Incredibly interesting post from Dave McClure comparing Facebook to 1991’s Visual Basic and making the point that its success is based on its enabling of “commoners” to build real web apps…

And that’s why Facebook is going to dominate the Web.

That’s why they blew off Yahoo for a measly $1.6B.  That’s why they’ll bury Microsoft, and turn Ballmer down even if he offers $10B before the IPO.  And that’s why they’re even going to fucking kill Google. 

Because Facebook is the first REAL web services platform worth building apps on.  Not to mention, their API has all the social graph info no one else has yet enabled.  Not to mention, the News Feed enables a whole new world of viral marketing.  But social networking mumbo jumbo aside, it’s enough they’ve simply made it possible for anyone to build & deploy apps.

Master of 500 Hats: Kottke is wrong — Facebook isn’t AOL; it’s Visual Basic.