[radley]

> All of them are roughly the same: ever so slightly more novel way to deliver roughly the same set of data to users in exchange for app or token of money. How is that "ground breaking"?

What you describe is the justification for state-run media versus newspapers, magazines, TV shows, movies, and games. All of these could be considered the same set of data from the state's point of view.

[mattnewton]

Why is the state involved? He just means that it’s hard to run a buisiness without a moat and you should expect Goliath to win in that case.

[radley]

I was trying to illustrate the cultural limitations of the big five.

Just because an app has only a slight difference (for now) doesn't mean they should be ignored or excluded. The technology of social communication today is akin to the printing press of the 15th century. We have thousands of years forward to be social, buy things, and enchant users... so why limit it to the early, myopic giants?

[mattnewton]

As long as everyone plays by the rules of a free market, or close enough, then consumer choice is what ignores the players for the superior offerings. They win if they can make a better product, and the Giants often have an easier job of making a better product because of the advantages of being a tech giant.

[magice]

Independent news sources provide investigations critical to the state, which state run media do not. It's like GNU/Linux or Android to Windows or iOS. They provide excellent value as well as competitive advantages.

SnapChat vs Whatsapp? well.....

[mbesto]

> all of these "web startups" are not very innovative.

So are you basically just lumping "SnapChat and Whatsapp" into "all of these web startups". That seems terribly myopic don't you think?