Is Facebook going to buy Opera, make its own browser?

Los Angeles Times ^ | May 25, 2012 | Salvador Rodriguez

[EveningStar]

The Facebook spending spree may be continuing as a new report says the social networking giant might be looking to buy Norwegian company Opera Software.

[Cowboy Bob]

I misread the headlines. I thought the word was “Oprah”. :)

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks EveningStar.

[Vince Ferrer]

I can’t see how this is a good use of money, along with the reports that FaceBook is developing its own smartphone. This will only cause resistance in companies who will now see FaceBook as a competitor, not just an application on their devices.

[knarf]

The information highway is being cluttered with cloverleafs, interchanges and (gasp!), rotaries.

The tree is in the forest .... somewhere .. there might be a few beautiful flowers nearby, but ...

[freedumb2003]

I remember the “Viola” browser, back in the very beginning when Mosiac was the only option and it was a question if the WorldWideWeb could unseat Gopher...

[upchuck]

Facebook wants their “own” browser.

IMHO, it would be cheaper and a lot faster to make and promote add-ins for IE, Firefox, Chrome, etc.

[lacrew]

Facebook already has an unholy alliance with Yahoo. I have a FB account, but post nothing...its just a portal to look at other people’s accounts.

Yet, I have been ‘posting’. I recently discovered that every time I read a Yahoo news item, a post is made that announces that I read it.

You can turn it off of course....

[lacrew]

“...along with the reports that FaceBook is developing its own smartphone”

Gee, I bet a Facebook phone will be real good at.....ad placement while on FB.

That’s about it.

[bicyclerepair]

Isn’t opera the browser that the WII uses? It’s sub-standard if you ask me. Or just the WII is limited?

[Carriage Hill]

Awwww, crap. If that’s true, I’ll never accept another download/upgrade from Opera, EVER. Facebutt is absolute garbage/crap/trash spy/malware.

I’ve been using Opera (now v11.64) for 4+yrs and love it. Compact, versatile, fast, powerful and very configurable. I run WIN-7 Pro 64-bit and have never opened the MSIE v9-POS. I also have Firefox as a back-up browser, but have hardly used it, either. I also have Thunderbird (now v12.0.1) as an email client.

If Facebutt gets their slimy, dirty hands on Opera, they’ll ruin it and, I’d bet, millions will drop using/uninstall it. I probably will, too, and look around for something else. I still have some Mozilla Netscape v9.0.0.6 CDs in the “computer museum” in my basement, and might even resurrect one of those “oldies”. Heh.

[Grams A]

My first reaction, too. So many headlines have major spelling errors so you never know. Thought it strange because I wasn’t aware that Oprah had a browser. Then I thought about the singing type Opera.

Read the comments. One very interesting one, particularly since it’s in a LA paper, said something about when you see a statement that “nothing will change” it raises a red flag. Obamacare instantly popped into my mind.

Particularly since I don’t do Facebook it’s quite entertaining to watch all the hub bub.

[Carriage Hill]

If you’re on Facebutt, GET OFF.

Here’s how to delete your account, which isn’t available through the UCP (User Control Panel), anymore:

http://www.wikihow.com/Permanently-Delete-a-Facebook-Account

[upchuck]

This is what happens when a 29 yo kid runs a multi-billion dollar company. Remember all the chit Microsoft got into when Gates was a kid?

[lacrew]

I’m not tech savvy enough to give an opinion on browsers....or why Wii internet on your TV is different than say, hooking up a tv to a standard computer.

[upchuck]

Here’s how to delete your account...

You cannot delete your account. It is marketing gold to FB. No way are they going to get rid of that. All you can do is request FB to make it inactive.

Reminds me of...

Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
"Relax, " said the night man,
"We are programmed to receive.
You can check-out any time you like,
But you can never leave!"

[Melinda in TN]

I don’t know why they would. They already have their own browser called RockMelt and it works really well. It’s a lot faster and more reliable than any of the others, especially I.E., that I have used. I use it exclusively.

Facebook is OK depending on how you use it and how careful you are. I keep up with out of state family through Facebook along with friends that live too far away to visit. I don’t live on it the way so many do and I don’t play the silly games that so many are addicted to.

[Erik Latranyi]

In the mobile world, browsers are becoming less important because so much is being delivered via an “app”.

I feel desktops will follow this trend.

[Slings and Arrows]

Opera Mini is my favorite mobile browser, bar none. I hope this doesn’t crap it up.

[spel_grammer_an_punct_polise]

Thank you for that link. Months ago I had tried to delete the account but got the “Disable” humbug.