Threadwatch claims to have a source on this:

GOOG is looking at Facebook at a 2.3bil price. This could be a total joke on their part, but the source is solid.

Hmm. Another all stock deal, or is this just nonsense? I've been hearing a lot about Facebook on CNet's Buzz out Loud podcast, but haven't paid much attention. There is a parallel with the YouTube deal though: Google had video, but YouTube had gotten marketshare. Here, Google has Orkut, but again: Facebook has the eyeballs.

Update: From the comments, I found Jeremy Warner's skeptical take on the YouTube acquisition. I have a problem with his column though, based on this assertion:

So far, so positive. Yet there is also a more sinister reason why Google is buying YouTube. It is to do with the fact that the two have a common set of business values in the sense that neither seems to care a fig about the law of copyright. Both rely on the use of free content to drive their business. They therefore have next to no cost, or at least one so marginal that it wouldn't be recognised by any traditional media company.

We all know about YouTube's copyright issues, but Google? What is he talking about? The news aggregation case, perhaps? Google's book search (which seems to lead to higher sales; go figure)? He doesn't explain, either because he's engaged in hand waving, or thinks it's too obvious to bother with. I'd like to know what he's thinking.

Technorati Tags: Google, web2.0, copyright