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Microsoft is attempting to see if Facebook has any interest in being purchased by the software company after it abandoned its bid to buy Yahoo.

According to the WSJ Microsoft's bankers put out subtle signals to Facebook, to see if it would be interested in being acquired.

Last October, Microsoft bought a $240 million stake in Facebook, which valued the social networking site at $15 billion. An unnamed source says there are no active talks between the two companies.

Facebook users have created groups to express their opposition to Microsoft potentially buying the site. There are at least three groups on Facebook with names like "If Facebook sells to Microsoft we're leaving," and "Don't sell Facebook to Microsoft!"

 In the largest group, "Don't Let Microsoft Buy Facebook," one member wrote, "If Microsoft buys Facebook I will deactivate my account and never come back - after clearing my friends, my information. YOU people are my witnesses!"

Rebecca Jennings, an analyst with Forrester, said that Microsoft and Facebook had "fundamentally different cultures" the TimesOnline reported. 

Jennings added,"The other problem is, even if the culture fits, any acquisition can take an incredibly long time to integrate - as long as 18 months, in some cases - and Facebook would have to consider that, especially given how fast the market is moving."