I’d like to look beyond the current state of Facebook and take a moment to look towards the future of social networking in general. Right now, Facebook is the dominating word on the lips of tech bloggers and entrepreneurs.
Yet how quickly can we forget the seemingly endless stacks of money thrown at other social networks in the past couple of years? What about the guys like Catster , a social network for people with cats, and the cash they got in their Series A?
Well here’s what I’m thinking. They’re done.
I’m going to take a shot in the dark on this one, but here’s something that crossed my mind.
I think the future of Facebook is to exist as the ultimate network of networks. A network that encompasses the entire mass of fragmented niche networks under one enormous roof. Facebook is pushing towards a future where massive networks exist as the aggregation of smaller social networks.
I think that these niche social networks are in trouble, as the new F8 platform allows people to create niche communities within Facebook in a very real, although presently limited, way. Still, if Facebook is in a rush and doesn’t want to let the other small networks die off on their own with time, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Facebook unleash a furious and relentless acquisition of smaller networks right before they throw their doors opens for IPO.
Forget MySpace. Forget Microsoft. Forget Google.
This is the Facebook era.
