Not that it's anything new, actually. Facebook first tried to buy Twitter in 2008 for $500 million, then Google tried to buy Twitter in 2009. Both of them failed.
Google and Facebook both got Fail Whale-d!
So even after being rebuffed once by Twitter, why are these two companies still clamoring over it and attempting to buy it at, *gasp*, $10 billion?
Why Facebook Wants Twitter
It's simple. Facebook has over 120 million users. Twitter has 60 million. If they buy Twitter, Facebook will practically monopolize the social networking industry, since the union of the two biggest players in the market can almost guarantee the annihilation of the rest of the struggling social networking sites.
Imagine, Facebook and Twitter being completely integrated, with such a database of information given freely by the users all available for sale to market researchers and advertisers. Facebook will be rolling in wads of cash, and they'll give Google a run for their money.
Which brings me to....
Why Google Desperately Needs Twitter
Google has absolutely zero presence in the social networking industry right now. Alright so they have Google Buzz. But who uses it? The closest thing they have to social networking is YouTube, and still it does not offer as much interaction and flexibility as Twitter.
Also, if they acquire Twitter, this would make their search engine business more comprehensive and diverse. Instant updates around the world, and people might even turn there for breaking news and other newsworthy issues!
And let's face it. Google's current main competitors are Facebook and Apple. Apple's trying to dabble in social networking too, even though their efforts remain lukewarm. How can Google be left out? They're trying to stay ahead of competition and since they can't grow a successful social networking site, they'll just have to buy one that's already doing well.
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