Google, a posterchild of the internet 2.0 era, has been around since the dot-com bubble. It survived the burst, and now it hopes to make it well into what is becoming known as 'Web 3.0' - the next generation in the evolution of the internet.
Facebook, which was only launched in 2004 by Harvard dropout Mark Zuckerberg (pictured), has already taken the number two spot on Alexa's list of the world's top trafficked websites, and looks to be the likely suitor to Google's crown.
When it was recently announced that Facebook would launch an "Open Graph Search" feature, tech industry watchers speculated upon a Google retaliation - which may include the fabled 'Facebook killer'.
Google's forays into the dark world of social networking, now dominated by Zuckerberg and his goons, have thus far been unsuccessful, and it would seem that resistance is futile against the huge growth of the company - which is said to have revenues approaching one billion dollars.
This isn't to say that everything Google does has been a runaway success, however. The company's other ventures have been only marginal successes, and the company has thus far struggled to separate its revenue model from the old search ads the company displays alongside results.
YouTube, a 2006 YouTube purchase, has been - despite its unrivaled popularity and dominance within online video - a financial nightmare for the company. The video sharing site has yet to turn a profit.
Could this be the beginning of Facebook's reign as the top internet brand? Maybe. But one thing is for sure: one side is surely about to meet its programmer.
