2008 Woodie Awards
Social network gets face lift with 'Facebook'
Issue date: 11/30/05 Section: News
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Staff Writer
Confirming friend requests, posting messages on walls and poking friends are all features on the popular social network Facebook.
According to a Chicago Sun-Times article, an estimated 85 percent of students at more than 2,000 colleges use the social network to chat with friends, meet new people and even search for possible romantic interests.
College students find themselves addicted to this social network.
"Who isn't addicted?" said Kate Mardis, freshman broadcast media.
Facebook was launched by Harvard sophomore Mark Zuckerberg in February of 2004, and now has a membership of more than 8.3 million. Facebook is the 11th most visited site on the Internet, according to Web trafficking firm comScore Media Metrix.
"I think it is a cool way to interact with other students on campus. It's a fun way to get to know people, and I've actually made a few friends from Facebook, even a few guys," said Katie Billings, freshman undecided.
"Its my home page on my computer, so pretty much every time I'm on the Internet I check it," said Mardis.
"I'm not quite addicted. I check it maybe once or twice a day," said Ashley Orders, freshman intercultural studies.
Zuckerberg came up with the idea to start Facebook along with the help of his roommates, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes. Zuckerberg and Moskovitz have since left Harvard for California to run the site, which now has 50 employees. Hughes is now a Harvard senior and serves as the Facebook spokesman.
"It's one of those things where you just sort of have to take a step back every now and then and say, 'Whoa, what's going on here?'" said Hughes of the popularity in an interview with Chicago Sun-Times.
Social networking has been popular among students for a few years now.
Facebook's most popular predecessor, MySpace.com, is still popular among students, but may have some competition now that Facebook has come into the picture.
"I like Facebook because of the unity of fellow classmates. I like MySpace for the features, and the fact that you can leave blogs and add songs," said Billings.
Social networking has been criticized as a means of interference with college work.
"For me I don't find it distracting, but I know for some any form of Internet like AIM and Myspace is a huge distraction," said Billings.
Advertising is Facebook's source of income. Advertisers see social networks as free focus groups.
Hughes said that Facebook has gotten offers to buy the company, but they have no current plans to sell.