Social Networking

On Monday, Facebook's stock fell from its IPO price of $38 to a low of (as of this writing) $33.60. So what? Nobody who actually paid attention to Facebook's statements before the IPO should be surprised by this latest turn, or even worried. Here's why:

Facebook finally set its IPO price Thursday evening: $38 a share, for a record-setting value of $104 billion on the social media giant. Is it worth it? Who knows. But despite the skeptics, there are definitely ways to make money from all those Facebook users' eyeballs.

The rough economy has spurred a nationwide trend toward thrift and reuse, and nothing exemplifies that quite like Pinterest. The social photo- and idea-sharing website is more than just an electronic corkboard: It's a money-saving, life-hacking virtual community.

The average Facebook user spends more than eight hours a month on the site, and many of us spend much, much more. What you might not realize is how much actual spending all that social networking leads to.

In Facebook's largest acquisition to date, the social media giant says it will spend $1 billion to buy the photo-sharing software company Instagram.

What if Facebook's IPO offering isn't actually outlandishly priced? What if $100 billion is actually a reasonable price? Let's go over a few of the reasons Facebook stock may be cheaper than worrywarts are leading you to believe.

Far too many customers aren't paying their phone bills on time, if you ask the phone companies. Three of the top four submitters to third-party collection agencies are major telephone carriers. And the reasons why should come as no surprise.

Regulators are warning the public to be wary of social media sites that could be offering bogus investment schemes. The warning follows civil charges filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission against an Illinois-based investment adviser who tried to sell fraudulent securities through Linkedin.

Credit card rewards are the new social currency. Citibank customers can now use Facebook to pool their rewards points online. The bank on Tuesday launched a Facebook application that lets users team up to use their points, whether it's for charity, a group gift or a personal goal. Citi says it's the first bank to offer such a feature.

If you're not familiar with Zynga, the undisputed champ of social gaming, odds are that you're not a fixture on Facebook or into smartphone app gaming. This month, it rolls the dice on a big public offering. Are you game?