Evan Williams on Facebook’s Attempt to Buy Twitter

December 3rd, 2008

Two weeks ago, details emerged about Facebook’s failed attempts over recent weeks to acquire communication service Twitter. As we wrote at the time, Facebook thinks very highly of Twitter and its potential to play a big role as a communication platform in the future.

Today, Twitter’s CEO Evan Williams offered some of the first public comments on Facebook’s acquisition attempt. Williams told Claire Cain Miller of the NY Times,

“We explored it, as we should. We took it seriously,” Mr. Williams said. “It definitely made sense — the strategy we talked about with them — but it wasn’t the right time.” Ultimately, he said, Twitter decided that it had too much left to do, beginning with figuring out how to make money.

“Maybe we’ll see each other in the marketplace,” Mr. Williams said.

Williams went on to add:

“I was surprised by blogging. It took me a while to realize the profundity of blogging… I worked on Blogger for six years and I don’t think it’s nearly as big as Twitter. Twitter will dwarf that.”

It’s still very early, and people and companies are still figuring out how to use new communication platforms like Facebook and Twitter for a variety of different purposes. I wouldn’t be surprised if we hear about the two getting together again in the future as both companies mature.