Public Social Network

K4t

If Facebook is valued at 104 billion dollars and generates over half a billion in revenue each year from mainly advertising.....why could there not be a global social networking site started and facilitated by the government(s) with the advertising revenue going towards the redistribution of wealth instead of into the pockets of mark zuckerberg and private investors...? Essentially, a public social network, truly owned by the people, without the possibility of ever being charged for use and without our private information going to a private company...

This is just a very basic theory that came about from a discussion my brother and I had earlier while discussing facebook's recent, ridiculous ipo. Well it was his idea but he doesn't use boards so I'm hijacking it..

Well, could it work? :rolleyes:

Poor Uncle Tom

No, transparency & culpability means some individual information would need to be given...

Deus Ex Machina

Governments can't do anything right. And they should be smaller, not world encompassing. And the people to whom the wealth would be "redistributed" didn't earn it, Mark Zuckerberg did. Sheesh.

MrStuffins

Yeah, because the Government know exactly how to utilise the Internet to it's highest potential and extract every opportunity available from it, while fully understanding it's current place in society and how that place is evolving and will evilve into the future................


......... isn't that right Minister Sherlock?

mikemac1

Governments are not there to create successful businesses, all they have to do is create the conditions and then get the hell of the way

southcentralts

your OP did make me wonder if with the current level of technology can we not have a bigger say in important issues then contacting our local TD who will continue to promise the world to us then ignore us.

some kind of SN where we get to vote on everything - or would we just end up making things worse - lower taxes, don't mind if I do.

saa

The gubberment can't even pay people to make a decent basic informational website how could they pull a successful social networking site out of the air :pac:

Battered Mars Bar

K4t wrote: »

If Facebook is valued at 104 billion dollars and generates over half a billion in revenue each year from mainly advertising

500 million a year, is that all? I wouldn't wipe my ass with that. Sure Angry Birds generates 100 million a year ffs.

forfuxsake

Facebook value is derived from its potential to exploit revenue from advertisers.

The government(s) and advertising should never be mixed. See North Korea for more details

markpb

saa wrote: »

The gubberment can't even pay people to make a decent basic informational website how could they pull a successful social networking site out of the air :pac:

www.citizensinformation.ie is an excellent website, even for a government website.

OP, it wouldn't work because getting governments to agree on anything would take eons. Who would design and run it, what language would the front page be in, what moderation policy would they use, what jurisdiction would legal challenges be held in, who would pay for it and in what share, how would the profits be distributed, etc, etc. Also, since no-one would personally benefit from the site, where would the drive come from to make it a success?

Doc Ruby

K4t wrote: »

facilitated by the government(s)... without the possibility of ever being charged for use and without our private information going to a private company...

Governments: they don't work that way. The day of the political leadership actually looking after the best interests of the people is long gone, if it ever existed.

Besides what, you saw a large pile of money and want a piece? Go start it yourself, that's what open source is all about. After you struggle for a decade and make it a success, I'll look forward to my piece of your pie.