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.
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