TheFacebook
A "FACEBOOK" is a student directory featuring photos and basic information.In 2003, there were no universal online facebooks at Harvard, with only paper sheets distributed and private online directories. Zuckerberg told the Crimson that "Everyone's been talking a lot about a universal face book within Harvard. ... I think it's kind of silly that it would take the University a couple of years to get around to it. I can do it better than they can, and I can do it in a week." In January 2004, Zuckerberg began writing a code for a new website, known as "TheFacebook", with the inspiration coming from an editorial in the Crimson about Facemash, stating that "It is clear that the technology needed to create a centralized Website is readily available ... the benefits are many." Zuckerberg met with Harvard student saverin, and each of them agreed to invest $1,000 in the site. On February 4, 2004, Zuckerberg launched it under the name of "TheFacebook", originally located at thefacebook.com.
Zuckerberg intended to create a website that could connect people around the university. Upon finishing the site, Zuckerberg told a couple of friends, one of whom suggested sharing it on the Kirkland House online mailing list, which included several hundred people. According to his roommate, DUSTION, "By the end of the night, we were ... actively watching the registration process. Within twenty-four hours, we had somewhere between twelve hundred and fifteen hundred registrants."
Just six days after the launch of the site, three Harvard University seniors,accused Zuckerberg of intentionally misleading them into believing that he would help them build a social network called HarvardConnection.com, but instead using their idea to build a competing product. The three complained to the Crimson, and the newspaper began an investigation. Zuckerberg knew about the investigation so he used TheFacebook.com to find members in the site who identified themselves as members of the Crimson. He examined a history of failed logins to see if any of the Crimson members had ever entered an incorrect password into TheFacebook.com. In the cases in which they had failed to log in, Zuckerberg tried to use them to access the Crimson members' Harvard email accounts, and he was successful in accessing two of them. In the end, three Crimson members filed a lawsuit against Zuckerberg which was later settled.
Membership was initially restricted to students of Harvard University. Within the first month, more than half the undergraduate population at Harvard was registered on the service. Zuckerberg was joined in the promotion of the site by Saverin (business aspects), DUSTIN (programmer), (graphic artist), and . In March 2004, Facebook expanded to , and YALE.This expansion continued when it opened to all LVY and Boston-area schools. It gradually reached most universities in the United States and Canada. Facebook was incorporated in the summer of 2004, and the entreprene, who had been informally advising Zuckerberg, became the company's president. In June 2004, Facebook moved its base of operations.
Founding and Early Days (2004-2006):
- Mark Zuckerberg, along with his college roommates, launched Facebook on February 4, 2004, initially as a social networking platform for Harvard University students.
- The platform quickly expanded to other universities and eventually became available to the general public.
- Facebook’s core features included profiles, status updates, and photo sharing.
Rapid Growth and Global Reach (2007-2010):
- Facebook continued to grow exponentially, reaching millions of users worldwide.
- It introduced the News Feed in 2006, which displayed a personalized stream of updates from friends.
- The company went public with an IPO in May 2012, becoming one of the most valuable tech companies.
Mobile Revolution (2011-2014):
- The rise of smartphones led to Facebook’s focus on mobile apps.
- Acquisitions like Instagram (2012) and WhatsApp (2014) strengthened its position in the mobile space.
Challenges and Controversies (2015-2018):
- Facebook faced criticism over privacy breaches, fake news, and its role in influencing elections.
- Cambridge Analytica scandal (2018) highlighted data misuse.
Diversification and Ongoing Impact (2019-present):
- Facebook expanded into virtual reality (Oculus) and launched its cryptocurrency project, Libra (now Diem).
- It remains a dominant force in social media, connecting billions of people globally.
