This is simply nuts. I mean, I believe it but the fact that facebook is in some ways taking over the Internet is just remarkable. Yes, it can be entertaining at times and it does serve some purpose in keeping people connected. But the intensity of the devotion that people show to it, and the logarithmic growth it appears to be seeing is just breathtaking. I visit it a lot, but no more than, say, Daring Fireball or Daily Kos. To me, it’s just not that engrossing.
The amount and intensity of time, energy, and attention that facebook now controls means that in effect, it is a standalone platform, the equivalent of Android, or even OS X in some ways. And as it grows it’s foothold and influence, the network effects of its dominance are likely to multiply.
It is hard to imagine how massive it is going to become and when, if ever, it will begin to loose steam. Quite a remarkable course of events taking place before our very eyes.
