Open thread, 24-30 March 2014

Metus

If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.

Duration set to six days to encourage Monday as first day.

If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.

Duration set to six days to encourage Monday as first day.

Facebook bought Oculus Rift for $2 billion. What makes this, and so many other large deals, such clean numbers? Are the press rounding the details? Are the companies only releasing approximate or estimate numbers? Can the value of a company like Oculus really not be estimated to the nearest 10%? Or do these whole numbers just serve as nice Schelling points on which to hinge a bargain? Or am I forgetting lots of ugly-numbered deals?

(WhatsApp purchase was 2 significant figures, and this list on Wikipedia does show mostly 2-3 significant figures though some figures are probably converted from other currencies.)

Google's IPO was e * 10^9$#In_computer_culture) :)

7bramflakes12y

In cases like this, a large portion of the "money" paid is actually in the form of shares, which can vary wildly on a day-to-day basis (especially during a takeover!). It doesn't make sense to specify the value of it too precisely because nobody knows what the shares are going to be worth tomorrow.

7[anonymous]12y

What makes you think that these numbers are determined by some kind of rational cost-benefit analysis rather than those with the money rattling off numbers until those with the property give in?

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Open thread, 24-30 March 2014

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If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.

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Open thread, 24-30 March 2014

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If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.

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