Facebook is sexier than Google according to TechCrunch; lessons from Star Trek

Posted by Marshall on November 21, 2007 | Link It

I love it when people are creative and I think the photo below is pretty cool - I mean making Google uncool takes a lot, but it appears that, for now, Facebook is such a cool place to work that it's stealing Google employees who are preferring to work for Facebook cause it's cooler than Google according to TechCrunch (Facebook Stealing Googlers At An Alarming Rate).

"….But Ex-Googler’s inside Facebook are saying that the problem goes further than a few high profile exits caused by vesting stock. Facebook just seems a hell of a lot “sexier” than Google (see Rosenstein’s exit email). A steady stream of Google employees are making the switch to Facebook, and competition for top college grads is fierce as well. "

 google_facebook.png

That reminds me of an old episode of Star Trek titled "The Way to Eden" where The Enterprise is hijacked by a criminal doctor and his loyal, hippie-like followers who are attempting to find paradise, according to Wikipedia

Image:STWayEden.jpg

In this sense, TechCrunch is confirming that Google is like "Herbert"

:

(YouTube video above) Music To Watch Space Girls By mixed to parts of the Star Trek episode "The Way To Eden"Star Trek Way to Eden Leonard Nimoy

 "….The group refuses to cooperate with Kirk, calling him "Herbert", an insulting reference to his rigid and limited ideals."

While Facebook is likened to "Spock" and is "cool":

 "…The group is impressed by Mr. Spock however, who gestures with an oval "symbol of peace" the party makes with raised hands, and speaks of "The One". Believing Spock is on "the level", the group gives Spock more respect and agrees to go with him to sickbay for a medical examination."

But maybe it's not Kirk (Herbert) that is really the symbol of Google, but rather, Dr. Sevrin; if Google were likened to act like Dr. Sevrin (a noted communications and electronics researcher from Tiburon, who specializes in the theories of sonic manipulation) than Facebook is even more likened to the ever cool Mr Spock.   

I guess I could carry this analogy further (but it doesn't fit - at least, I'm not sure it fits) and say that Google, like Dr. Sevrin, has a disease (that's not so hard to believe anymore):

"….Dr. Sevrin, who is shown to be a carrier of the Synthecoccus Novae virus, which has been accidentally created by technological society. Sevrin's disease is fatal to anyone who hasn't been vaccinated, but he nonetheless insists that the planet of Eden will somehow "cleanse" him. After interviewing Sevrin, Spock believes him to be clinically insane."

That would imply, if my analogy holds, that Facebook thinks Google is all wet. 

Oh well, I'm just having fun with this post - can't you tell?



2 Responses

These are the current comments for "Facebook is sexier than Google according to TechCrunch; lessons from Star Trek"

11/22/07 @ 5:01 am

Interesting post on Techcrunch talking about how there seems to be a number of people leaving Google to join Facebook. And it doesn’t seem to be about just money. Facebook is perceived as being a more exciting place to work and experiencing the p…



11/22/07 @ 9:42 pm

How about using Star Trek 5 as a better analogy. I see Facebook as Spock’s brother who has that ‘power’ to confuse and gain allies by using people’s memories and ‘links’ if you will. Unfortunately when they cross the barrier, Facebook falls short of reality and the ugly real head behind the movement to find God falls on it’s face.
I believe hacking into Harvards database, as well as getting paid to create a site for another then miraculously coming up with Facebook is more similar to the revolution that Facebook represents. Gains like Spock’s brother had via his ‘power’ was indeed all fake.

If the hiostory of the net teaches us anything, the site that builds a tall wall , such as Facebook, merely locks themselves in as the world innovates around them.
Google on the hand, for ill or good is creating a competing block to overcome that wall, via MySpace, and all the other sites. Soon you will see programmers scrambling more towards Google’s Open Social platform than to Facebook. Then perhaps we can look to another Star Trel Episode. That one where the cammander of the alien vessel kept repeating “Chaka, When the walls fell”. That’s the episode where the universal translator didn’t work. http://www.starfleetlibrary.com/tng/tng5/darmok.htm
That meant defeat and I possibly see Facebook in another few years standing with these former google employees who see the grass is currently greener at Facebook. I see them standing there saying, “Chaka when the walls fell”. Just a fantasy but a very real possibility.



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