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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg talks about Timeline during the f/8 conference in San Francisco, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011. Facebook is dramatically redesigning its users' profile pages to create what Zuckerberg says is a "new way to express who you are." (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
(from CBSNews.com) – Facebook users are complaining about changes to the site, but get used to it: The social networking giant says more big changes are coming.
CBS News correspondent John Blackstone reports that, at a conference in San Francisco, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced it will soon be a place where friends can do much more than share photos. They will be able to share almost every part of their lives. In addition, music, movies, TV and news are expected to be shared on the site soon, as well.
Brian Cooley, CNET* editor, says it means if he’s watching a Netflix movie on his iPad, Facebook will automatically tell his friends. They will be able to watch what he’s watching, listen to what he’s listening to — and make Facebook even more dominant. [*CNET is a tech media website that publishes news articles, blogs, and podcasts on technology and consumer electronics. It was founded in 1993, and was acquired by CBS in 2008.]
Cooley said, “They’re still kind of a new enterprise. So they need new, big things to finally vanquish Google which, you know, is on their list. To put the AOLs and the Yahoos of the world out of our minds. They want to become, basically, the only site we use.”
Facebook is aiming at nothing short of becoming a digital diary capable of documenting and storing almost every detail of a user’s life — forever. It’s called Timeline and, as Zuckerberg said at the conference, “It’s the story of your life.”
Timeline, Blackstone reported, also means Facebook will know even more about its users and all their friends.
Cooley said, “That’s gold to advertisers. They love that stuff.”
Facebook says it has 800 million users — a huge potential market that makes Facebook an irresistible partner for almost anybody selling any thing.
Zuckerberg said, “Social networks are going to be a ubiquitous tool used by billions of people around the world to stay connected every day.”
Facebook says it will phase in the Timeline feature over several weeks, so users can get accustomed to just how much of their entire lives they want to share.
© 2011 CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted here for educational purposes only. May not be reproduced on other websites without permission from CBS News. Visit the website at CBSNews.com.
Questions
1. a) Who is Mark Zuckerberg?
b) What changes did Mr. Zuckerberg announce Facebook will be implementing in the near future?
2. How does CNET editor Brian Cooley explain how some of the Facebook changes will work?
3. What is Facebook’s goal regarding the competition, according to Brian Cooley?
4. a) How many users does Facebook currently have worldwide?
b) In addition to the number of users, what information acquired by Facebook will be a huge appeal to advertisers?
5. How does Mark Zuckerberg describe Facebook’s new Timeline system?
6. Do you think you have a different view of protecting your privacy than your parents have? Explain your answer.
7. From para. 5: “Facebook is aiming at nothing short of becoming a digital diary capable of documenting and storing almost every detail of a user’s life — forever.”
Why SHOULD you feel uncomfortable with this?
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