Time's top ten tech failures of the last decade

[Caliga]

Youtube is a failure?

I was surprised by that, but in reading the article the reason given is that it has failed to find a way to make money.... by that logic, I would think Facebook should be listed as well (maybe it's "too new" for inclusion, though).


Both you and Slargos are right, of course.  But (obviously, I think) the criticism is that YouTube's not found a way it can generate money via its core functioning.  Any company can make money for its founders by getting bought, but that won't keep it going in perpetuity.
They found a great way to make money: Sell it to Google.

[Caliga]

Youtube is a failure?

I was surprised by that, but in reading the article the reason given is that it has failed to find a way to make money.... by that logic, I would think Facebook should be listed as well (maybe it's "too new" for inclusion, though).


Both you and Slargos are right, of course.  But (obviously, I think) the criticism is that YouTube's not found a way it can generate money via its core functioning.  Any company can make money for its founders by getting bought, but that won't keep it going in perpetuity.
They found a great way to make money: Sell it to Google.

edit: ARGH.  Stupid board.

[HVC]

Youtube is a failure?

I was surprised by that, but in reading the article the reason given is that it has failed to find a way to make money.... by that logic, I would think Facebook should be listed as well (maybe it's "too new" for inclusion, though).


Both you and Slargos are right, of course.  But (obviously, I think) the criticism is that YouTube's not found a way it can generate money via its core functioning.  Any company can make money for its founders by getting bought, but that won't keep it going in perpetuity.
They found a great way to make money: Sell it to Google.

edit: ARGH.  Stupid board.

you fail at teh internets

*edit* your extra quote line was messing me up

[Slargos]

Youtube is a failure?

I was surprised by that, but in reading the article the reason given is that it has failed to find a way to make money.... by that logic, I would think Facebook should be listed as well (maybe it's "too new" for inclusion, though).


Both you and Slargos are right, of course.  But (obviously, I think) the criticism is that YouTube's not found a way it can generate money via its core functioning.  Any company can make money for its founders by getting bought, but that won't keep it going in perpetuity.
They found a great way to make money: Sell it to Google.

edit: ARGH.  Stupid board.

you fail at teh internets

So do you. 

Edit: Crap, you updated it. 

[Slargos]

Anyway, I think listing youtube was nigh on retarded.

With 100 million users, they will find some way to turn a profit eventually.

[HVC]

Youtube is a failure?

I was surprised by that, but in reading the article the reason given is that it has failed to find a way to make money.... by that logic, I would think Facebook should be listed as well (maybe it's "too new" for inclusion, though).


Both you and Slargos are right, of course.  But (obviously, I think) the criticism is that YouTube's not found a way it can generate money via its core functioning.  Any company can make money for its founders by getting bought, but that won't keep it going in perpetuity.
They found a great way to make money: Sell it to Google.

edit: ARGH.  Stupid board.

you fail at teh internets

So do you. 

Edit: Crap, you updated it. 

See my edit

[HVC]

lol you updated just as i was quoting so i quoted your new post. This forum is haunted!

[DGuller]

Anyway, I think listing youtube was nigh on retarded.

With 100 million users, they will find some way to turn a profit eventually.

I agree.  Having the network effect work for you is essential in the tech business.  If you've got that, then you have a potential monopoly.

[alfred russel]

Anyway, I think listing youtube was nigh on retarded.

With 100 million users, they will find some way to turn a profit eventually.

There was a story of an analyst that estimated youtube is losing $500 million a year for Google. Google disputed the numbers, but the actual results are not public. If youtube is losing that much, it is a problem.

[Josquius]

At first I thought Segway was a flop too, I remember all the 'IT' hype and the big 'Oh...' but it is surviving quite nicely with people actually using them. Obviously not the run away success it was hyped as (how could it possibly be) but not a total disaster.

[Syt]

[Grey Fox]

Facebook is a massive success. They might be cheap knock off ads but they're still ads.

[garbon]

Facebook is a massive success. They might be cheap knock off ads but they're still ads.

As far as the media reports, facebook doesn't have great profits though.

[The Minsky Moment]

*shrug* Guess so.  Never in a million years would I invest in a concern that takes four years to figure out a business model that generates reliable revenue.

How much money did MSFT make in its first 4 years as a company?

[ulmont]

How much money did MSFT make in its first 4 years as a company?

Can't have been that much...that's 1976-80, when Microsoft was just doing BASIC and some other things, not even selling their Unix variant.  Windows wasn't released until 1985.