What if Facebook disappears in 5 to 8 years?

In 2000 Yahoo was its peak. It was then that I opened my account. In those days Yahoo helped me reach my friends living in far countries like the US, UK and Middle East.

Though I was head over heal in love with Yahoo, later on I moved to search-engine giant Google’s Gmail and found it easy to handle. Since then a lot has changed in the virtual world with social media coming to the fore and Yahoo receding.

Yahoo has shrunk over years and today its just 10 per cent of what it was in 2000. Bad news indeed!!! But the company continues to be profitable with some 13,000 employees across the world trying to revive it.

Facebook
However, if we go by the latest reports, leading social networking site Facebook too is going to meet the same fate.

Not now, but in the near future. That is what Eric Jackson, the founder of Ironfire Capital, has predicted.

A hedge fund manager Jackson said Facebook will disappear in 5 to 8 years.

Gosh, if it happens what I will do! I have started hyperventilating since reading the report online. I will be marooned and a life without Facebook is unbelievable.

It is through this site that I keep in touch with my relatives and friends overseas. Besides, I also share photos and other things with them instantly.

Facebook is facing a hard time as its stocks hit a new low, ending today at $25.87, well below its initial offering.

All told, it is not the end of the road. Chances are high that Facebook will bounce back with its highly-skilled employees working to overcome the challenge.

Stiff competition
Since its inception, Facebook under the leadership of 28-year-old Mark Zuckerberg has evolved well by staying in the lead despite Google also taking a plunge in the social networking world by unleashing Google +.

Now, the biggest challenge for Facebook is how to benefit the most from mobile. With more and more people accessing the virtual world with mobile, the next fight for supremacy will be fought here.

It is not that Facebook is second to anybody in the race to convince mobile users to access it. The December 2011 data released by Facebook show that it had more than 425 million monthly active mobile users. In Japan too Facebook has become extremely popular among mobile users. Also, in India mobile users get message of accessing Facebook through mobile.

Mobile users
Facebook’s mobile users are increasing. But the problem is the company is not making any money at this point.

With the mobile penetration increasing across India and the world, social networking sites and Google are doing all they could to generate money from mobile users.

In the race only a few will win and certainly some will disappear. Facebook's survival is what I want so that I continue to share my photos with relatives and friends and stay in touch with them.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article are of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Okhla Times.