Instagram: The billion dollar app

+Phil Lavelle Apr. 10, 2012 at 19:30 More articles by Phil Lavelle

So it appears that Instagram has made the tech headlines for two separate reasons in the space of less than a week.

Fresh from putting Android users out of their misery by releasing a (somewhat inferior, some would say) version of the app, now it's only gone and been bought up by the big daddy of social networks: Facebook for a pretty cool billion dollars.

"I'm excited to share the news that we've agreed to acquire Instagram and that their talented team will be joining Facebook," said Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO

The big question on Twitter though doesn't appear to be "Will they give us more filters?" or even "Will they give us tilt shift on Android like iOS users" but more "Are Facebook gonna make it into a load of crap?"

Facebook, for its part claims that it will remain independent and will even continue to allow postings to other social networks:

"We believe these are different experiences that complement each other. But in order to do this well, we need to be mindful about keeping and building on Instagram's strengths and features rather than just trying to integrate everything into Facebook."

And Instagram promised independently to continue as is: "The Instagram app will still be the same one you know and love. You’ll still have all the same people you follow and that follow you.

The hope is that this won't just become some kind of big boo-boo that ends up falling apart. As Techradar has nostalgically mused, remember what happened to Flickr...

The move also no doubt helps Facebook justify its expected $1bn valuation. After all, if it paid $1bn for Instagram it has got to be worth 100 times that, hasn't it?

Yummy.... now with FB's facial recognition tech

Yummy.... now with FB's facial recognition tech
Hmmm...I feel my data being sold to god knows who already. Yay.

Yummy.... now with FB's facial recognition tech
Hmmm...I feel my data being sold to god knows who already. Yay.

Yes, but what dontcha do to make your crappiest pics look like old crappy pics

I don't use it at the moment and I don't intend to start using it. For all I care iOS could have kept its damn app all to itself.

I often came across it on Twitter. When I finally tried it I couldn't believe it.
I didn't so much use it - I was just trying to figure out what I missed? It's just a rubbish one-trick app with, oooh, sharing...so, just another great 'opportunity' to spread ones private info...

Same goes for pinterest...
Those 2 'services' really scream for a big fat thumbtack to **** the app bubble, and bring folks back down to earth! Oh, look, a unicorn tracking app! But first sign up, cause whoa, we're in "beta"... Which, hey: anyone else notice how many "beta" apps are now SOLD in the Android and iOS stores? "beta" used to mean free! As a beta-user, YOU ARE DOING the devs' work!!! So folks, don't pay for beta-maX

I can't say "Pr i c k the bubble"? The term's in the KJ Bible...

Apparently you have to say burst instead .

Paying for beta software is ridiculous, it **** me off when developers release "beta" software to the general public, too. If it's got enough bugs to be called a beta it shouldn't be widely available in an app store in the same way finished, polished apps are.

Beta has simply become an excuse to start selling an app before it's ready and whilst it still has a sh*t-ton of bugs. Alpha software is becoming what Beta software used to be.

As you can probably tell, I could rant all day about it.

how the **** is an app worth a billion bucks, if -something is wrong seriously wrong. if there are 6 or 7 billion odd people in the world and a 1/6 paid 69p then they still would not make the money back. im guessing there must be only a few hundred million smartphone users, so if if every single person with an android or ios bought the device it still would not be worth it??????????

Rightly so! Bloody Siri - THE iOS biggie, is a Beta service.

Rightly so! Bloody Siri - THE iOS biggie, is a Beta service.
I know. Beta is an pre-fabricated excuse for unknown bugs nowadays, a totally misused term.

Last edited by matt101101, Apr. 10, 2012 at 22:36

Isn't navigation on google maps still beta.

Anyway I think I must be missing something about this app.

Isn't navigation on google maps still beta.

Anyway I think I must be missing something about this app.
I think parts of it are in Beta...

Still says beta when you tell it to go anywhere.

Anyway can't see why they can't make a go of this app I know nothing about, they've made a success of facebook despite it being inherently tedious and pointless.

Pondlife - I just had a look at the app.... Basically it allows you to take "retro" looking pics of a bag blowing in the wind at the park, before adding a shallowly placed poetic annotation.

Actually, this one says it all :

God, I hate Hipsters. For the record, if any are reading this, iPhones aren't retro. Go get a 3210.

Last edited by jaybear88, Apr. 11, 2012 at 09:48

Instagram was one of the apps that uploaded the user's address book for no apparent reason. This plus 30 million users means Facebook faps all over the place.

Match made in heaven.

Users of either are idiots.

Rather odd approach for someone who said before if you are looking for a job you should be on it and that you'd use it to check applicants.

http://www.mobot.net/online-crime-job-interview-you#23931
Double standards. Great to look at other people's private information, not so great when it's his/her own.

Oh yeah, on that note. Aren't the US considering making employers asking to look at social networking information illegal? A great step for common sense if that bill passes.

Double standards. Great to look at other people's private information, not so great when it's his/her own.

But that publicly available information isn't private. If it was then I wouldn't be able to see it, would I? Do you need a link to dictionary.com? Just trolling? Poor excuse for a mod.

Rather odd approach for someone who said before if you are looking for a job you should be on it and that you'd use it to check applicants.

The clue is in the part I emphasised for you. What's the problem? I wasn't on Facebook when I wrote that comment, I'm not on it now. If I was looking for work then I would get on there.
I don't have an up to date CV now, if I was looking for a job, I'd do that too.
My comment in that completely unrelated thread was that you should expect recruiters to use Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/MySpace/Google+ as 'Page 3' of your CV.

You have both either missed the point or just fancy a dig at something. Nice to know you care, though.

For the record, since another thread has made it over here, if you are on Facebook then you should expect people to look you up. That's what it is there for. Most people share too much; most people restrict nothing; expect everyone to see everything.
If you're the kind of person to post racist comments or nothing but photos of you and your mates getting wasted and you are applying for jobs; disable your account until you find work.
Clear?

My point was really that you said that users of either are idiots and yet you'd want to use it to look at job applicants so they should be on there.
Why seek to employ idiots?
Well that and account or not you are still using facebook.
Besides that thread was about employers making people show them the private bits of the account so last paragraph doesn't make much sense in that respect.

Last edited by Pondlife, Apr. 11, 2012 at 15:24

Everyone's an idiot

I suggest if you want to continue that discussion then join it, it is all irrelevant here.

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