The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company That Is Connecting the World (pt. II)

      It is quite clear that Facebook’s popularity and success grew at a rapid rate, and the second section of the reading helps exemplify that acceleration even more. Within a short amount of time after the Facebook was launched, there were many people interested in making investment deals with Zuckerberg and his team. Soon, it began time for the team to make big and tough decisions. Zuckerberg was faced with choosing a company who would make him a great profit and a company who he trusted and believed would steer the company in the right direction. Zuckerberg chose money (125). In the beginning, one of Zuckerberg and team’s main issue and concern was money. They simply did not have enough of it to not only stabilize Facebook, but further it. With this problem now taken care of, they were able to hire more people and becoming something more than a group of friends with an intense hobby. The boys were smart in their decisions throughout Facebook’s growth. At such young ages, it is incredible that they were not taken advantage of earlier. One wrong decision could have left them with nothing. They were on their way to building an excelling, multi-million dollar company.
      Another great decision made by the team was “targeting” advertising (142). This type of advertising personalized what appeared on each users screen. This not only made Facebook more appealing to its users, but it also sparked an interest for more people to use it. Facebook was becoming a new form of communication. People were able to adapt and adjust to it so quickly and use it so frequently, it eventually making not only hard to fail, but hard to get rid of. In 2006, the team and the rest of the world were beginning to realize the impact the website was having. Facebook was not just another website, but a way of life. It was quickly changing the way we communicate and interact with one another.
      A common topic of the internet is privacy, and it was only a matter of time before Facebook had its own issues regarding the concern. Facebook great success is due to the openness of the website. Because “nothing on Facebook is really confidential”, if you post something, even if it is a mistake, it is fair ground, and this truly made Facebook unique and unlike any other website (204). When Facebook decided to add high schools to the website, they began to change the privacy settings to accommodate not just the new younger users, but other individuals with careers they wanted to protect.
      It is interesting to actually gain insight to the steps Facebook took to become what it is now. The addition of a photo sharing feature and a “news feed” were almost afterthoughts to Zuckerberg, and they are probably the most essential part of Facebook now (193). Many of us utilize Facebook just these uses. We use it to document our events and the snapshots we took at them. We even communicate with some friends only over Facebook. These features allow society to be intertwined into each others’ lives. From just reading the examples Kirkpatrick gives audiences about how much of an effect Facebook has had on random people’s lives, one can wonder “what we would do without Facebook?”

Auditing a Wikipedia Article: Midterm Follow-up

       Whether is it for academic reasons or to gain a brief understanding of a topic, Wikipedia is a primary source for many people. While Wikipedia is very useful in finding out the basic idea of a subject, it should not be used as a scholarly source. Anyone can publish information, which can serve as a good and a bad thing. Since people are able to post whatever they want, there is the potential that people may post opinions which can create biases on the website. Also, unless someone is updating the information constantly, information may be false or outdated. On the other hand, the website gives many aspects of one subject. For the most part, it is easy to gain an understanding of a topic with just a quick glance. Users may also gain other references and sources from the website. It also shows us that people are interested in helping others. These articles are edited by choice.
       Wikipedia is an example of how things are becoming increasingly easier. The website is so commonly used. The tool is readily available which may cause people to not search further. Also it is important to consider that many of the sources are other people’s opinions and it is important that we form out own.
       While false information may not always have a great impact on individuals’ lives, in this case, the misinformation is very important to consider. Our Wikipedia article (Decriminalization of non-medical cannabis in the United States), in particular, can have a serious impact on our culture. The topic is about a controversial issue involving law. We determined that this article takes a pro-marijuana stance. When readers are given more benefits and consequences, it is more likely for us to form a supporting argument. These misguided opinions may lead to ignorant decisions, such as using cannabis in general or without proper knowledge.
       Another thing I noticed was this article is missing a lot of information about the health effects of the drug. The article simply states that cannabis can have a “pernicious effect” on health, but claims that many of the effects are uncertain. It also says states that long-term use of cannabis can be compared to long-term use of alcohol or tobacco, but these effects are not listed. Readers would also not be able to gain a complete understanding of the law from this article. This could potentially cause readers to take more risks as they do not know if possession is considered a felony or a misdemeanor. It is easy to forget that regardless of the possible positive outcomes listed in the article, cannabis is still illegal.
      I found that I am much more skeptical when searching for information on the internet.  Since the emergence of Web 2.0, internet users are able not only able to read information, but write it as well.  Now that the internet is created by almost anyone, it is important to consider where this information is coming from.  In the future, I will not be so reliant on Wikipedia.

The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company That Is Connecting the World (pt. I)

       The most anticipated book of the semester, The Facebook Effect, tells the story of creation of the famous website and the impact it is having on society today. David Kirkpatrick manages to keep readers intrigued and overwhelmed with anticipation. Within this first section of reading, I found many things striking – and it was only the first hundred pages of the book.
       Facebook is a new form of communication. It changes how people communicate and interact, how marketers sell products, how governments reach out to citizens and how companies operate. Facebook is used as a tool to help companies inform the public about their product and to help campaigns inform people and spread the word. Facebook keeps people over long distances in touch with each other and it helps people organize themselves through groups. It helps individuals connect through common experiences, interests, problems through groups, threads, networks and events. Social networks are a place of common interest, rather than common location (66). Facebook is leading to dramatic changes in society.
       The creators of Facebook claim that the website was never intended as a substitute for face-to-face communication, but should rather be used to enhance relationships with people you already know (12). Zuckerberg wanted to improve people’s lives, especially socially, and I think he succeeded in his goal (35). It is clear that the device to make communication easier. Just by accepting a friend request, you have already made a connection with someone. Then, in just a few minutes, it is easy to gather basic information about that person through their pictures, interests, likes, the groups they’ve joined. The basic ice-breaking questions are already taken care of. While this device is clearly helps sustain and develop relationships, I think that it is affecting the way we communicate and is having an consequence on face to face communication. I believe, in many ways, we are taking advantage of this tool. It has become much easier to maintain relationships. You can stay in touch with someone by writing on their wall instead of going out to get coffee with them.
       Zuckerberg was found using the word “dominate” a lot when describing Facebook (51). While this word is very extreme and off-putting, he was justified in his word choice. Facebook has done just that. Dominate the internet. Although Kirkpatrick provides many examples as to how it spread so fast – Zuckerberg sent it to a few friends, who then sent it to some friends, who sent it to more friends and so on – it still baffles me that this website was only created a few years ago. One thing I found extremely interesting in this section of the reading is the statistic that if the growth rate of Facebook and the internet continue at the steady pace they are at, by 2013 every person online worldwide will be on Facebook (16). That is less than three years from now. It is remarkable that a company can spread that fast and have that much of an impact on our society. Has our culture every adapting so easily and fast to a product such as Facebook? Although the book says it is likely that this well ever happen, it is still an intriguing point to reflect upon.
       Similar to most inventions, Facebook was a mixture of previous ideas and websites before it. Zuckerberg borrowed aspects from other websites, such as Friendster and his previous successes, Course Match and Facemash. By building off what was already out there that people were enjoying, helped ensure that this website would be better than the ones before that.
       Facebook also owes much of its success to good timing, good planning, and the right location. College was an essential factor in Facebook’s growth (39). College is a time when social networks expand rapidly. Students are exposed to so many new people, activities, and entertainment. At a time of adjustment, it is inevitable that their social lives increase just within one or a few years.
       Harvard, in particular, helped Facebook gain the popularity it did. Harvard is a school that is obsessed with letting everyone know why they are important (40). Therefore, it’s almost expected for people to want to publish and post their achievements for all to see. Facebook allowed the students to do this. Not only did they get to display their image and status, but the website was exclusive.
       One brilliant aspect of Facebook is that we create our identity. Users of the website post their own information about themselves. Individuals are given the choice to expose that they want to display and portray online. Zuckerberg also made it important that every user be a real person. Originally, in order to sign up for Facebook, an individual had to have a specific email address. This guarantees that people are who they say they are, something that was not certain on other social networking websites. He wanted a website where people had their genuine identity online. Not only did having people volunteer their own information help Zuckerberg stay out of legal issues, but it was able to do something that no other site did (28). The creators discovered that people’s identities were being formed through their passions and issues through the day (6). Facebook gave people a “haven” to express their feelings and thoughts.
       It is unbelievable to think that a young man, in his pajamas or jeans and originally with no business imperatives, created something that is now known worldwide. By learning from others’ mistakes, having the right circle of friends, and having perfect planning Facebook has turned into, not only a billion dollar business, but a culture itself.

"The Web as random acts of kindness"

      In the TEDtalks video that we watched in class, Jonathan Zittrain discusses the helpful and useful things that have come out of technology and the internet. The internet had no business plan. It was not created to make a profit or to gain fame, but as a way for people to share information with each other. Now people are putting so much effort into expanding this information on the internet, ideas and new, innovative websites are growing at a rapid pace. Zittrain even claims that there are more people wanting to solve problems than there actually are problems. But some of these ideas are changing our experiences on the internet.
     After the activity we did in class, I realized that I really never think twice about using these tools that someone created out of generosity. I was overwhelmed with so many new sources. Some websites I thought of during this exercise were:

Webmd.com
WebMD is a great tool that helps people becomes more aware of health issues. Though they strongly advise that this website cannot take place of a doctor, WebMD can help people recognize symptoms and give advice for how to go about gaining treatment for these symptoms. The website also gives tips about how to take care of yourself and stay healthy.

Etsy.com
Etsy is e-commerce for crafts. It is a website where people can buy or sell their art, jewelry, clothing, photographs and so on. It recognizes talent and evokes creativity. I think it is important to support artists and it is always better to buy something from someone who put his or her heart and soul into a project than something that was made in a factory.

Noh8campaign.com
This campaign would not be able to make such an impact without the web. The campaign is a silent protest against Prop 8. The NOH8 campaign uses photos to inform society just how many people have the same belief and support this cause. The photos are featured all over the digital world. The campaign has really managed to utilize the internet in a helpful and positive way, allowing people across the globe to have access to it and become informed about an issue that many people still find taboo.

Rentafriend.com
I recently heard a morning talk show discuss this website and I was astounded at what I heard. Rentafriend allows individuals to get paid to “be a friend” or you can use it to “hire a friend”. The website advertises that renting a friend can be useful if you are in a jam and you need a friend to attend a wedding, party or some other type of social event, if you are interested in moving to another town and need someone to show you around, or if you simply want company to go out to eat or see a movie with.  Although I find this website very strange, it is also very interesting. I guess this is a great way to meet new people and expand your social circle, or learn new things from your “friend”.

Musicnotes.com
Musicnotes has an array of sheet music ranging from guitar tabs to musical theatre songs. The vast selection allows individuals to purchase a digital copy of just one song or even a book. Although there is a price to downloading the music, once it is downloaded, users can change the key, the tempo, etc. that the music is written in, making it a great tool for anyone who is interested in music.

Made to Break: Technology and Obsolescence in America (part III)

     In the final reading from Made to Break, we see how examples of obsolescence can be seen not only regarding physical objects, but also intelligence and skills. The first chapter of this section reminded me of part of a clip that we watched in the beginning of the semester. The clip gave many facts about technology and the impact it is making on our culture, one of them being that after just two years of schooling, your education will be outdated. I found this similar to what Slade was referring to when he discussed how knowledge and skills can now be outdated. New versions of video games, word processor and other applications are being constantly updated, which requires users to be continuously learning how to use these new products. Slade’s discussion of video games proves to be a great example of just how fast these technologies move. At one point, there were so many video games available, consumers were overwhelmed and chose to simply not buy any (221). We are advancing at such a rapid rate, that it is becoming very hard to keep up. As individuals gain more information, products become outdated as new ones are created, and then society is forced to learn to adapt and gain more knowledge on how to utilize these new tools. It is a vicious circle.
     Arriving to the second chapter and finding the word “weaponizing” was quite surprising to me. Referring to obsolescence as a weapon is a bold statement and I was unsure as to where Slade was going with this idea, but after reading this scheme that Slade uses as an example, I gained a better understanding and was surprised to see that American society, in some ways, seems to be unchanging. Slade describes how during the Cold War, the U.S. used obsolescence as a tactic to help gain control over the Russians. The U.S. knew that the Russians would try to gain power by taking the technologies that the U.S. had, and so by creating a technology that they knew would purposely fail and hurt the Russians, the U.S. managed to put a short halt to the Russian’s progress. This is clearly a very different type of obsolescence. Although it is not used to make a profit, it is easily seen that obsolescence is used to gain advantage. As mentioned early, we are a culture of instant gratification. This is obviously not the most moral way to gaining an advantage on one’s opponent, but as history shows, American culture is predominantly about doing whatever we can do to get what we want and as fast as possible.
     Slade ended his book with the discussion of cell phones becoming our biggest downfall. I definitely found this section to be the most relatable. Personally, I am content with a cell phone if it is able to make and retrieve calls as well as send and receive text messages, but many of my friends feel the need to have the latest and greatest phone that can do much more than their previous device. Now, many cell phone contracts have a “free upgrade” every two years or so. This concept of an “upgrade” makes people feel obligated to get a new cell phone when they don’t even really need one. It seems as if until a change is made and people are informed that their actions are leading to severe consequences, new strategies of planned obsolescence will continue as a theme in American society.
     This book definitely had an impact on me and left me thinking what I can do to help save our environment. America’s consumer attitude and approach is harming our not only our country, but countries around the world. We do not realize that technologies are made from things that are extremely harmful to environment, and therefore do not think twice when throwing away our “junk”. Slade is not preaching that we all become environmentalists. Instead, he is giving us a warning. He is helping us recognize what our future holds if we continue to throw away. As technology increases at an exponential rate, so does this problem. There is no more taking care of the problem later as the problem is occurring now, and therefore Slade strongly advises that we consider the repercussions of our actions. Technological breakthroughs are increasing this idea of obsolescence. As culture that is so eager and willing to throw things away, our growing and improving technologies are only making it easier to throw things away. I think we have to consider if a new cell phone is worth harming our planet.