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Facebook Businesses Communications Social Networks

Facebook Celebrates Turning 12 Today (cnbc.com) 153

Posted by yaelk from the happy-birthday-facebook dept.
12 years ago today, Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook, and since then the site has grown at a nearly unbelievable pace. Now, with about 1.6 billion monthly active users, Facebook makes an average of $3.73 in revenue per user worldwide. And as the company continues to grow, engagement is only getting higher. According to an analysis by CNBC, users spend an aggregate of 10.5 billion minutes per day on the social media platform -- that's around $3.5 trillion in squandered productivity, by their estimate. Facebook is celebrating its birthday by marking today "Friends Day" and adding personalized videos to each user's account showing their best moments with friends, or at least what Facebook's algorithms think are the best moments. (Users can opt to share the video or keep it private.) The company's also announced an updated degrees-of-separation metric to make it easier to connect with other users.
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Facebook Celebrates Turning 12 Today More

Facebook Celebrates Turning 12 Today

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  • Celebrate? Lets mourn our privacy. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by sinij ( 911942 ) on Thursday February 04, 2016 @03:13PM (#51440653)
    Celebrate? Lets mourn our collective privacy. Lets mourn proportionality of outrage. Lets mourn moving on from your mistakes. Lets mourn minding your own business.

    • Re:Celebrate? Lets mourn our privacy. (Score:4, Informative)

      by ArchieBunker ( 132337 ) on Thursday February 04, 2016 @03:27PM (#51440783)

      Facebook gets its content from users. Blame them. This is what the public wants.

      • Re:Celebrate? Lets mourn our privacy. (Score:4, Insightful)

        by sinij ( 911942 ) on Thursday February 04, 2016 @03:29PM (#51440805)

        Facebook gets its content from users. Blame them. This is what the public wants.

        Absolutely not. Users didn't sign up for this, they signed up to stay in touch with their friends. Facebook pulled bait and switch. At no point do they actually explain the implications of what their users are doing.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by drpimp ( 900837 )
          BS they clicked agree to a FREE service / website. Don't like it use the old archaic methods of email, phone, and (shocker) .... talking face to face!!!!

        • It is unfortunate that they don't tell people this, but if you're not paying for it, you're the product.

          Nobody is giving you something for free just to be nice.

          And I'm sure the terms of service nobody ever reads it spells out what they're doing.

      • I'm still proud to say, I'm one of the last 3 folks on planet earth that does not have a FB account, nor have I ever had one....

        I suppose that puts me on some sort of watch list...hmmmm.

        • But you have a slashdot account... that's SO MUCH BETTER!

        • As long as you understand that unless you've actively blocked them at the firewall or in your browser an alarming number of sites you visit will still cause Facebook to generate data about you ... because, well, between the Facebook button and embedded scripts, you might be surprised just how much they're already tracking you.

          Well, them and the 15 other tracking sites embedded in most pages that people don't notice is happening.

          • (3) or in the hosts file.

        • But do you have a TV?

        • I'm still proud to say, I'm one of the last 3 folks on planet earth that does not have a FB account, nor have I ever had one....

          You're one, and I'm another - I wonder who the third is. ;-)

    • CELEBRATE!

      The anti-social network I have celebrates tomorrow. Celebrate! Your invitation never made it to the mailbox. But have a drink to commemorate the occasion, and have your dinner (for two-one now the other later) delivered to your door. Come on, do *I* have to think of everything?

      Provocateur

    • Let's mourn the lack of a "dislike" button, because, god forbid, I have my own opinion and I disagree with your stupid shit Why can't we agree to disagree?

      Let's mourn the apathy & stupidity of the sheeple who don't give a fuck about How they, the users, ARE the product.

      But I forgot the /oblg. "Amerika Fuck Yeah! We're #1 -- Yay for greed & capitalism!" Who needs to give a damn about respecting people and not (ab)using them! :-/

      --
      I don't want to be real-life friends with anyone stupid enough to use

    • Lets mourn our collective privacy. Lets mourn proportionality of outrage. Lets mourn moving on from your mistakes. Lets mourn minding your own business.

      I would, but I'm too busy grieving for the poor lost apostrophes.

    • Celebrate? Lets mourn our collective privacy

      That is entirely within your hands. Facebook knows exactly what you have told them or one of their partners. They know too much about you? Look in the mirror.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by sinij ( 911942 )
        Dear Frosty Piss,

        Facebook knows exactly jack shit about me. This is because I am paranoid with history and value my privacy over convenience. I am certain you can relate.

        Sincerely yours,

        Screwtape

        • Re: (Score:1)

          by KGIII ( 973947 )

          The thing is, on Slashdot we've got user generated content, journals, a friend and foe system, ways to include contact information, ways to link to other's content, and ways to contact each other in private. Slashdot is pretty much a social network - the friend and foe system, being public, makes it even more so as you develop a network. Hell, I've met dozens of people from this site in the real world. I've communicated with many more by off-site means or, if you'd prefer, a private message.

          I don't have a F

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by sinij ( 911942 )
            It is something I have considered, but I believe you would be out of luck. Unless you are an especially talented PI you would end up knowing a lot about my believes and opinions, and how they have changed over years, but nothing about who I am. I think this aspect is important and what differentiates /. from social sites.

            I certainly belong to /. but I can happily do so without ever bringing up my real identity into it. I am happy being a dog.

            • Re: (Score:1)

              by KGIII ( 973947 )

              Those are probably quite a bit of info that can be used for a variety of results. They can be used to track you, monetize you, and probably even dig deeper if they had server logs. Me? Oh no... Err... I'm David. I've met a bunch of you crazy bastards. I've fed some of you, gotten you drunk, and entertained you. So, I guess it's what you do with it that matters?

              Though, I suppose, with access to server logs and some sleuthing it might be possible to ferret you out. Given your likes and dislikes and some acces

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by jrumney ( 197329 )
      By posting videos reminding people of their ex-girl/boyfriends, the backstabbing friends that later became worst enemies, their dead friends and relatives etc, this is effectively what they are promoting isn't it?

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by KGIII ( 973947 )

        Promoting or enabling? While I've no love (or use) for Facebook - I'm not sure that they're explicitly promoting such though I'd accept an argument that they're facilitating such. I'm a pretty firm believer in that tool are just tools - it's how you use them that matters. Some people will use tools to do bad things, others will use them for good things.

        It's a bit like speech, really. You can say good things or you can say poor things. You can use it to create art or you can use it to create wrath. It can ce

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by jrumney ( 197329 )
          To clarify, Facebook is posting the videos (visible initially only to the account holder). The behaviour I was suggesting they are promoting is "mourning our collective privacy" etc, vs Facebook's stated intention of "celebration". I was not suggesting that Facebook is promoting relationship breakups etc, though I do believe they may be culpable in some case.
    • So the online home for petulant self absorbed teenagers is nearly as petulant self absorbed teenager itself

  • 12 years of that shit (Score:5, Insightful)

    by NotInHere ( 3654617 ) on Thursday February 04, 2016 @03:15PM (#51440675)

    when can we get rid of facebook?

  • Normally, (Score:5, Insightful)

    by jenningsthecat ( 1525947 ) on Thursday February 04, 2016 @03:16PM (#51440683)

    I'd say "many happy returns". But in this case I'll simply say "sod off, and may you have no more birthdays - ever".

  • UNLIKE (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    As I say.

  • Given that facebook has collected so much data that can be used by intelligence agencies, I'm sure they see this is VERY productive: People voluntarily giving lots of private data that has been used by hundreds of agencies including but not limited to government intelligence, insurance investigators, human resources, private intelligence/investigation, recruiting and marketing companies. Facebook has probably injected "nitro" into the fuel of face recognition technology development. Happy Birthday, Facebook

    • Well I still submit my antarctic born, hogwarts attending, international, two-spirit gender facebook avatar has sabotaged someone's productivity and finances. At the very least a past employer on whose dime I created it, and whatever big brotherish agencies are slurping facebook and have the unholy job of fumigating the nonsense. Most of my uploaded photos are of cats I do not own, internet memes I didn't create, and lately every derp face Trump picture ever taken. The latter itself could fill a sizable sto

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by KGIII ( 973947 )

        Most of my uploaded photos are of cats I do not own, internet memes I didn't create, and lately every derp face Trump picture ever taken. The latter itself could fill a sizable storage array.

        I'm not really a religious person but, and I think this is a first, I'm inclined to say, "You're doing God's work, son."

    • How useful is data that is complete bullshit to begin with? Do you believe everything people post of Facebook?

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by deKernel ( 65640 )

        So are you saying that I didn't actually climb Mount Everest, jet ski across the Pacific ocean on a half a tank of gas, help in the birthing of 15 white rhino's in Africa AND submit a 3 line patch of code to Slashdot to fix their Unicode character issue?

  • I just watched my "Friends Day" video, and I'm now confused as to whether I have a social media account or a stalker.

  • Retro (Score:5, Funny)

    by Harold Halloway ( 1047486 ) on Thursday February 04, 2016 @03:20PM (#51440713)

    People still use Facebook? How quaint!

    • Is that supposed to be funny? They have 1.03 BILLION WITH A B daily active users.
      • What that means is that there are more than a billion dumb motherfuckers. That's billion with a "b". Also, Mark, please go.

        Is that supposed to be funny? They have 1.03 BILLION WITH A B daily active users.

        • Oh what's so dumb about using a social media platform to communicate oh enlightened Slashdot commenter?

        • You were able to detect that I am indeed Mark Zuckerberg?! I mean, who else would know how many active users are on Facebook? It's not like that information is readily available to anyone with access to a search engine. You're obviously so much better than the 1 in 7 people who use Facebook, simply because you use it. Please continue to shower us in the glory of your power and wisdom, oh great and mighty Oracle. We must show these 1.03 billion people the sin of their ways, shine a light on the path to Enli

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by antdude ( 79039 )

      What were you expecting they would be using? :P

  • "lost productivity" claim rather dubious (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Bearhouse ( 1034238 ) on Thursday February 04, 2016 @03:20PM (#51440717)

    Well, I'm no Facebook fan, (have been "wasting" my time here for years on /. instead.)
    That hasn't stopped me holding down a job and delivering value to my clients over those same years.
    Also, before the interwebs people did crossword puzzles, and other "non productive" stuff.
    Plenty of people find Facebook a useful marketing tool also; my wife breeds and sells cats, and plenty of contacts have come via fb.

  • Thanks Yaelk! (Score:5, Insightful)

    by sims 2 ( 994794 ) on Thursday February 04, 2016 @03:26PM (#51440773)

    Thanks for posting! Timothy was about to drive us all nuts.

  • So that means that next year.... (Score:5, Funny)

    by dskoll ( 99328 ) on Thursday February 04, 2016 @03:40PM (#51440881) Homepage

    That means that next year, Facebook will be old enough to get a Facebook account, and the entire Facebook computing infrastructure will disappear in a burst of recursion...

  • With this news, I can now celebrate 12 years of not being on Facebook!

    It's arguably the biggest threat to consumer privacy in our age - a Three Letter Agency's wet dream. I have never, and will never, ever use the steaming pile of user-exploiting, privacy-invading, advertiser-serving shit that Facebook has always been, and will always be. I can happily be a consumer, but I will never be a product if I can help it. I am the lone Facebook holdout amongst everyone I know, and proud of it.

    Here's hoping we've al

    • Re: (Score:1, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Aren't you a special little snowflake? We are so proud of you for letting us all know that you don't use Facebook. Let me give you a gold star little Timmy... you are head of the class today!

      Oh, I just wish everyone could be as special as you Timmy. Oh wait, you are ALL special in your own special way.

  • Damn Odd (Score:3)

    by Trax3001BBS ( 2368736 ) on Thursday February 04, 2016 @03:47PM (#51440919) Homepage Journal

    How a company that will do anything they want with your info, and seriously can't be trusted is held in such high regards.

    On the flip side I need to access facebook to keep up with the family, and their doings, Facebook is their social setting.

  • Before Facebook (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Locke2005 ( 849178 ) on Thursday February 04, 2016 @03:51PM (#51440953)
    Remember the days before Facebook, when you had to actually go over to someone's house and hide in the bushes to stalk them?
  • Where else could you find out how hot that girl you refused to date in high school turned out to be later in life? (The hot girls I went to high school with now look like meth heads, whereas the girl I _almost_ asked out still looks exactly the same, despite being 40 years older.)
  • This should be their tagline: Facebook, the worst idea you wish you'd thought of first.
  • Tell me again, how Facebook makes its money?

  • ...I didn't need you to remind me that I have no friends.

    The preview for me was just my kids, my wife, and my mother followed by a bunch of "Happy Birthday" messages people sent me because people subscribed to me, mostly from the rest of my family.

    Kinda like the bottle of coke I had with a pizza, in a hotel room, on a business trip that instructed me to "share with friends".

  • Lovely, just lovely (Score:5, Insightful)

    by erp_consultant ( 2614861 ) on Thursday February 04, 2016 @05:26PM (#51441681)

    Zuckerberg becomes one of the richest people in the world by building...the biggest waste of time ever devised.

    Bill Gates is a prick. But at least his company built something - Windows - that makes people productive.
    Andrew Carnegie was a prick. But his companies built railroads that allowed for westward expansion and are still in use today.
    Jay Gould was a prick. But he too built railroads that helped to expand the economy.

    What has Zuck done, exactly? He created a program that is such a time waster that many companies simply block it for fear of their employees surfing cousin Sally's wedding photos on the company dime. Sure, it has helped to reunite some families and I applaud that. And maybe it helped you find that long lost high school chum from 20 years ago. But maybe if you haven't heard from them in 20 years then they don't really give a shit about you? But I digress....

    And the advertising...I mean does anyone really look at those things? If i buy a copy of Car & Driver then I'm really into cars and if I see an ad for car stuff I'm likely to at least read it. But if I'm looking at Sally's wedding photos do I really care about adds for car stuff?

    I know that it makes money for Facebook but the whole thing just seems like a giant house of cards to me.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      What has Zuck done, exactly?

      He made millions then married an ugly woman, lot of people did respected that.

    • I concur. Facebook is the biggest waste of time ever. Now excuse me while I finish reading these random comments on Slashdot before I go do a few Sudoku, then sit down in front of the TV for 3 hours on a Simpsons binge. Maybe this afternoon I'll play some candy crush and then fry my brain by driving a tuktuk around in circles in Far Cry 4.

      By many metrics Facebook is far more useful and has far more utility than the stupendously large list of things human beings "waste time" with.

      • I'm not suggesting that FB is the only time waster. As you point out, there are many avenues for that. My main point was comparing Zuckerberg to a few other people that have amassed vast fortunes. The others, not without their flaws by the way, at least created something of great value. Something enduring.

        What has FB created? Yes, there have been some positive benefits such as people locating long lost friends, etc. But you have to dig pretty deep to find them and it was probably more by accident than by de

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