Facebook



Thefacebook logo
"Thefacebook" logo 2004
by Andrew McCollum
Pre-launch version
--- Name: "Facemash"
--- Domain: facemash.com
--- Hosted: Harvard servers
--- Released: October 28, 2003
--- Access: Only Harvard students

Launch version
--- Name: "Thefacebook"
--- Domain: thefacebook.com
--- Registered: January 11, 2004
--- Released: February 4, 2004
--- Access: Since March 2004 expanded to the most universities in Canada and USA

International version
--- Name: "Facebook"
--- Domain: facebook.com
--- Registered: August 23, 2005
--- Released: September 26, 2006
--- Access: Public, to everyone at least 13 years old with a valid email address

Category: Internet

Subcategory: Social networks

Developers / Founders: Founder Mark Zuckerberg, co-founders Dustin Moskovitz, Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Chris Hughes

Place of develop: Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Programming languages: C++, PHP

Features: "Facemash", the Facebook's predecessor, was initially limited by the founders to Harvard students. Set up as a type of "hot or not" game, it allowed visitors to compare two student pictures side-by-side and let them choose who was "hot" and who was "not". On February 4, 2004, Mark Zuckerberg launched "Thefacebook". The social networking service gradually expanded to the most universities in Canada and USA. On August, 2005, the company dropped 'The' from its name, and on September 26, 2006, Facebook was opened to everyone at least 13 years old with a valid email address. Facebook develops some of the core social infrastructure that would come to define the user experience for many years to come, starting with photos and the ability to tag friends in them (October and December 2005), Facebook's News Feed (September 2006), and then proceeding to Facebook Platform in May 2007, an attempt to get developers to create applications for use within Facebook.

Interesting facts: Initially, to create his "Facemash", Zuckerberg hacked into protected areas of Harvard's computer network and copied private dormitory ID images. Harvard did not have a student "Facebook" (a directory with photos and basic information) at the time, although individual houses had been issuing their own paper facebooks since the mid-1980s. Facemash attracted 450 visitors and 22,000 photo-views in its first four hours online. The site was shut down a few days later by the Harvard administration. Zuckerberg faced expulsion and was charged by the administration with breach of security, violating copyrights, and violating individual privacy. Ultimately, the charges were dropped. Zuckerberg expanded on this initial project that semester by creating a social study tool ahead of an art history final. He uploaded 500 Augustan images to a website, and each image was featured with a corresponding comments section. He shared the site with his classmates and people started sharing notes.

Slogan (2006): «Facebook is a social utility that connects you with the people around you».

Property: Facebook Inc.

Website: https://www.facebook.com

Facemash
Facemash (2003), film frame from the movie "The social network" by David Fincher, USA 2010

Thefacebook home page 2004
Thefacebook home page (February 2004). At the top-left corner, the face of Peter Wolf, the American musician best known as the lead vocalist for the J. Geils Band. «Welcome to Thefacebook - 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 in your classes; look up your friends' friends; see a visualization of your social network. To get started, click below to register. If you have alredy registered, you can log in.»

Thefacebook about page 2004
Thefacebook about page (February 2004). «The Project - Thefacebook is an online directory that connects people through social networks at colleges and universities. The People - Mark Zuckerberg: Founder, Master and Commander, Enemy of the State. Eduardo Saverin: Business Stuff, Corporate Stuff, Brazilian Affairs. Andrew McCollum: Graphic Art, General Rockstar.»

Thefacebook profile page
Thefacebook profile page (2005)

Facebook home page 2005
Facebook home page (August 2005): «Facebook is an online directory that connects people through social networks at colleges. The site is open to a lot of schools, but not everywhere yet. We're working on it.»
Facebook home page April 2006
Facebook home page (April 2006): «Facebook is an online directory that connects people through social networks. The site is open to a lot of places, but not everywhere yet. We're working on it.»
Facebook home page October 2006
Facebook home page (October 2006): «Facebook is a social utility that connects you with the people around you. Facebook is made up of lots of separate networks — things like schools, companies, and regions
Facebook home page June 2007
Facebook home page (June 2007): «Facebook is a social utility that connects you with the people around you. Everyone Can Join»

Facebook profile page 2006
Facebook profile page (2006)

Mark Zuckerberberg
Top: Mark Zuckerberg (May 14, 1984, programmer), founder of Facebook, in his Harvard dorm room, 2005. From bottom-left, the co-founders: Dustin Moskovitz (May 22, 1984, programmer), Eduardo Saverin (March 19, 1982, entrepreneur), Andrew McCollum (December 26, 1979, graphic artist), Chris Hughes (November 26, 1983, entrepreneur).
Facebook co-founders

Facebook home page 2014
Facebook timeline 2014
Facebook in its advanced version (2014)