Silicon Alley Insider just published a rather lengthy investigation into the origins of
Facebook. Specifically, it addresses the
allegations that Mark Zuckerberg stole the idea for his social network from ConnectU, which he had been hired to help code. The report has also uncovered a pair of unsettling anecdotes that paint a less than flattering picture of its founder, including hacking into ConnectU and accessing data on Harvard newspaper writers covering the two networks.
Though Facebook and
Zuckerberg have refused to comment, the Insider believes that it has established a reasonably complete and accurate account of the events surrounding the launch of both Facebook and ConnectU. The site reviewed e-mails and chat logs, and spoke to people familiar with the parties involved. The investigation found that, while Zuckerberg did often act in an unethical manner, there is no evidence that he stole the idea for Facebook directly from the Winklevoss brothers and Divya Narendra, all of whom collectively founded
ConnectU.
Logs reveal that while Zuckerberg did agree to help code what would eventually become ConnectU, he also never entered into a formal contract with its founders. These records, which have not been verified by Zuckerberg or Facebook, indicate that he considered ConnectU competition to Facebook, but Zuckerberg thought the two to be very different services, and dismissively referred to ConnectU as a "dating site." These logs in no way indicate that he was harvesting ideas from the fellow Harvard-based startup, but they do suggest he was actively sabotaging its launch by delaying work on it until after he could get Facebook off the ground.
Two disturbing anecdotes, following the launches of both sites, are more damning. Allegations, of whose accuracy the Insider seems confident, suggest that Zuckerberg
hacked into ConnectU to sabotage profiles and then guessed the
e-mail accounts of two staffers at the Harvard Crimson (the student paper) using log-in records from his young social network. While these stories may simply sound like the immature rebelliousness of a college sophomore, they are extremely troublesome -- especially considering how many people currently entrust their own personal data to his Web site.
Huffington Post called the allegations "
damaging," and while the Insider considered the $65 million settlement with ConnectU to be more than generous, it was also quite disturbed by Zuckerberg's abuse of his technical skills and position.
Assuming the details in the article are true, we're of the same opinion. ConnectU got more than it deserved. Even though it appears Zuckerberg acted unethically, he does not seem to have broken any contract or stole ideas from the Winklevoss brothers or Narendra. That said, the two allegations of hacking make us extremely uneasy. If true, has Zuckerberg matured enough in the ensuing years to realize the foolishness of such behavior? We'd hope so, but his often
erratic public behavior and
professional paranoia leave us skeptical. [From:
The Silicon Alley Insider]
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Facebook's Most Annoying Things
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Most Annoying Things About Facebook
Sure, Facebook can be a lot of fun. It's a great way to reconnect with lost friends and to keep up with people on the fringes of your social circle. And as far as workday distractions go, there's nothing better.
It's hardly a perfect service, though. Minor aggravations add up fast and can drive you nuts. We've combed through the annoyances to find the ten annoyances that bug people the most.
Most Annoying Things About Facebook
Problem: Constant interface changes
Why it's annoying: Granted, innovation is necessary to avoid becoming stale, but sometimes you're better off leaving well enough alone. Facebook has radically overhauled its front page so many times that it's hard to keep count. Just as the anger dies down over one design, the site changes things again -- and confusion sets in. What's the difference between "News feed" and "Live feed"? And why can't Facebook remember which I prefer?
Possible solution: Sadly, there's not much you can do about this -- except wait for the next face-lift.
Most Annoying Things About Facebook
Problem: Inappropriate automated friend suggestions
Why it's annoying: Friend suggestions can be handy, but when Facebook tries to push an ex-girlfriend or boyfriend on you, it's kind of awkward. Similarly, if you've had a major falling-out with someone who has mutual friends, you're bound to see their face pop up in the 'suggestion' field at some point. It makes a clean break that much harder to get.
Possible solution: The little "x" to the right will make the suggestion go away forever. To prevent further frustration, you might want to also click "see all" and weed out any other offending names.
Most Annoying Things About Facebook
Problem: Never-ending game invitations
Why it's annoying: 'Farmville' and 'Mafia Wars' might be fun, but if you don't want to play them, the constant invites are infuriating. Many Facebook games are like Ponzi schemes; the way to succeed is to get more people playing. And once you've managed to filter out one game, another pops up.
Possible solution: It's not too hard to hide the requests and invitations for these games. Just click "Block this application" when you get the first invite. Then, hover over the updates that are clogging your news feed, and click "Hide" when the word appears.
Most Annoying Things About Facebook
Problem: Political fights
Why it's annoying: Between cable news and talk radio, it's hard enough to hide the squabbling between the left and the right. So when political debates fire up on Facebook, it's particularly annoying. All you want to do is see friends' pictures and learn what they're up to -- not eavesdrop on a debate over healthcare reform.
Possible solution: If you've got a friend who picks such fights in their status updates, you might be best off hiding them. You can still check in on them whenever you'd like, but you won't have opinions shoved down your throat.
Most Annoying Things About Facebook
Problem: Imported updates from Twitter
Why it's annoying: Tweets have their own language and shorthand, and if you're not familiar with the 140-character-or-less updates, it might look like someone had a hand spasm while typing. Facebook and Twitter are two entirely different services -- and forcing the two together feels like a poorly arranged marriage.
Possible solution: Once again, you're kind of stuck. Your best bet is to either embrace the language of the tweet -- or learn to selectively ignore posts.
Most Annoying Things About Facebook
Problem: No 'Dislike' button
Why it's annoying: A friend proudly mentions in a status update that she got a promotion. That's an easy thing to like. But what about when they announce they've been laid off? In its relentless drive to be cheery, Facebook hasn't given us the choice to quickly commiserate or disagree with someone.
Possible solution: There's an active lobbying effort to get Facebook to add a 'Dislike' button, with over 553,000 people members of a group specifically asking for one. Hopefully, the powers that be will listen to the protests.
Most Annoying Things About Facebook
Problem: People who 'friend' you too fast
Why it's annoying: Sometimes it's a person you've gone out with one time. Sometimes it's a coworker you only speak with occasionally. But odds are you've been 'friended' by someone you'd rather not have on your list. Technically, ignoring the request is an option, but that can create some real world tensions.
Possible solution: Your privacy settings can make this problem an easy one to conquer. You can block specific people from seeing status updates, photos and more by choosing 'custom' and black-listing them. Then, hide their updates from your news feed.
Most Annoying Things About Facebook
Problem: Stealth tagging
Why it's annoying: We all have horrifying childhood pictures or shots we wouldn't want to share with the world. Invariably, though, friends will post them as a joke of sorts and tag you. All of a sudden, that prom picture of you with acne, coke-bottle glasses, and a really bad perm is out there for everyone to see.
Possible solution: You can untag yourself, which prevents others from putting your name to the picture -- but in some cases, that's closing the barn door after the horse has run away.
Most Annoying Things About Facebook
Problem: Obvious celebrity marketing ploys
Why it's annoying: Celebrities love Facebook -- or so it would seem. But all too often, it's someone writing on their behalf (and often poorly). That doesn't stop avid fans from falling over themselves to 'like' every comment and chime in as part of the 'amen' chorus.
Possible solution: Unless you're sure it's actually the celebrity doing the updates, you'd often do better to just avoid the pages. After all, is it really that critical that you declare yourself as a fan?
Most Annoying Things About Facebook
Tags: connectu, ethics, facebook, MarkZuckerberg, privacy, SocialNetworking, top, web
Comments
3
Subscribe to commentsalexisMar 6th 2010 6:41PM
where was this article when facebook first came out---hi haters!!!!!!!!!!
FayeMar 6th 2010 8:01PM
Who CARES???
GeorgeMar 22nd 2010 9:17AM
I'm with YOU, Faye!