Facebook just wants you to know: it’s a friggin’ Swiss Army knife. Over the past few days, a flurry of posts on the company’s official blog have highlighted ways in which the social network is offering interesting new features or playing important roles in people’s lives.
NYT Declares Facebook Experiment A Success
Never mind all the economic doom and gloom; the New York Times is thrilled with how its venture into social networking has gone. A new memo notes some numbers that beat internal expectations, and should sound pretty impressive to outsiders, too.
Facebook Poll Gets Woman Kicked Of Jury
If you have to serve on a jury in a criminal trial, you’d more than likely think very carefully about discussing that trial outside the jury room and what’s going on in court.
Facebook Trying To Acquire Twitter Is Setup For Failure
Kara Swisher has written a tremendous post on Facebook’s quiet attempt at acquiring Twitter. It inspired me to share my thoughts on the subject.
SEC: Facebook Can Keep Hiring, Stay Private
Deals involving Google and Microsoft may get the government feeling nervous, but so far, Facebook’s growth isn’t causing much anxiety. The SEC has given the social networking company special permission to keep hiring and handing employees equity without publicly sharing its financial data.
Facebook, MySpace Beneficial To Teens
Teens who use social media such as MySpace and Facebook are not just wasting time, they are in fact developing important social and technical skills online, according to new research from the MacArthur Foundation.
Facebook Gets Rid Of Some Neo-Nazi Groups
Facebook users may be glad to know that the social network is rid of a few neo-Nazi groups this morning. After a protest arose over some anti-gypsy pages, Facebook pulled the things, citing terms of use that forbid intimidation and harassment.
Facebook Revises Alcohol App Policy
Facebook has lifted its restrictions on applications that contain content that promote or reference the sale of alcoholic beverages.The company says it will use its Demographic Restriction feature to manage the way alcoholic content appears to its users. Facebook’s restriction technology is based on a combination of what information a user has entered and verified on the site along with IP targeting by location.
Facebook Lowers Ad Cost With 32% Growth
Last week, we took a look at Facebook’s financials and wondered if the social networking giant is headed for financial ruin, despite—or even because of—118% worldwide growth, 32% US growth (monthly unique visitors). Many commentators argued that any company would be overjoyed with even 32% growth. Unfortunately, that kind of thinking is the exact thinking that has brought Facebook to this point—and now Facebook’s ad rates have fallen 50%.
Facebook Ad Rates Drop
Last week, we took a look at Facebook’s financials and wondered if the social networking giant is headed for financial ruin, despite—or even because of—118% worldwide growth, 32% US growth (monthly unique visitors). Many commentators argued that any company would be overjoyed with even 32% growth. Unfortunately, that kind of thinking is the exact thinking that has brought Facebook to this point—and now Facebook’s ad rates have fallen 50%.