Where's the data?! Just calling Pareto's rule on every new phenomena does not work. Asking us to agree or disagree on something that none of us really has any data on is beyond pointless and actually harmful.
For instance, Yahoo data with Flickr shows that less than 10% of people actually contribute content. So Pareto's rule does not apply there. But only Facebook knows how it works with their users. You can't just blindly apply these "laws" to various user groups and expect them to be even half true.
The point of Pareto's rule is not so much that the numbers must be 80 and 20. The essence of what Pareto proved is that the few(causes) are responsible for the many(effects). So Pareto's principle is very much at work in Flickr.
I agree with this point, and it what I intended. The key to the Pareto rule is that it should drive personal effort. For sites like Facebook, I think that you would just attract the content drivers (the 20%), and then the other 80% follow.
Think about it in terms of the Tipping Point. Go to the mavens/connectors first. They have all the knowledge know everyone. They'll do the buzz marketing for you and persuade others to join. Another term would be early adopter. I know that I have personal done this for Meebo.
The "Pareto Rule" specifically refers to an 80/20 ratio.
Pareto didn't prove anything, he just made an observation about the italian economy. Other people noticed the ratio elsewhere, and named the rule after him.
For instance, Yahoo data with Flickr shows that less than 10% of people actually contribute content. So Pareto's rule does not apply there. But only Facebook knows how it works with their users. You can't just blindly apply these "laws" to various user groups and expect them to be even half true.