FB.com acquired by Facebook, set to launch mail service

[rns621]

http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/12/fb-com/

What do you guys think? How much do you think they paid?

 

[DomainMagnate]

Smart move.

It was owned by the American Farm Bureau Federation, who use fb.org, so hard to say. Probably at least mid 6 figs

 

[hugegrowth]

do we really need another free email service? lol

I thought facebook was helping to do away with email, many people just converse through FB now instead of emailing.

I suppose though it will be popular and get them more page views, and more ad views.

Now there will be a rush to get a good username. Hopefully you can choose whatever you want.

 

[grcorp]

I estimate they paid at least a million for it.

"FB" is a well-regarded abbreviation for Facebook. Someone who owns one of only 676 possible LL.com domains wouldn't be enough of a dumbass to let an LL.com domain go for too little... never mind premium letters such as f and b, as well as the combination's well-established meaning.

It's an OK move on their part. A cost of building a brand. I don't think anybody's typing in FB.com as of right now for Facebook, so it's not like they're saving type-ins that they might be losing.

I think that a good utilitarian purpose for the domain would be to make access to the mobile site easier - i.e. m.fb.com, rather than m.facebook.com.

---------- Post added at 10:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:59 PM ----------

do we really need another free email service? lol

I thought facebook was helping to do away with email, many people just converse through FB now instead of emailing.

I suppose though it will be popular and get them more page views, and more ad views.

Now there will be a rush to get a good username. Hopefully you can choose whatever you want.

It will definitely give them more page views, but more importantly, more information.

Namely, information which they can use to target ads, and full email contact lists which Facebook can ask the user to invite to Facebook, giving it more members, and hence, more page views.

Myspace tried a similar concept so that a user could have [email protected]. Facebook has caught on much more widely than myspace ever did, so I think this service will work quite well.

As it is, because people use Facebook to communicate now, email has become a somewhat extinct technology. However, you still need an email address to log into Facebook, and it's a little more difficult to ask somebody you don't know to send you a Facebook message than it is to have them send you an email.

For example, I was helping a family friend write her resume. I told her to put her email address at the top.

Her reaction?

"I don't even know what my email address is."

:disappointed:

 

[katherine]

They are still in dispute with the previous owner, so I would not be surprised strong arm tactics took place in negotiations

 

[Theo]

Judging by the ridiculous claims against domains that begin with "face*" or end in "*book" I would not be surprised if after getting FB.com they'd sue the FBI

 

[richardxthripp]

Amazing, this is a smart move by Facebook. If email doesn't work out, they can make another bloody URL shortener.

 

[hugegrowth]

Judging by the ridiculous claims against domains that begin with "face*" or end in "*book" I would not be surprised if after getting FB.com they'd sue the FBI

I would say that 'facebook' is a generic word. Before the website ever started, the word existed for yearbook type books on college campuses, etc. It's not like the company Apple which uses the term 'apple' for computers and tech. Facebook uses the word for it's generic meaning, with a twist I guess to doing it online.

It would be the same as if there was a Yearbook.com site, could no one really own a domain with 'yearbook' in it?

does anyone know of any other sites that use a domain with 'facebook' in it, and use it for the generic purpose?

 

[dominator]

It's not like the company Apple...

maybe you should read this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Corps_v_Apple_Computer

 

[DomainMagnate]

maybe you should read this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Corps_v_Apple_Computer

This is interesting, the Beatles sued Apple 4 times!

 

[Sonny Banks]

I have a better idea for FB.com...a brand new Berlusconi porn site!!

 

[Tim Schoon]

I bet they didn't pay for it. Crooks!

 

[DomainsInc]

if they just took it, that sucks and facebook are gayer than i ever thought.

 

[Gerry]

I would say that 'facebook' is a generic word. Before the website ever started, the word existed for yearbook type books on college campuses, etc. It's not like the company Apple which uses the term 'apple' for computers and tech. Facebook uses the word for it's generic meaning, with a twist I guess to doing it online.

It would be the same as if there was a Yearbook.com site, could no one really own a domain with 'yearbook' in it?

does anyone know of any other sites that use a domain with 'facebook' in it, and use it for the generic purpose?

Sorry, but the USPTO strongly disagree with you, along with the countless attorneys and other legal teams.

 

[DomainsInc]

Sorry, but the USPTO strongly disagree with you, along with the countless attorneys and other legal teams.

money talks...

 

[Mark Talbot]

I bet they didn't pay for it. Crooks!

And surely you remember the "iphone" debacle, no?

 

[Tim Schoon]

And surely you remember the "iphone" debacle, no?

And you surely never heard of LH.com

 

[gaetanomarano]

.


Breaking News: Facebook buys also FB.biz http://domainnamewire.com/2010/12/08/facebook-bought-fb-biz-domain-name-too/

to be used for...


a) its new FBmail


b) redirect to its main site


c) a new short-URL service


d) a Facebook Search Engine

 

[ksinclair]

Judging by the ridiculous claims against domains that begin with "face*" or end in "*book" I would not be surprised if after getting FB.com they'd sue the FBI

FBI is short for "FB, Inc."

 

[gaetanomarano]

FBI is short for "FB, Inc."

but the FBI doesn't have the same personal info database of Facebook