Reply to: ITV sells Friends Reunited

[Andy2]

Who would pay 25mill for a couple of servers ,domain name and some software
muppets

[realityhack]

The first over-AJAXed sites I came across put me off so thoroughly that I avoided the stuff like the plague for a long time.

Hint 1: If your target market is home users, you cannot expect everyone to be running on the latest bang up to date hardware.

Hint 2: If your target market is the SMB sector, you cannot expect everyone to be running on the latest bang up to date hardware.

Hint 3: If your target market is the corporate sector, you cannot expect everyone to be running on the latest bang up to date hardware.

FaceBork pisses me off for this very reason. And all of this 'mystery' navigation it results in - oh! of course I would automatically know that's how to access that bit of functionality that only appears on mouseover!

And, for iPhone users - what a blistering shower of ineptitude that app is.

Morons.

[Not So Wise]

FR was way over priced then ITV bought it, just like all the social networking sites a few years ago and still are today

Funny really as just today research came out that found there was a large drop in people using such sites. And personally think will probably continue until none of them are valued more than about $10 to $20 million.

While they will never go away completely it about time people realised networking are just a fad that's already dying

[Sysman]

And like similar sites, is destined to become another over-AJAXed failure unless the developers sort themselves out. Useless shower of numpties.

The first over-AJAXed sites I came across put me off so thoroughly that I avoided the stuff like the plague for a long time.

Hint 1: If your target market is home users, you cannot expect everyone to be running on the latest bang up to date hardware.

Hint 2: If your target market is the SMB sector, you cannot expect everyone to be running on the latest bang up to date hardware.

Hint 3: If your target market is the corporate sector, you cannot expect everyone to be running on the latest bang up to date hardware.

[chris79]

They got the business model wrong by charging money to make contact with people.

This discouraged people to use the site for the purpose it could/should have fulfilled, it also created a far better opportunity for the likes of myspace, facebook, etc.. and the people running the show did too little, too late, to salvage their drop in market share.

[foritisme]

No, your getting confused with Jeans Reunited, where you open an old case in the loft and find a size of 28" waist Jeans that say "hello fattie, remember me"

[OwlHoot]

I believe that they bought it for Genes Reunited, a subscription based service that is actually making money and fits nicely with their product portfolio....

Is that where you answer your front door, to be greeted by a young stranger saying "Hi Dad!".

[thelace]

I believe that they bought it for Genes Reunited, a subscription based service that is actually making money and fits nicely with their product portfolio....

But you're right, Friends Re-united is worth didly squat...

(Especially as the lass I used to fancy at school won't return my emails )

[OwlHoot]

perhaps contractors reunited?

Yes, except that I wouldn't want to be reunited with some contractors I've worked with over the years.

[Bright Spark]

perhaps contractors reunited?

[OwlHoot]

I think to a degree it has also reached a kind of saturation point, in that almost everyone who is interested in looking up their school mates has already done so and re-established personal contact with those they wished to.

I guess the only way forward for Friends Reunited, if they haven't already done it, is to add new milieus (milieux?) in addition to schools, such as "convicts reunited" for ex-cons, services reunited for ex-squaddies and tars, jobs reunited by company for ex-workmates etc, etc.

[MrMark]

My last contract was for a company that ran a professional social networking site. The vast majority of their revenue came from research data (they'd offer prizes for various completed questionnaires) they were able to sell on to other companies. I do wonder how Friends RE-United can generate any substantial income. However the first priority for the new owners will surely be to stop the churn rate and make it a site people want to log onto regularly. It'll be very interesting to see if the company can be turned around. If anything I think ITV have done well to claw back 25 million, instead of having to make a total write-off.

[realityhack]

And like similar sites, is destined to become another over-AJAXed failure unless the developers sort themselves out. Useless shower of numpties.

[OwlHoot]

They paid £175 Million for it.

They sell it for £25 Million.

I am surprised it is worth that much.

What value is there really in people with a loose sense of kinship talking to each other over the internet?

WHS - My impression is it's been completely superceded by Facebook and similar sites.

[realityhack]

They paid £175 Million for it.

They sell it for £25 Million.

I am surprised it is worth that much.

What value is there really in people with a loose sense of kinship talking to each other over the internet?

2 tweets caught my attention this morning:

Oops. ITV Sells #friendsreunited for 25M after buying for 175M #fail

Good point! RT Someone actually *buys* #friendsreunited for £25M #fail++