividends via highly targeted and lucrative ads."
Remember when businesses used to make money by offering something of value to customers?
1. Re:Selling eyeballs by Imrik · 2017-01-01 06:52 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  They are offering something of value to their customers. The complaint should be: Remember when businesses considered their users and customers to be the same people?
2. Re:Selling eyeballs by udachny · 2017-01-01 16:05 · Score: 0
  
  True that, though at that time customers actually paid for the experience.
  
  --
  MY OTHER COMMENTS
ChickenOrEgg by sdinfoserv · 2017-01-01 06:12 · Score: 2

Seems more like a "Which was First" type scenario. Would have Instagram have increased its user base if not for Facebook? I doubt it. It’s really less about “genius” and more about what FB can do with 1.2B users.
1. Re: ChickenOrEgg by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 06:18 · Score: 0
  
  It would have. Instagram is "Facebook without your parents".
  Once parents figure this out and migrate over, the kids will look for a new site to share photos/videos.
2. Re:ChickenOrEgg by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 06:42 · Score: 0
  
  it's more about what those 1.2 billion facebook losers can and are willing to do (intentional or not, knowing the consequences or not), not what facebook does with them.
3. Re: ChickenOrEgg by JaredOfEuropa · 2017-01-01 06:54 · Score: 1
  
  Maybe so, but would Instagram have been able to monetize that user base? Now that's something that FB is rather good at, and it's also something where having a large, established ad network helps immensely.
  
  --
  If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
Relative by c · 2017-01-01 06:19 · Score: 4, Insightful

Even if it was a total flop, a $1 billion flop would still look brilliant compared to Microsoft buying LinkedIn... or Microsoft buying Nokia... or... Microsoft buying aQuantive... or... well, whoever ends up actually buying Yahoo, because even Microsoft learns from their mistakes.

--
Log in or piss off.
1. Re:Relative by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 06:52 · Score: 0
  
  LinkedIn? C'mon, they still haven't gotten anything*started* with that one yet.
2. Re:Relative by SirSlud · 2017-01-01 08:38 · Score: 1
  
  Microsoft just bought LinkedIn. It's ironic that you'd make such a comment given how this article is about people who said the exact same thing when FB bought Instagram.
  
  --
  "Old man yells at systemd"
3. Re:Relative by gravewax · 2017-01-01 10:20 · Score: 1
  
  aQuantive absolutely, Nokia probably (though they got access to a lot of tech to help their devices division for future), LinkedIn remains to be seen, they also said the same thing for Skype which so far has been very successful for them. There is also a large difference between facebook and Microsoft though, Microsoft have large bundles of offshore money that really can only be spent on acquisition's and even an overpriced acquisition is better than bringing the money back and paying tax on it. Facebook at the time was still heavily reliant on borrowed/investment money so a $1 billion fling was a VERY big thing.
4. Re:Relative by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-02 00:15 · Score: 0
  
  Just have a minute ago, yet another spam email from LinkedIn: Updates. I've never had a LinkedIn account, yet I get updates from my 'friends', people I don't even know, but who apparently are customers of a company I worked for a few years ago. Microsoft is busy with LinkedIn. The only thing they have done so far is annoy me.
5. Re:Relative by c · 2017-01-02 03:40 · Score: 1
  
  It's not so much that they bought LinkedIn... it seems kinda dumb, but okay, sure, sometimes you need to move out of your comfort zone.
  But $26.2 billion? In USD, not Z$?
  Understand that I'm not really singling Microsoft out here... I'd question *any* company that dropped $26.2 billion on LinkedIn.
  
  --
  Log in or piss off.
How is it valuable by goombah99 · 2017-01-01 06:36 · Score: 4, Insightful

One billion pictures of what people ate for lunch may have information content but is it valuable?

--
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
1. Re:How is it valuable by ark1 · 2017-01-01 07:32 · Score: 1
  
  I'm sure food advertisers would like to know what people are eating.
2. Re:How is it valuable by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 07:41 · Score: 1
  
  It's worth $3.2 billion if Facebook can convince advertisers to pay them $3.2 billion for showing ads next to one billion pictures of what people ate for lunch. Which they apparently did. The world is a weird place.
3. Re:How is it valuable by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 07:56 · Score: 0
  
  It's not of interest to food advertisers what people are eating. It's rather of interest to people what people could be persuaded to eat if fake people, I mean celebrities, could be seen to fake eat, I mean enjoy.
  If people are already eating something, there is no job left for the advertisers.
4. Re:How is it valuable by spire3661 · 2017-01-01 08:19 · Score: 1
  
  Yes, because you left 'valuable' undefined. There will always be some value to 1 billion individual photos of lunch, depending on your goals.
  
  --
  Good-bye
5. Re:How is it valuable by Wescotte · 2017-01-01 15:16 · Score: 1
  
  Training data for neural networks.
6. Re:How is it valuable by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-03 23:30 · Score: 0
  
  Have you heard the classic line about marketing. "I know half of my ads work but not which half."?
ya , add the 120+ million the fbi use as by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 06:56 · Score: 0

.use as honey pots .....then you need the gchqs , and a number of pesky lil cry baby hollywood peeps that think they are someone
its gonna be a big big big file
1. Re: ya , add the 120+ million the fbi use as by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 20:29 · Score: 0
  
  I hope they enjoy my buddy's 10,000+ fake accounts too.
Fractional reserve statistics hype. by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 07:02 · Score: 0

The real measurement of growth and success would be how many new users this acquisition has brought to both services combined.
Making it integrated with Facebook was always going to cause massive growth to Instagram. Did it cause growth to Facebook? That is the statistic that matters here, unless Instagram has some way of adding useful information to the database that Facebook didn't already have?
One day all that information is going to be old, ununique and worthless.
Still definitely a good move.
new definition of smart by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 07:17 · Score: 0

So if I massively overpay for something today that happens to be worth a decent amount in 5 years that makes me smart? At the time they bought Instagram it was certainly not worth $1 billion. Also revenus is all great but a completely meaningless number, how much profit does Instagram generate?
1. Re: new definition of smart by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 09:48 · Score: 0
  
  Exactly what credibility do you have to judge the right market rate back then? If Facebook were expecting this kind of growth and Instagram wouldn't accept a lower offer then only someone with no clue would state the value was 'wrong'.
Now the real news by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 07:26 · Score: 0

Instagram is now up for sale?
Genius for a different reason by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 08:26 · Score: 0

The purchase of Instagram WAS genius, but not for the stated reasons in the article. As others have said, Facebook stopped being hip as soon as our/your parents got on it.
The genius was leveraging the hip away from every other company, Facebook is MySpace, but as long as they continue to buy the Instagrams and WhatsApp's as they appear, (and don't fold them into Facebook) they wont ever face the same fate as MySpace.
Boy Genius String Bikini by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 08:32 · Score: 0

Remember when Boy Genius Report was nothing but the guy taking pictures of his wife/girlfriend modeling a Motorola RAZR in her string bikini? Did someone buy the domain and turn it into something more than softcore porn or is it the same guy?
Why do we care? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 08:38 · Score: 0

it used to be that mostly only nerds were using computers, so all stories bout computers or technology interested us. This story is a business-major story that has nothing to do about interesting technology or news-for-nerds, and is purely about making money off of advertising. Why does the slashdot audience care about this? Why is this posted here?
It was still stupid. by jcr · 2017-01-01 09:26 · Score: 1

FB certainly could have replicated Instagram for a lot less than a billion dollars. What they've done with it since the acquisition doesn't change that fact.
-jcr

--
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
1. Re:It was still stupid. by UnknowingFool · 2017-01-01 09:34 · Score: 1
  
  FB certainly could have replicated Instagram for a lot less than a billion dollars. What they've done with it since the acquisition doesn't change that fact.
  Well you certainly missed the point. FB's acquisition of Instagram was not so much about the technology; it was about the users. Sure FB could have developed a clone of Instagram but what they really wanted were the users.
  
  --
  Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
2. Re:It was still stupid. by stevez67 · 2017-01-01 10:15 · Score: 1
  
  Are there numbers on new Instagram users who are not already users of FB and vice versa? That would be a meaningful metric because simply showing the same ads to the same users on multiple interrelated platforms isn't a great value nor a great success.
3. Re:It was still stupid. by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 10:28 · Score: 0
  
  I think you missed the point. They definitely overpaid for it at the time. Instagram was a tiny company and it had just scraped together another 50 million dollars to keep it running. Just because it was a good investment doesn't mean they didn't overpay for it, given the situation Instagram was in at the time if FB was smart they could have paid far less. Just because something is hugely valuable to you isn't a reason to overpay for it.
4. Re:It was still stupid. by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 10:39 · Score: 0
  
  Instagram price was not about Instagram being a bad investment, it was the insane value it placed on the at the time 30 million userbase when Instagram was still a relatively small company struggling to survive. basically paying $30 a user. I am sure even the Instagram investors were shocked that FB agreed to such a valuation.
5. Re:It was still stupid. by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 11:12 · Score: 0
  
  No, more stupid around the same time as this was when Zynga bought OMGPOP for $180MM and then shut it down the next year.
6. Re:It was still stupid. by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 12:43 · Score: 0
  
  Just one anecdotal data point, but I have never used Facebook (it's blocked in hosts) but post things on Instagram regularly when the weather is nice (I take photos of bugs).
7. Re:It was still stupid. by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 16:53 · Score: 0
  
  No, not at all. If another company would have been willing to offer that billion, and Facebook wasn't, then the value in the market was 1 billion and no overpayment happened as Facebook couldn't have bought it for less! I've no idea what other offers were on the table, but you might as well say that 100,000 for a small house was an overpayment even if you sell it for a million a few years later, just because it had no glass in the windows at the time.
Google and Microsoft tried to, failed by raymorris · 2017-01-01 11:00 · Score: 1

> FB certainly could have replicated Instagram for a lot less than a billion dollars
Maybe. Microsoft tried to build a social network and failed (so.cl). Google tried and failed (Google+). Facebook did manage to build one social network successfully, but there's little certainty that they could build another one and have success.
As someone else said, they could build most of the SOFTWARE the powers the site for several thousand dollars, but that's not where the value is.
I'll go out on a limb and predict... by iMadeGhostzilla · 2017-01-01 11:09 · Score: 1

... that instagram and the entertainment social networks have peaked and will now start to decline. Unlike past inventions like email, instagram's, and to a lesser degree, facebook's, utility is limited. I have unfollowed almost everyone on my facebook feed and haven't posted on my wall in weeks, although I still occasionally comment on other posts. Having experienced that feeling I don't plan to go ever go back.
1. Re:I'll go out on a limb and predict... by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 12:21 · Score: 0
  
  Facebook is on alert! Some old guy doesn't like Instagram! Sell, sell, sell!
  Please sir, what is your opinion on kids wearing baggy pants?
Sorcery by ememisya · 2017-01-01 11:14 · Score: 1

Now how would Facebook know how popular Instagram is?
Hahaha, it's raymorris "webchump" by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 13:37 · Score: 0

Like talking behind my back punk https://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=9899547&cid=53319961/?
Clue: Hosts stopped 10 botnets in under 2 weeks recently stupid https://news.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=10020701&cid=53529963/ & 100's MORE IN THE PAST!
I created the BEST hosts file program bar-none & commercially sold wares from MS certified parthers (have you? You can't on your BEST day, menial).
Don't EVER talk 'writing software' raymorris - it's above your LIMITED skillset (ruby boy, lol).
* raymorris "security expert" = bullshit - you're a chump that uses CHUMP LANGUAGES to send data @ inputs to find SQLInjections @ MOST stupid (former law student too, speaks WORLDS about you loser).
CLASSICS I'VE FLOORED "wannabe security guy" raymorris on:
Raymorris BLUNDER on security #1 https://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=5351503&cid=47379233/
LMAO!
Raymorris BLUNDER on security #2 https://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=5351503&cid=47374033/
ROTFLMAO!
ScriptKIDDIE raymorris proof in HIS OWN WORDS https://politics.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=8895203&cid=51726265/
APK
P.S.=> I see how you 'brag' on what you make - what a LOAD of bullshit lies (you're not worth that given truths about you above moron) & IF you're such a 'security guru' HOW COME I SHOWED YOU'RE FULL OF SHIT IN THOSE 2 LINKS ABOVE? apk
1. Re:Hahaha, it's raymorris "webchump" by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 14:28 · Score: 0
  
  raymorris constantly talks behind your back and now I know why. You got the best of him in an area he brags on twice.
2. Re:Hahaha, it's raymorris "webchump" by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-02 04:02 · Score: 0
  
  raymorris shoots his mouth off on /. all day long everyday in dozens of posts per day but suddenly goes silent after that? Go figure!
3. Re: Hahaha, it's raymorris "webchump" by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-02 13:01 · Score: 0
  
  Alex Kowalski In a Nutshell (A Life of Failure)
  0. Birthday was January 31st (see below).
  1. 198x - Got a mediocre degree in IT from LeMoyne University. No
  computer science degree. LeMoyne actually disbanded their CS
  department from 1994 - 2008.
  2. Fired from Sunbelt in 2000. Never found full-time employment
  again, much less as a software engineer. Moved back in with mom in
  Syracuse.
  3. 2000 - Banned from Arstechnica. Rejoined under another name (lied)
  to argue for himself. Everyone there hated him.
  4. 2003 - Tried to argue with Dr. Russinovich (of sysinternals.com) in
  comments below Russinovich's blog. Other forum posters schooled him.
  Nevertheless, he still claims he beat Russinovich in an argument that
  Russinovich did not realized happened.
  5. 2006 - Someone opened petition on petitiononline.com to have APK
  put to death. It got (at least) 29 signatures.
  6. 2007 - Banned from Antionline.com. Everyone there hated him.
  Copy/pasted his "security guide," which everyone agreed was not good.
  7. 2008 - Actually got paid $100 for his security guide as a
  newsletter prize, and thus claims, to this day, that he's a "security
  professional."
  8. 2008 - Admitted he doesn't understand UNIX: "I am more of a Win32
  guy the past few years though, so I must ask [what iptables is]."
  9. 2008 - Made legal threats against Thor Schrock, but turned out to
  be bluffing. Embarrassed publicly by Schrock.
  10. 2010 - Mom gave him the house (worth $100,000, counting land). He
  currently lies about that, claiming to be independently wealthy.
  11. 2010 - Wrote a crappy file manager in Pascal that performs
  terribly. Nobody would pay for it.
  12. Managed to get malwarebytes to host his file manager because it's
  free. Lied and denied it's just a file manager, but Malwarebytes
  calls it what it is: a "Small program for managing the HOSTS file"
  13. 2011 - BarbaraHudson caught him in a lie - that he had plenty of
  +5 modded posts on slashdot. They were all at -1.
  14. 2011 - Attempted to re-add garbage to Wikipedia 20 times on the
  Windows hosts file. Had it removed each time. Complained in the
  editorial pages, but was shot down.
  15. 2012 - Embarrassed on slashdot for his text file manager's
  extremely poor performance (11 minutes to sort 1.8 million strings).
  Currently claims he "chose" Python because C++ does not perform as
  well. Pasted Python but failed to indent lines, showing he did not
  understand the basics of Python.
  16. 2014 - Zontar schooled him, doxed him, caught him in several other
  lies. People chimed in on Slashdot to say they hated him.
  17. 2014-Present - Still has not done anything since his long-since-deleted security
  guide from 2007 or his text file manager from 2010. Declares victory
  over everyone on every forum he has ever visited. Currently has no
  friends.
  Other events on Jan 31st:
  * Guy Fawkes was executed.
  * Germany used poison gas at a large scale for the first time in
  history of warfare.
  * The Soviet Union exiled Leon Trotsky.
  * Harry Truman announced a program to develop the hydrogen bomb.
  * Viet Cong launched the Tet Offensive.
4. Re: Hahaha, it's raymorris "webchump" by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-02 14:28 · Score: 0
  
  Do you have a link to the Zontar 'conversation'?
  Thanks
5. Re: Hahaha, it's raymorris "webchump" by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-02 16:41 · Score: 0
  
  Here is part of it:
  https://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=4980459&cid=46702387
6. Re: Hahaha, it's raymorris "webchump" by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-04 11:09 · Score: 0
  
  Thank you.
Give me a fucking break by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 13:38 · Score: 0

'Genius'? I'm not even going to attempt explain to your millennial noggin, there's just no point. This is probably the first time in recorded history that an entire generation survived brain death at the moments of their births.
I hope that menial no mind replies by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-01 16:20 · Score: 0

See subject: I'm going to publicly rip him a new asshole if he has the balls to show up. What you saw? ONLY the beginning.
* Fucker's ALL by-rote talk, nothing more... you'll see!
APK
P.S.=> I've rarely SEEN such a pompous arrogant little bs artist fuck like raymorris & he has the balls to call himself a "programmer" AND shit on me behind my back?
LOL!
(ray the punk knows bs toy languages & SQL - I've never seen programs by 'raymorris' anyone uses after all - he's a wageslave MENIAL) lol, some 'programmer' & his 'security chops'? Only the START of how I can cut his bullshit to shreds (especially on Windows vs. *NIX)... apk
500 to 600 million - that's a 119999900% increase by ayesnymous · 2017-01-01 18:50 · Score: 1

Incredible.
Cianix Male Enhancement by jobfinaly13 · 2017-01-01 23:35 · Score: 0

Cianix Male Enhancement http://gainmusclesup.com/ciani...
What's instagram? by MobyDisk · 2017-01-02 03:02 · Score: 0

What's instagram? Is that another photo-sharing site that lets you tag and comment, like tumblr, myspace, pinterest, facebook, flickr, deviantart, shutterfly, smugmug, snapchat, twitter, wordpress, snapfish, and blogger? Well, I am sure it is unique and valuable.
Wrong on all grounds Zontar by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-02 13:54 · Score: 0

LeMoyne Bachelors (Business Admin/MIS minor, CS work is @ diff. school) & 1st string lettered NCAA athlete in Lacrosse.
I sold wares via sunbelt w/ Mark Russinovich - not employee & I own a home!
I got paid for security guides - have you?
CIS Tool (highly esteemed) took fixes from ME + I wrote APK Hosts File Engine 9.0++ SR-5 32/64-bit https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&biw=&bih=&q=%22APK+Hosts+File+Engine%22+and+%22start64%22&btnG=Google+Search&gbv=1/ & slashdotters like & use it + malwarebytes' folks host & recommend it.
I've also got commercially successful code from 1996 onwards to present I sold too - how about you?
Thor SCHMUCK wasn't given 'legal threats' & I disproved every antivirus that called my wares 'bad' including his CA accounting scandal pals & 8 recently on the program in the link above!
APK
P.S.=> Russinovich & Ars detail https://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=5043169&cid=46786907/ ... apk
1. Re:Wrong on all grounds Zontar by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-02 14:13 · Score: 0
  
  Thanks, AC, for that list. I was aware of some of it, but not he majority.
  It's kind of sad.
Zontar the mindless life of FAIL by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-02 14:27 · Score: 0

See subject: 1st take your meds mentalcase https://slashdot.org/comments....
&
I see you're also a druggie too https://slashdot.org/comments....
Going to make more sockpuppets to stalk & troll me with you loon https://slashdot.org/comments.... ?
+
Your sending me postcards with threats too https://slashdot.org/comments.... ?
* You're a butthurt loon freak, plain & simple... you did it to yourself, loser.
APK
P.S.=> Still trying to live down how I shot you to pieces in the art & science of computing Mr. Butthurt https://slashdot.org/comments.... ?
How about proving hosts & my program that builds them are useless too https://slashdot.org/comments.... ?
See subject above - They're FACT & your fails made them so, lol!
(I've done all that LONG ago & you haven't done squat of note... must hurt like hell, that truth, or you wouldn't be stalking me like the loser druggie mental loon you're proven to be in YOUR OWN WORDS in those links above, lol)... apk
Simple question APK by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-02 14:51 · Score: 0

commercially sold wares from MS certified parthers
What did you sell? For how much? When?
You bring these up as 'proof', so I'd like to understand what, exactly, you are proving.
'Cos I think the answer is going to turn out to be like your athletic career - exaggerated and decades old.
Hi APK. Hope you had a great New Year.
YT
How did eating your words taste "YeTi"? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-02 15:55 · Score: 0

See subject (LMAO) & you "eating your words" absolutely "LiVe" https://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=9986237&cid=53480147/ - bit like the bitter taste of SELF-defeat w/ your foot ramming your words down your throat?
* Answer that...
APK
P.S.=> Go away moron - I've answered too many of your 'questions' & BLOWN YOU AWAY as seen in the link above in you quoted - & you'd best CHANGE YOUR DIET as "eating your words" != good nutrition (lol - "YeTi's" starvation diet of malnutrition)... apk
Got anything better than name calling? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-02 16:06 · Score: 0

Tastes better than having to avoid answering an embarrassing question
So what did you sell? For how much and when?
Or are you going to avoid the question again?

Go away moron
Sure, will do. Soon as you answer the question.
It looks to me like you boast a lot but can't back much of it up.
I mean, looking at that list the other AC posted, I can understand why you avoid questions so much.
You really don't have anything to back up the bluster, do you?
YT
1. Re:Got anything better than name calling? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-02 16:37 · Score: 0
  
  I read the exchange you ate your words in YT in the link apk posted. I can't blame him for ignoring you now. Whatever it was it is more than you can produce.
2. Re:Got anything better than name calling? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-02 17:23 · Score: 0
  
  http://ep.yimg.com/ty/cdn/superspeed/ScReadMe41.txt
3. Re:Got anything better than name calling? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-03 12:40 · Score: 0
  
  http://ep.yimg.com/ty/cdn/superspeed/ScReadMe41.txt
  Seeing how that is dated in the 90's, you have proven this part of your timeline of fail:
  
  2. Fired from Sunbelt in 2000. Never found full-time employment
  again, much less as a software engineer.
I do (where I totalled Zontar the mindless) by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-02 17:04 · Score: 0

See subject & link vs. his false accusations https://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=4980459&cid=46703603/ + Google's Virustotal too https://www.virustotal.com/en/file/e01211ca36aa02e923f20adee0a3c4f5d5187dc65bdf1c997b3da3c2b0745425/analysis/1433430542/
APK
P.S.=> It's always a pleasure to make that loon Zontar the mindless https://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=10064767&cid=53595157/ "eat his words"... apk
"Genius"? by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-03 06:33 · Score: 0

You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means.
Learn to read troll moron... apk by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-04 05:31 · Score: 0

See subject: I wasn't THEIR employee nor was Dr. Russinovich - we merely sold wares thru Sunbelt!
* Funniest part's that I didn't post that BUT it does show another thing I sold thru sunbelt etc. (EEC/SuperSpeed bought out my code entirely though here on this one (of a couple)).
THAT ONE SELLS TO THIS VERY DAY TOO SO YOU ARE WRONG AGAIN IN YOUR "NITPICKING"
APK
P.S.=> Have YOU done the same or better? Obviously not... apk
1. Re: Learn to read troll moron... apk by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-04 06:58 · Score: 0
  
  You bullshitter! I don't believe for a second that optimization software for 20-year-old versions of Windows are still in use today.
  Especially not any pukebag of Pascal that you (allegedly) wrote.
It's not mocked by b783719 · 2017-01-04 14:02 · Score: 1

It's not "many also questioned if Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had lost his mind by outlaying $1 billion for a company that, at the time, had no revenue". It's because this is Facebook, and no one wants Facebook to acquire Instagram except Facebook and Instagram themselves.
EAT YOUR WORDS troll moron... apk by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-05 05:22 · Score: 0

Here's proof that software's still sold http://www.start64.com/index.php/component/content/article?id=3011:supercache/ & I got paid for part of it by EEC Systems/SuperSpeed.com & yes my part was written in Object Pascal (eventually translated & integrated to C/C++).
APK
P.S.=> Not everyone's an untalented do-nothing "ne'er-do-well" imbecile that can't show anything worthwhile he's created himself harassing others by unidentifiable anonymous posts like you... apk
1. Re: EAT YOUR WORDS troll moron... apk by Anonymous Coward · 2017-01-06 13:55 · Score: 0
  
  Ha, so you admit you wrote "part" of the software, and already got your cut (no residuals). And, the OS already caches disk in memory, so the software is pointless anyway!
  Loser.