How Facebook robbed us of our sense of self

Fifteen years ago, the social network site was set up to connect people. But now, with lives increasingly played out online, have we forgotten how to be alone?‘Thefacebook is an online directory that connects people through social networks at colleges. We have opened up Thefacebook for popular consumption at Harvard University. You can use Thefacebook to: search for people at your school; find out who are [sic] in your classes; look up your friends’ friends; see a visualization of your social network.”On 4 February 2004, this rather clunky announcement launched an invention conceived in the dorm room of a Harvard student called Mark Zuckerberg, and intended to be an improvement on the so-called face books that US universities traditionally used to collect photos and basic information about their students. From the vantage point of 2019, Thefacebook – as it was then known – looks familiar, but also strange. Pages were coloured that now familiar shade of blue, and “friends” were obviously a central element of what was displayed. However, there was little on show from the wider world: the only photos were people’s profile pictures, and there was no ever-changing news feed. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2019-01-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #basic information #vantage point #central element #wider world

Other Publishing stories related to: 'How Facebook robbed us of our sense of self'


What is Facebook not telling us about machiavellian censorship?

Just a few days ago the Electronic Frontier Foundation published its annual Who Has Your Back report looking at how various technology companies treated customer privacy. The report makes for interesting reading, but it also raises some questions. One question that has cropped up several times... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2015-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #days ago #report makes #privacy policies


Ello, the ad-free social network alternative to Facebook, launches mobile app

Ello's mobile app will hit the Apple App store Thursday, about eight months after the ad-free social network launched as an invite-only alternative to Facebook. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mobile app


One Big Problem With Facebook as a Platform for News: It Deletes Things

As Facebook rolls out its “Instant Articles” initiative, in which news entities such as the New York Times and The Guardian are publishing directly to the social network, instead of just posting links to their own sites, media org ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #facebook rolls #big problem #publishing directly


Belgium takes Facebook to court over privacy breaches and user tracking

Belgian privacy commission launches lawsuit after warning over alleged privacy law breaches over tracking of users and non-users for adsThe Belgian privacy commission is taking Facebook to court for its alleged “trampling” over Belgian and European privacy law.The lawsuit will be heard in a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-06-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #privacy breaches #advertising purposes


Get ready for more buy buttons on Facebook

When you’re not liking your friends’ photos on Facebook, you’re likely to soon have more opportunities to buy stuff.Facebook is expanding its partnership with Shopify, which helps businesses create online storefronts. Facebook has been testing buy buttons in the News Feed and on businesses’... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2015-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #facebook users #facebook post #buy buttons #buy stuff #announced wednesday #beta test


Facebook letting more stores ping your phone when you're inside

You might find yourself browsing more than the shelves at your local store, if Facebook knows you’re there. It’s expanding a location-aware program that will let businesses pop information into the top of your news feed. Place Tips lets brick-and-mortar stores send information to people’s News... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2015-06-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #news feeds


Apple News vs. Facebook Instant Articles: How they compare

At its Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, Apple announced the News app, the latest example of a platform trying to improve the mobile news reading experience and get publishers to distribute their news directly on apps. News invites comparisons with Facebook’s Instant Articles, which... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2015-06-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #apple news #apple announced #news app #news directly


Facebook’s growing video power has publishers embracing the sound of silence

The rise of Instagram and Facebook, which mute video audio by default, is forcing publishers to rethink their video creation strategies. NowThis and Fusion, for example, are creating video that's "volume agnostic", meaning that they can viewers can watch them with the sound on or off and still... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2015-06-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #post facebook #forcing publishers #creating video #work harder


Apple takes on Facebook with revamped news app

Media organisations including Guardian, ESPN, New York Times, Conde Nast and Hearst will produce content specifically designed for new service Apple revamped its news service on Monday, making a play to take on Facebook as the two tech giants court readers and publishers to be the top platform... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-06-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #news service #apple takes #apple unveils #conde nast


Facebook's Experiment to Publish News Articles Has Gotten Awfully Quiet — Three Weeks After Everyone Was Freaking Out About It

On May 12, Facebook launched its much discussed publishing product designed to let media companies post their articles directly to its iOS app.   Called "Facebook Instant Articles," the new format loads stories on mobile phones up t ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-06-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #facebook launched #articles directly #ios app #mobile phones


Facebook’s Instant Articles Do Speed Up Mobile Content

When it comes to loading times, Facebook’s Instant Articles appear to be living up to their name.   Earlier this month, the social network launched its new Instant Articles product, which allows publishers to host articles and videos d ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mobile content


Mic's Video Series on Facebook is a Hit

Fast-growing millennial publisher Mic has the luxury of starting from scratch with its six-month-old video strategy. That means betting heavily on Facebook.     On Tuesday, Mic released the eighth episode of its debut video series, &ldq ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #video series #video strategy


Kik joins Facebook in hunt for more publisher, brand deals

In the latest land grab for consumers’ time on platforms, Kik is stepping up efforts to court brands and media companies. The messaging app popular with millennials hired ad vet Josh Jacobs to head a new division, Kik Services, with an eye to adding games and commerce services and expand... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2015-05-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kik services #media companies


Publishers shrug off concerns, eager to publish on Facebook

Facebook launched its Instant Articles product with a select group of prestige publishers last week. Now, others, if they had any reservations before, are determined not to be left behind. Other big-name publishers including Time Inc., Hearst Magazines and CNN are expected to start publishing... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2015-05-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #facebook launched #facebook appeared #publishers shrug #select group #hearst magazines #coming months #news publisher


UsVsTh3m's demise shows challenge of making news for Facebook

As news organisations sign up to publish straight to Facebook with Instant Articles, Trinity Mirror’s decision to cull new formats teams shows how social media is changing publishers’ priorities Asked what are my favourite pieces of digital journalism to emerge from newsrooms over the past few... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-05-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital journalism #coming back #parliamentary debate #entry point #bbc news #guardian sign


Facebook Publishing for Local News Outlets Could Arrive ‘in the Coming Months’

When Facebook on Wednesday unveiled its new Instant Articles feature that allows news organizations to publish directly to the social media platform—and, in the process, set off an avalanche of commentary and speculation about the future of ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-05-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #coming months #news organizations #publish directly


Publishers Willing to Give Facebook Their Articles, but Not Their Ad Sales

Why would publishers want to jump into bed with their top "frenemy" Facebook? Well, they're not, entirely.Four of the first U.S. publishers to publish mobile articles directly on Facebook through its new Instant Articles program -- The New York Times, BuzzFeed, National Geographic and NBC News... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2015-05-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #give facebook #sell ads #ad sales #national geographic


How publishers are using Facebook’s instant articles

Major news publishers took full advantage of Facebook's multimedia features in kicking off their first uses of Facebook's new Instant Articles product but missed some chances to tailor their content to mobile users. The New York Times, Atlantic, National Geographic all posted long articles,... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2015-05-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #full advantage #mobile users #national geographic


Facebook signs deal to directly publish news stories

Facebook has reached a deal with New York Times and eight other media outlets to post stories directly to the social network's mobile news feeds, as publishers strive for new ways to expand their reach. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2015-05-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #media outlets


With Facebook's Instant Articles, Publishers Contemplate a Social-First World

Reports from the last few weeks hinted it was coming, but the debut of Facebook's Instant Articles sent a shiver down plenty of publisher's spines this morning anyway. And why wouldn't they react in that fashion? One of their chief traffic drivers could suddenly siphon away audiences and ad... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2015-05-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #social networks #senior reporter #social sites #feels inevitable