The Zuckerberg Challenge

[Commentary] Facebook is a fabulous engine for getting users to their personal data. Facebook's alleged mobile vulnerability, highlighted in the company's own offering documents, is exaggerated if the concern is Facebook's inability to make money placing ads in its mobile app. Facebook's mobile app, like its Web version, shouldn't be concerned with how to turn user data into ad revenue. Both should be focused on keeping users in a mood to share. The milking should be done elsewhere, on outside properties that attract eyeballs with more traditional ad-supported media and software (games, etc.). Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg was conspicuous for consulting Steve Jobs on how to build a "great company." He might want to check in with another Steve—Steve Case. He can't be blamed that shareholders bid AOL's stock up to unrealistic levels, and only partly for the failure of AOL Time Warner to live up to an inflated valuation. He would deserve a lot of blame, though, if he hadn't used AOL's highly speculative stock price at least to try to buy his company a future.