TODAY IT'S FACEBOOK

 

This Day in History: February 4, 2004
On this day in history, 2004, Mark Zuckerberg launched a site called TheFacebook, that eventually became just “Facebook” after the company acquired the domain rights to facebook.com for $200,000 in 2005.  The site was originally inspired by a project done by one of Mark Zuckerberg’s high school friends, Adam D’Angelo.  D’Angelo had developed a simple social networking site called Buddy Zoo at Caltech that was fairly popular in its short run until D’Angelo shut it down.  The popularity of this early social site and the implications of such a service on a large scale was frequently discussed by Zuckerberg and his friends, but they didn’t do anything about creating such a service initially.

This all changed when Zuckerberg was reading an article in The Harvard Crimson that mentioned a website he’d created and gotten in a lot of trouble for (FaceMash), including almost being expelled from Harvard.  FaceMash was a site that was more or less a Harvard-centric knock-off to Hot or Not.  The reason Harvard Administration had a problem with the site was that in order to get it going, Zuckerberg had hacked into Harvard’s student ID picture database in order to get pictures of students at the school in the nine different school dorm houses.  He then posted the pictures on his site, separated by dormitory and pitted pictures of people against one another, showing two pictures at a time with people choosing who’s hotter of the two shown.

Over 22,000 votes were submitted on FaceMash before it was shut down after just four hours due to people getting offended from having their pictures posted without their consent to be rated.   Once the administration got wind of it, they charged Mark with various things such as copyright infringement, violating people’s privacy, and the like.  All the charges were eventually dropped and he was allowed to continue attending Harvard.

In any event, The Harvard Crimson article specifically mentioned:

The potential benefits of a comprehensive, campus-wide online facebook are plenty…  Thanks to a little bit of ingenuity and lot of illicit hacking, a Harvard sophomore was able to obtain a great majority of the campus’ photos and compile them on one navigable site. This was an invasion of privacy, and HASCS must insure that its facebook is secure. But it is clear that the technology needed to create a centralized website is readily available; the benefits are many.

When Zuckerberg read this, a light bulb went off in his head and he thought, “I think it’s kind of silly that it would take the University a couple of years to get around to it. I can do it better than they can, and I can do it in a week.”  And, in fact, that’s exactly what he did, finishing the initial version in about a week.  Granted, during that week he reportedly did almost nothing else, including not sleeping much, nor socializing at all.  However, after the week, it was done.  This was lucky for him that he finished so quickly because just a few months later he stated in The Harvard Crimson,”If I hadn’t launched it that day, I was about to just can it and go on to the next thing I was about to do.”

From there, it took just one month for half of the school’s students to sign up to TheFacebook.  Shortly thereafter, it was expanded to include other universities, initially focusing on Ivy League schools, but then expanding to the majority of colleges in North America.  Just six months after it was launched, TheFacebook was officially incorporated and Zuckerberg and co. moved to Palo Alto, California where they received funding from people like Sean Parker (already a wealthy young entrepreneur who, among other things, also helped found Napster) and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel.  Shortly before this happened, Zuckerberg stated, “My goal is to not have a job… Making cool things is just something I love doing, and not having someone tell me what to do or a timeframe in which to do it isthe luxury I am looking for in my life…  I assume eventually I’ll make something that is profitable.”

Since then, Facebook has been growing at an astounding rate both in revenue and number of users.  In 2006, just two years after its launch, Facebook earned $52 million.  The next year, they earned $150 million; then $280 million in 2008; $775 million in 2009; 2 billion in 2010; and, finally, $4.27 billion in 2011.  The user growth rate has been equally remarkable, growing to 100 million users in late 2008.  From there, the user base skyrocketed, gaining an average of around 100 million users every 160 days up to today, where they are rapidly approaching 1 billion users with their last reported tally on December of 2011 being 845 million members with 483 million daily active people.  They also reported well over one trillion page views per month in late 2011.  I guess Zuckerberg can check off from his To-Do list the goal to not ever have to get a job.

article from Today I Found Out

MODERN PROBLEMS

Most television announcers don't bother to read or review their copy. Copywriters must be undereducated employees who have never bothered to learned about agreement of verbs and pronouns.

"Johnny and me will attend the ceremony."
"Johnny and I will attend the grammar class."
Can you tell which is correct?

You get a lot of this on news and Hollywood celebrity shows. 

What happened to his or her? Now everything is "their."

TEN HABITS TO HELP YOU LIVE TO BE 100

Genes are important, but how well you live is more likely to determine how long you live. For instance: If you want to reduce your risk of stroke by 50% do the following four things 1 Physical activity 30 minutes each day 2. Five servings of vegetables or fruit each day 3. Quit smoking 4. Avoid excess alcohol.

You are more likely to live a long life if your parents did. Of course they may have lived longer if they followed the 4 steps above or, fortunately, escaped one of the major diseases that shorten life.

1. Take care of your teeth and floss every day
2. Exercise in some form every day
3. Stay connected to family and friends
4. Develop good habits and stick to them
5. Eat whole foods and not processed foods, for best nutrition
6. Add fiber to your diet
7. Cultivate a good attitude and don't be a diva
8. Find a system of spirituality that you can believe in
9. Get plenty of rest
10. Don't retire

A recent study shows that gum-disease and bacteria from an unattended mouth can flush harmful bacteria into your bloodstream. My dentist tells me that this can lead to heart problems and poor circulation in the arteries due to inflammation. Bad dental health can also lead to bad breath and tooth loss. Don't take chances with your heart ... you can prevent inflammation by flossing twice a day.

Walking, lifting weights, treadmilling, stretching, Pilates, and other forms of exercise will raise your immune level and lower your cholesterol. Cardio exercise can strengthen your heart and tone your skin. For a really good complexion drink plenty of water and get daily movement (excercise) outdoors in fresh air and sunshine. Should I say you need to consult with a health professional before starting an exercise program? From Yoga to resistance training the benefits are unbelievable. Start small and gradually build up your strength. Watch your weight. Childhood obesity can lead to adult diabetes and heart disease.

Stay connected with family and friends. This does not mean join Twitter or Facebook. Regular, real, social interaction has many benefits.Friends and family can form an invisible chain around you to support you when you need it most. Perhaps the loss of a loved one or family members leaves you with episodes of grief. Your friends will be near to give you comfort and advice.

Being a free spirit may serve you when you are young and eager to try new things, but as you age your will have learned almost every tried and true way to do something that is just right for you. Bedtime is 10 pm, wake-up is daylight, walk the dog at 9am, lunch is a light salad at noon and so on. You might play bridge every Wednesday or go to the comedy club on Thursday night. Don't forget your trips to the gym or fitness club and of course those frequent beauty salon treatments are a sure pleasure. Be good to yourself.

Guess I must be psychic - because I haven't eaten processed foods for 40 years or more. I am not a fruit eater, but love every vegetable - except hominy. Certain nutrients are best consumed from eating fresh, clean, fruits and vegetables and just a small amount of lean meat. Think of anti-oxidants, flavonoids, vitamin C, selenium, beta-carotene and vitamin E. Study what foods are best, or consult a dietitian for the best meal choices for you. While you are at it, avoid: caffeine, nicotine, fats, oils, bleached flour, sugar, salt, starches and artificially sweetened drinks in excess.Some of the best foods are: blueberries, cranberries, green tea, salmon, cantaloupe, raspberries, oranges, brocolli, strawberries, tomatoes, whole grain bread and cereal, nuts, beans and lentils.

High fiber foods are extremely helpful in preventing diabetes and colon cancer. Eating a high-fiber breakfast will give you energy all day and stable blood sugar levels. Diabetes speeds the aging process.

A type"A" personality who is constantly looking for a problem to solve, or a neurotic personality who over-analyzes every situation and has a negative outlook, could age faster than a positive person. Being in charge of your responses to life's stresses makes you stronger and steels your physiology against the heavy toll taken by stress. Develop a good attitude, control your anger and resentment. My aunt once had a huge growth on her nose. It was swollen and red and big as a pencil eraser. She tried to heal it with positive energy and eventually it went away. I asked her what the evil looking bump was, and she replied with one word, "Resentment!" Meditation and positive affirmations are very effective in building a confident and positive demeanor.

Here you are on the threshold of the most fulfilling season of our life and you are able to share it with others through your faith in a system of beliefs that serves us all in every need. Mother didn't take you to Sunday school and church for punishment. She knew that you there would be times when you would need faith and guidance to get through some of life's best and worst times. It is natural for the human mind to wonder about the mysteries of the universe. So many questions cannot be answered, that we need faith in an unseen benevolent force to get through the jungle of troubles. We need to be able to see with our hearts the peace and joy of a spiritual life. We need to believe that others see it too - and that the more we try to know this peace - the closer we come to joy. Whatever religion or premise you believe will give you comfort and support as you age. Most older folks develop a glow of spirituality about them. Proof that it is there if we just accept it. Remember you are a spiritual being, perfect and eternal nestled in the hands of God.

"To sleep, perchance to dream ..." Shakespeare knew that creative energy was renewed and replenished through sleep. Many of history's greatest inventions and ideas were the result of dreams. Dreams are the seeds of all creation. Healing and renewal take place during sleep. It is theorized that without sleep, we would all go mad. I know that when I dream I am 21 years old and have no physical infirmities. Sleeping is good for you on the cellular (maybe atomic) level. Your brain works to maintain your autonomic functions while stress synapses are relaxed and creative ideas flow. Different amounts of sleep are required for each individual, but six hours is the minimum you should aim for. It is apparent to me that I need at least eight hours of sleep and if I sleep too long I feel logy.

People with sleep problems should work them out with professional help if necessary. Here are some good sleeping tips. Relax and stay away from stimulation before going to bed. Wear comfortable clothing to sleep in. Read or meditate to decompress before going to sleep. Avoid heavy meals after 6 pm and don't eat foods high in sugar before bedtime. Keep fresh water near your bed for night-time re-hydration. Go to bed and arise at the same time every day.

If you have lucid dreams or vivid dreams keep a journal by your bed and write down the dreams immediately. A dream journal is a road to discovery.

SAY IT WITH PICTURES

We’ve all heard that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” So it would be fair to assume that a video is worth a thousand pictures, wouldn’t it?

Rotarians Celebrate Successful Year of Giving

Not so, say researchers. Studies have shown that presentations that include pictures are much more likely to be remembered than videos. It has something to do with the way our brains interpret still images and what psychiatrist Carl Gustav Yung called “archetypal images.”

So for your next training program, proposal, pitch, company overview or product demo, consider using a standard slide presentation. But use lots of descriptive images. It’s more productive and costs less than creating a video.

From Biztree newsletter at www.web.com

INTERESTING NEWS FOR DESIGNERS

June 5, 2010 Google announced it's new Font API and it is completely amazing. They set up a web font directory where they have open sourced a bunch of fonts.


Raph Levien, creator of the great Inconsolata font, works on the project for Google. There is an interview with him about it here.

This is really exciting news for web designers. Typography has been something of a sore spot up until now. Like a lot of helpful improvements to the web, this doesn't break an amazing amount of new ground. You could already do this all yourself with @font-face. But what Google has done is to make it extremely easy to implement, while helping everyone out with the added bandwidth requirements of having to download the fonts to the users computer. Hotlinking the fonts from the same Google URI means that designers can feel very confident of the fonts already being in the users browser cache. Simple and extremely helpful. Thanks again Google. And get ready for much more interesting typography on the web.
- jim 5-20-2010 9:20 am [link] [add a comment]

STAMPS TO THE RESCUE

You can now buy stamps that donate funds to support shelter animals.

They may be ordered on line at http://www.stampstotherescue.com/

BLOG AS ULTIMATE MARKETING TOOL

Blogging is a construct that started in the late 90s. It was once a form of an existing web page, an opportunity for visitors and readers to respond or voice their opinion about the comment on that page. What began as a one-sentence commentary has become individual pages on almost everything under the sun. Continuing online promoting has tapped the prospective of the blog. Here are the major five reasons why they should people use the blogs as a marketing tool online.

1.Blogging is SIMPLE. The easiest way to get your part on the cyberspace is through blogging. No skills are necessary ... an average adult can read and type, or least of using a mouse can do it. It's like a virtual piece of paper and where you can publish your thoughts, experiences, new wares, and hope that the truth behind your articles comes and entice the subscriber to test their product too. If you have a Personal Computer and an Internet connection (who does not?) You can Blog and advertise.


2. Blogging is AUTHENTIC . In this time where advertising impregnates our lives, we question the credibility of the promoters of the claims. However, in blogs, real individuals share their real life experiences, unscathed by paid advertising. Reading blogs about first hand use of product is like speaking to individuals about their firsthand experience. Definitely you want to buy a proven product.

3. Blogger is FREE. Because blogs have not been shown as the main media promoting online, most sites experience it as something the current marketing shafts and thus increase the supply for free. Any opportunity for free Web Time is definitely a special bonus for start-ups. Unnecessary to say, paid blog pages which are being paid can generate more income for your seriously growing business.

4. Blogging builds CREDIBILITY. If more and more in the publishing of the experiences on a particular product or industry, your subscribers understand that they can consider on your posts for their own information needs. As such, you become as an expert, as a result, more readers to your site and more bloggers would come and link to their blogs. As companies and professional organizations, the development of its announced reader base, can quickly meet you for promoting on the blog, or create a partner, you get paid for each referral generated from your blog.

5. Blogging BUILDS YOUR MARKET. It is likely that only your friends read your messages. If you have many allies, let their friends know how interesting your blog site is. But you should not depend on your friends to gain your readership base. There are several options that you should look up to build your market through blogging:

• By using your e-mail. Today, blogging is overcoming the e-mail's popularity in quickly and effectively reaching and expanding a market. In this era of speed and quick access, downloading e-mail just takes more time to click on a blog site. Let's explore your site through a brief email message as a teaser to your blog site. If your e-mail is a completely different subject, use your email signature as a link to the site.
• Use subscriptions. An easy way to get your readers e-mail addresses is by offering  to subscribe to your blog site. Maintaining exclusive information for your subscribers to entice readers to subscribe and give their email addresses. Just be responsible in using their email address because the last thing you want is an answer to your blog that you are a spammer.
• Understanding your readers. Conduct a simple survey readers to understand their profile and advertising preferences. Ask customers to provide feedback on a post, a link to an ad or a process that you shared. In this way is like interviewing your readers without the commitment and intrusion of a face-to-face interview.
• Joining a blog network you can get the knowledge about the industry, payment mode, consumers find credibility and convenience of Clicking on a link to several real bloggers on a single topic. You can always learn from other bloggers.
• One can use RSS. which is the latest trend and also the fastest growing technology on the Internet today. Using the RSS feeds on your blog is definitely another means of generating attention for your readership base. After a variety of articles can add interest to your blog site.

Eraserhead can give your business an effective boost by effectively using blogging as an Internet marketing tool.  Now, eraserhead is experienced in creating a blog for you that uses the proven techniques of marketing and advertising to create exciting opportunities that increase your business. Eraserhead will design, maintain and consult on your blog during the year. Instead of paying thousands of dollars for print advertising or web site development ... you can put it all in a blog. We create blogs two ways. A yearly fee in advance that includes monthly (or timely) maintenance ... or a setup fee plus monthly costs. Save, and go with the yearly method.    Before you decide to do your own blog, consider using a professional. If you don't, you may end up with a blob that never gets updates and suffers from bad marketing and (Yikes!) spelling and grammar errors.
Eraserhead has 28 years of advertising experience, thousands and thousands of clip-art illustrations to spark up your blog or web site, and a marketing and advertising background unequaled in the field of production. We are publishers, writers, photographers, and creative marketing professionals who work with you on a person-to-person level. (Links to samples of our blogs are below.)  There is no need to wait to start your blog. Don't just envy those who are already in the blogosphere. You could be a rising star in this realm. Call or e-mail eraserhead today 386-747-1082, eraserheadgraphics@gmail.com