The Social Network

1. How are Facebook and Google+ the same or different? As I mentioned here on July 1st, Google+ has some features that have the potential to outperform Facebook (CNN article). A video feature called Hangouts lets several users join a room and set up live feeds from each user's webcam. This feature is more advanced than Facebook's newly released one-on-one video chat option. Another Google+ feature which appeals to me is "Circles," a way to organize friends into categories and easily control communication sent to specific groups of friends.

2. How many users does Facebook have? Why so many? Why did Facebook overtake Myspace? According to Facebook Statistics, Facebook has over 750 million active users (Facebook statistics). Myspace was not as interactive as Facebook. While Myspace put the burden of creating content on the user, Facebook users act mostly as curators, choosing how to display photos and comments posted on their wall. Facebook was the first to integrate other social media, such as Twitter, to facilitate communication and keep users logged into Facebook.

3. Do you think Google+ or any other social media will overtake Facebook? No, I think that Facebook has reached a critical mass which would be difficult for any other social networking site to attain. Facebook has a virtual monopoly on the market. People will take a casual look at other social networks, but will remain Facebook users as long as their core group of friends are loyal to Facebook. The average Facebook user has 130 friends. If Facebook blocks easy transfer of friends to other social networks, most people will not expend effort on recreating their group of friends on a new network.

4. Why do you feel there is such an obsession with Facebook? Is it warranted? The Facebook phenomenon caught my attention about 18 months ago when old friends finally lured me into the site. After the initial excitement of catching up with former classmates and acquaintances, I gradually spent less and less time on Facebook. However, I have spent enough time on Facebook to form some opinions about the source of its popularity. I think people's obsession with Facebook stems from the constant feedback that the site provides. Read about positive reinforcement loops here (teens and texting). I wouldn't say this obsession is warranted - in fact, some people have to quit Facebook in order to live healthy, productive lives (Facebook addiction disorder).

5. What was your perspective of the film overall? I enjoyed watching The Social Network in class yesterday. The take-away message for me was that people skills are not essential for success in Silicon Valley. The film highlights the fact that a good idea can succeed even in the hands of someone who is socially inept.