Yusuf on Hong Kong: 150% Mobile ownership? Why is Facebook a fad? (2:30 Video)

Categories: Asia, Interview, Mobile, Video, Web Industry, Web UsagePosted on October 22nd, 2007

Yusuf Goolamabbas shares with me from the Oublaze offices in Cyberport (see pics), in this short clip we cover a lot of ground. In the time I spent with him, I learned that he sees the web from a very strategic point of view, and shares his views on the state of the web industry in Hong Kong.

You’ll find out:

1) What’s his view on the web industry in HK?
2) How can 150% cell phone penetration be accurate?
3) Bloggers: creators vs readers
4) Social Networks in Hong Kong, why is Facebook hot, but yet a fad?

Yusaf, wishing you and the rest of the folks over there good wishes, hope all is going well.

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This entry was posted on Monday, October 22nd, 2007 at 3:51 am and is filed under Asia, Interview, Mobile, Video, Web Industry, Web Usage. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Interesting they have 150% cell phone penetration. That’s amazing, but not decidedly unexpected from an Asian (gadget) hub.

Interesting he would call social networks a fad because of the younger base audience. Would they not continue to use the social networks as they grow older and would the older population not get up to speed as the American marketplace has?

Interesting peek behind the curtain. Thanks for sharing.

Posted by Jason Falls on October 22nd, 2007 at 4:08 am

I thought the fad comment was interesting as well. I agree Facebook is a fad mostly because I feel it’s connectivity relies on users meeting in person. After college I use Facebook less and less because I don’t see those same friends. I email them, text them, call them. Which is why out of all the sites I’m currently using, email and then a distant second of twitter seems to keep me most connected.

The 150% penetration is pretty crazy. I wonder if they just have 2 cellphones because they’re waiting for the plan on one to end and only actively use the other one.

Posted by Wavewash on October 22nd, 2007 at 4:19 am

I love the 150% penetration. Nice. And I respect Yusuf’s knowledge of the Hong Kong market. But I must respectfully disagree with the characterization that Facebook is a fad driven by college students. Having created a social networking site for a specific audience in 2001, I see the power that Facebook has, and all of the things it is doing right to continue to be a powerhouse in the space. I bet we’ll see it around for quite a while to come. Facebook has huge popularity in Silicon Valley, London, and Toronto, and it’s not driven by college kids in those places.

Posted by Morriss Partee on October 22nd, 2007 at 5:57 am

just a thought for you….
it is clear your blog has moved from insight focused to talk show host oriented. not surprising given your career… shame that you are squandering your good will!

Posted by bart fulsrein on October 22nd, 2007 at 9:01 am

Bart

I can see why you think that, but I’ve been donig web videos for over a year.

Why? I’m naturally curious about learning from more from people, it’s part of who I am, and now part of my job as an analyst.

Did you know I had a weekly video show called the web strategy show? I had Michael Dell, Craig Newmark and so many other web leaders.

If you consider me interviewing, learning and sharing with the community as squandering, then I’m certainly guilty.

Lastly, as someone who’s covering the social media space, I’m using all the tools, learning the strengths and weaknesses (and making a lot of mistakes) so those who I advise don’t have to make as many mistakes.

I hope you respond!

Posted by jeremiah_owyang on October 22nd, 2007 at 11:37 am

Interesting comment about Facebook, but I think he has under-estimated the number of people using Facebook as a way of re-establishing connections, similar to Friends Re-united. If it is a fad, the thing that will kill it is the banning of it by the work place. This will mean Facebook will encroach on personal time of many users, and this will lead to a reduction of the number of people accessing it a day.

Posted by Paul Ferron on October 23rd, 2007 at 5:27 am

Hi!

Inspired by your post I thought I should do a quick survey on facebook being a fad.

So far only 13% of 57 respondents agree, and 52% strongly disagree with the statement “facebook is a fad”. personally I have a feeling we may have facebook around for some time still!

please join in on the poll if you care:

http://www.pollection.com/view?type=poll&p=588bde3a12442c1b86fc4f1f52f76b5d

Of course most of the respondents probably saw the poll on the facebook app “polls”…

Posted by Ludvik Høegh-Krohn on October 24th, 2007 at 12:14 pm

Jeremiah Owyang interviews me…

Jeremiah Owyang of Forrestor Research very kindly posted an interview with me on his blog a few days ago.
Jeremiah was very kind to mention on his twitter feed that he enjoyed meeting me and considers me as a ‘web strategist’.
Jeremiah, Th…

Posted by Yusuf Goolamabbas on October 26th, 2007 at 10:35 pm