Yay! A cogent and articulate thought without any ad hominen!
Part of the problem is that “Facebook” now has many meanings. When we talk about walled gardens and APIs, “Facebook” generally refers to the eponymous website. At the same time, we are also discussing their track record regarding their acquisitions as well as their broader IP. In this case, “Facebook” refers to the company.
Of course there is overlap. And I genuinely tack towards negative emotions when I think if Facebook-the-website. But my (limited) understanding of Facebook-the-company is that they have made a lot of inovations to PHP and scripting that they are sharing with the world, but that they have a spotty track record of letting companies sail their charted course. Instagram is largely the same service, while the guys from Sofa quit the first chance they got. But those are all different types of businesses, too so it is hard to draw comparisons.
It’s just that so many of the averse reactions have been coming from people who have been arguing from their experiences with Facebook-the-website, while ignoring the larger vision of Facebook-the-company.
Of course their business is in selling ads and monetizing people’s personal lives. But now it is also their business to sell top-notch VR headsets. It kinda reminds me of when Microsoft jumped into the console wars, actually.
