The big news in the social media space earlier this month was Facebook’s $1 Billion (yes, billion) acquisition of photo-sharing service Instagram. After the online screams of the agonized Instagram users who feared Facebook would crush their beloved system died down, the big question that experts began to ask was, “Why?”
One billion dollars is a lot of scratch to pay for an application that currently makes no money. Making that money back is going to take some time. Some postulated that it was to grab hold of Instagram’s estimated 30 million users, but that makes little sense. Facebook is already a social behemoth – another 30 million users isn’t worth the cost. Others suggested it was just to keep Google from grabbing hold. I get the idea of snatching up the hot product before your competition gets there first. But, again, $1 BILLION! Sorry, not buying it. The only explanation that seems to make even a little bit of sense is the desire to integrate a good mobile service into your platform. Facebook, whether they’ll admit to it or not, is pretty lousy at mobile. People use it but they don’t like it. Buying Instagram forces users to spend more time on with Facebook in the mobile environment, which means more opportunities to make money from them.
Still, it’s hard to escape that number. One billion dollars. It seems almost comical. I wonder if the creators of Instagram imagined something like this could ever happen. Most people are still scratching their heads.
What do you think of the purchase? Forward-thinking or pure folly?
The holidays are officially upon us. Thanksgiving is in less than three weeks, with Christmas a short month after that. One of the great events here in Indianapolis this time of year is the Circle of Lights Tree Lighting on Monument Circle.
The event first took place in 1962 and has become a holiday tradition. Taking place the day after Thanksgiving – November 25 this year for those not in front of a calendar – the lighting of the world’s largest “tree” is a fun family experience that features festivities provided by acts from around the state. Monument Circle is decked out with giant candy canes and toy soldiers and Santa Claus makes his first appearance in town. After Santa officially turns on the lights, everyone is treated to a fireworks display.
The lights are truly impressive, not just from the ground but the frequent aerial images displayed on the news and online. The 242 foot display includes 52 strands of garland and almost 5,000 lights. And that doesn’t include all the other lights that decorate the circle. Best of all, the kids love it.
Word of warning: You’ll want to get there early. The lighting usually doesn’t start until around 7:00, but about 100,000 people attend annually.
What other holiday festivities are on your radar this year?
St. Patrick’s Day brings parades, green-dyed rivers and canals, green beers, and celebration all around the world. It calls out the Irish in those who can’t track the slightest bit of Irish heritage in their family lineage. St. Patrick’s Day started as a feast day to honor the man who brought Christianity to Ireland and drove pagans off the Emerald Isle. March 17th marks the death of St. Patrick and became recognized as a holy day of obligation in the Roman Catholic Church. It falls annually during the Catholic Lenten season, a period of sacrifice of creature comforts leading up to Easter.
The church members would close work each March 17th to attend church services to honor Ireland’s most famous patron saint. Then when mass was over, church members took a “free” day during this time of penance to kick back a few pints and celebrate. In the mid-1700’s, Irish immigrants to the United States used this day to parade the streets of Boston and New York City to express their political frustrations with the lack of work for their people. New York City’s parade remains the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebration in the world.
The pints and parades go on bigger and greener than ever. Indianapolis’s Saint Patrick’s Day celebration lines up along the parade with a tent party complete with a beer garden and live music. Here are a few highlight events to join in the Irish cheer in the Circle City on March 17th:
Greening of the Canal – 6:00 a.m. at the Canal Walk near Ohio and West Streets
31st Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade – 11:30 a.m. Be sure to check the parade route to find your best viewing spot.
Maybe hit a Roman Catholic mass – Check with the Archdiocese of Indianapolis for a list of parishes and masses.
Pint Time! Top 5 GroundFloor Suggestions:
Claddagh Irish Pub Downtown – Check them out on Facebook.
Ahhh, March! Time for some basketball madness and it all starts with Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament March 10-13, 2011 here in Indianapolis. This is the seventh year for Indianapolis to host the tournament and it will back again in 2012, according to Indiana Sports Corp. This is the seventh year that both the Men’s and Women’s tournaments have converged in Indianapolis. The city posts street signs with the on the corners of downtown streets that surround Conseco Field House to welcome each school in the Men’s and Women’s tournaments. Thirty thousand people are expected to visit Indianapolis over the course of both tournaments, according to Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association Spokesperson, Chris Gahl. He said that the economic impact is expected to be $10 million left behind in local restaurants, hotels, and attractions.
Visit the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association’swebsite to find the bar/restaurant hosting your team’s fans for the weekend. Click here to find tickets to this weekend’s games.
down, the big question that experts began to ask was, “Why?”
The church members would close work each March 17th to attend church services to honor Ireland’s most famous patron saint. Then when mass was over, church members took a “free” day during this time of penance to kick back a few pints and celebrate. In the mid-1700’s, Irish immigrants to the United States used this day to parade the streets of Boston and New York City to express their political frustrations with the lack of work for their people. New York City’s parade remains the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebration in the world.