1. We were in the right place at the right time
2. We know where you go online…
3. ….and we hope you don’t mind being tracked offline, too
4. Your account isn’t exactly secure
5. If it feels addictive, it probably is
6. We give brands fans – and the occasional headache
7. Get ready for some awkward moments
8. Apps can be tough to police
9. We aren’t the only game in town
10. You’ll have to wait to get a piece of us

Item 4 isn’t exactly news since privacy issues have plagued the social network for quite some time. And anyone who is waiting on the Facebook IPO is going to have to wait. Rumors of a 2011 IPO offering are just that…rumors.

Regarding item 8 Facebook claims to be trying to do a better job of policing the apps that run on its platform. So far they aren’t doing that great of a job. Apps have access to a user’s data once the user has granted access. Facebook needs to do a better job of making sure app developers don’t violate user rights and use the data collected for something other than it’s original purpose.

You can read the full story on the online version of the article at Smart Money.

The seminars I was actually able to get to were Facebook: Knowing is Better, Speaking 50+ and The Future in 4D: Brands, Communities, Content and Technology.

I missed the Forbes Economic Summit which covered the present and future state of the global economy as it relates to its impact on advertising and media industries.

Here are some highlights from the seminars I did attend:

Facebook: Knowing is Better – The presenters were Facebook, COO, Sheryl Sandberg, – Nielsen Online, CEO, John Burbank and Sony Pictures, CEO, Michael Lynton. This talk was about how to engage users in a meaningful way, scalable and measurable way. If a company can’t measure results in some fashion getting budgets approved for projects is indeed tough. Facebook now has about 300 million users with the average user having about 130 friends according to COO Sheryl Sandberg. The number of user accesses Facebook via mobile devices is currently growing as well. The current estimate is that about 65 million users access Facebook via a mobile device.

Facebook has partnered with Nielsen Online to generate market research that can be used by companies and the entities that represent them. The data collected is anonymous and users have the option of opt-ing out of any market research. Demographic information is collected as part of the research.

Facebook doesn’t consider itself a web destination but a technology company. It’s goal is to be a platform for creating connections and also allow users to interact with marketers the same way they interact with friends.

Speaking 50+ – This seminar was presented by Grandparents.com. The speakers were Jerry Shereshewsky, CEO, Grandparents.com, Brent Bouchez, Creative Director, Agency Five 0 and Matt Thornhill, President, The Boomer Project . During this session a lot was made of the fact that people who are 50+ are dead to marketers who fail to recognize of the size of this market. They only seem interested in the 18 – 49 demographic of consumers. A mistake according to the panelist because on average consumers 50+ have more income to spend on products and service. This they say holds true despite the current economic climate.

The 50+ consumer makes up about 40% of the marketplace yet most advertising focuses on younger audiences. Most marketers it seems believe that people 50+ are only interested in health and age related products. Matt Thornhill mentioned that More magazine, a publication geared towards women 50+ has a hard time getting advertising for items such as luxury cars, etc. Interesting fact is that most luxury cars are bought by people 50+. Something that is definitely not clear by watching the commercials for these items. The average buyer of Mercedes is 61.

During The Future in 4D: Brands, Communities, Content and Technology seminar a few things struck a chord:

• Every product should have a back-story
• Consumer data yields power (have a purpose for collecting it and use it wisely)
• Every product must resonate on a human level
• Be brave! Make mistakes. Course correct if necessary