There is a substantial amount of online speculation being generated around the question of where Facebook is going and will it beat Google? John Battelle is currently drafting a list of questions, including those two, to run past Facebook co founder Mark Zuckerberg at the Web 2 conference.
At first glance, asking if Facebook can beat Google is a bit like asking if a penguin could beat an aardvark. Beat it at what? What's the contest? Or, perhaps more appropriately, asking whether your neighborhood can beat your table saw. Talk about comparing apples and oranges (at least those are both fruit). Facebook is a community and Google is a tool. But the question may not be as farfetched as it seems, because undoubtedly, as each grows and explores new monetization opportunities, more common ground will emerge between the two.