AIM and ICQ are not "social networks". I can't ever imagine my parents using AIM or ICQ ever. But they are on facebook. Good luck getting them switched over to another service.
Facebook has 500+ mil users. Most of them, non techies.
Friendster actually proves my point...they shot themselves in the foot. Facebook exists because of mismanagement by Friendster.
A counterpoint...You can quit using Google, MSFT, Yahoo, and etc.
But you can't quit your friends. Social networking is a winner take all. That is why i agree with the author that Facebook would have to shoot itself in the foot first.
Question: Do your kids know how much money you have?
His answer: My oldest is 11, and I think she is figuring it out. It's hilarious, because over the last couple of years she comes home and says "My friend is totally rich - can we be rich someday? They live in a mansion!"
I'm not sure if they infringe on the infrastructure level now because all their examples are very basic (making calls, receiving calls, forwarding calls and etc.) These have been patented and their terms have expired. I bet that's one of the reasons they only have basic examples on their site.
I'm not a litigation expert but if you were to build a feature that infringes on a patent you might be liable.
I think this could be a game changer. But sadly, they might infringe on countless number of telecom patents if they introduce more than basic features (call handling,enhanced IVR, enhanced conferencing, and etc).
From your statement, it doesn't seem like you want to "start" a company. My best advice is to angel invest in a company that can use your expertise. A good place to start is YC Demo days. DONT QUIT YOUR JOB!
My question for you: is 12k pretax, if it is how much do you save per month?
Feel free to post any link, the community will decide.