The Tangled and Twisted Story of Facebook

By Abby Goldstein on Sunday, August 2, 2009.

It began as the brainchild of two unpopular Harvard undergrads looking to get themselves accepted with the University’s elite and quite possibly, a girlfriend. What followed was a story of greed, sex and the eventual breakup of a longtime friendship. We’ll look at the history of one of the world’s most popular websites.

Guest

  • Ben Mezrich, author of The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal
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Facebook
Deb - Mon, 08/03/2009 - 09:47

I was just listening to your discussion of Facebook in my car. I wanted to make a comment on my use of Facebook. I joined recently in order to reconnect with family I have not seen in many years. It is a great tool for sharing photos and events in our lives.I was skeptical of joining Facebook at first.I had a MySpace account which I stopped using. I found I prefer Facebook because it seems easier to use.I do think this is the future of communication.It is immediate and accessible by almost everyone. The technology is here, why not use it?

why I got on Facebook
Ann - Tue, 08/04/2009 - 23:35

I am a 57 year old adoptee who searched for my birth family for 35 years before I finally found them in January. The night I contacted my siblings (my mother had died 2 years earlier), I ended up staying up all night. One of my nieces e-mailed me and asked if I was on Facebook, and I said no. But I signed up and have limited my friends to my family (existing and new). It has been a great way to be in touch with my new-found kin.