Actually, I also doubt that anyone could crank out this size of a site -- with this sort of user load, and with the number of systems you would need to integrate to -- even with a solid team of A+++++ players -- in anything less than 4 years.
Even Facebook evolved over a half-dozen years. Amazon, a dozen.
Well to clarity, I wouldn’t build the whole thing at once, just put out the parts you need to get started, then add in the rest over time.
They didn’t need the entire system to be 100 % complete to get it up and going, they could phase different pieces in over time.
Gee, I wonder if we're going to see a reference to Gall's Law on CNN or some other media front? Wonder if he's still alive? He was a doctor I think.
I wonder if we'll see the wikipedia entry revised to debunk it as "obviously wrong"...next it will be on Snopes...