Blog #6
April 14th, 2021
Nathaniel Bryant

Facebook: Timeline, Pros, and Cons

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Whether you use it or not, Facebook is a well-known platform for numerous activities as a social networking website as well as a social media platform. Posts, pictures, videos, and news are only a few of the numerous sites listed here. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO, and co-founder of Facebook had created his platform in 2004 with some help as well as some obstruction.

The History of Facebook

The upbringing and arrival of Facebook began when Mark worked with Divya Narendra, and the Winklevoss brothers: Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss to discuss a social media platform with Zuckerberg called Harvard Connection in 2003. Unfortunately, Zuckerberg quit and hid on his own to start a prototype called “Thefacebook” that same year. He then sought to employ the help of his new friends Andrew McCollum and Eduardo Saverin for the project. As the platform developed and launched in 2004, it began to grow rapidly already achieving 12 million users by 2006 and open its News Feed section. Now you could easily access news through the platform, giving more incentive to stay on the site. In 2007, Facebook opened its Marketplace, people could post to sell goods and services. Also in 2007, Facebook finally went mobile and began to offer its services to handheld devices all around.

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Timeline

2003 - The idea of Facebook originally started when Mark Zuckerberg first worked with Divya Narendra, and the Winklevoss brothers: Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, on a project that was similar to Facebook called Harvard Connection
2004, February 4th - The first version, called the “Thefacebook” is invented
2004 - Harvard Connection changes to ConnectU and sues Facebook (for stealing idea)
2006 - 12 million users
2007 - Facebook launches Beacon*
2008 - A settlement is decided on the matter involving Facebook and ConnectU
2009, February - The like button is created
2012 - Facebook reaches 1 billion active and frequent users
2012- Facebook becomes Public
2017 - Facebook Spaces is created

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As many more benefits appear, a bump in the road occurred. In 2007, Facebook also launched Beacon and ad system that presented security and privacy concerns with its intrusive data tracking and monitoring. In 2008 with a settlement with ConnectU resulting in Narendra, and the Winklevoss brothers receiving $1.2 million dollars in shares.

Facebook continued to expand and grow through the years with only a few bumps in the road. Even smaller updates continue to have a big impact on the platform as the like button is created in 2009. Also in 2009, Facebook shuts down Beacon as it proved to because of too much controversy and be a threat to personal privacy, even tracking even after users were logged off Facebook. Still, Facebook would grow and reach even 1 billion active users on their site. They also became public that year, as they dealt with numerous shareholders and smaller company issues. A new feature to Facebook that is more technological is Facebook Spaces. In 2017 Facebook Spaces was created as a (Virtual Reality) VR app for people to meet up online and converse. As the history of Facebook was a timeline of struggles and triumphs, it has more to it beyond its conception and development to its issues and benefits that are tied with the company.

Pros and Cons

Facebook was a revolutionary and important part of social media and helped change the way people would interact for years to come. Though Facebook may not be that prevalent in this current generation, it provided numerous features and techniques that laid the groundwork for other companies.

With Facebook, you can communicate with others, share a funny or serious video with friends, a family photo with relatives, and reach out online to other people you would never approach. This platform is easy, accessible, informative for its news section, and strengthens social skills. Facebook also is beneficial for social networking and jobs. The site allows the user to create a profile that can be used for networking for job positions or to get your name out on the public platform.

While Facebook has numerous benefits, it has by far some of the worst problems that set it far from many other platforms. Facebook has been known to have numerous and egregious infringements and violations of user privacy on NBC news, they give a timeline of all of Facebook's privacy violations. The main issues on this timeline were not that they were doing it, but that they got caught. From tracking every piece of information in messages, searches, and personal data, they have collected all this for ads and creating algorithms for their users. Even now, they just paid a record $5 billion in a fine to settle some privacy “concerns” for taking private data of 87 million users on Facebook (BBC).

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Sources:

https://www.brandwatch.com/blog/history-of-facebook/

https://www.infoworld.com/article/2642560/connectu-suit-against-facebook-continues.html

https://www.officetimeline.com/blog/facebook-history-timeline

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2019/02/business/facebook-history-timeline/index.html

https://www.cnet.com/news/three-reasons-facebook-has-to-go-public/

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/timeline-facebook-s-privacy-issues-its-responses-n859651

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-49099364