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Ten things that Facebook will not tell

Although the rise of social network tied to Mark Zuckerberg has been meteoric, there remain several obstacles in the way

WSJ Americas

Thursday, January 13, 2011

SmartMoney By Jami Makan

1 .- "We were in the right place at the right time. "

In the blockbuster movie "The network, a college student whose girlfriend has left him in reaction to build a crude precursor of the website" Thefacebook. " And as Mark Zuckerberg, the entrepreneur portrayed in the film, said that this bride "does not exist in real life, the success of his invention is anything but fiction. Facebook has 500 million regular users, up from 100 million two years ago and is now the most visited site in the U.S., according to data tracker Hitwise.

Although social networks were not new when Facebook appeared in 2004, industry observers attribute their success to a combination of luck, ambition and strategy. "Mark had plenty of all three," says David Kirkpatrick, author of The Facebook Effect. Initially limit access to students from selected universities, Facebook (which declined to comment for much of this article) could choose where and when to expand, and thus protected from growing too accelerated. The requirement for people to use their real names was also a benefit. "He had an appetite on the internet to be yourself and connect with real friends," says Kirkpatrick.

2 .- "We know where it goes on the internet ...".

In its seven years, Facebook has evolved rapidly, adding features such as instant messaging and news updates. But critics say that some developments can compromise user privacy. If you are connected to your Facebook account while browsing the Internet, the site will know when you visit another site connected to Facebook, which, for example, allows you to press the button "I Like" on something included in the site visit, said Nicole Ozer, a policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union, an advocacy group for civil rights, in northern California. "Essentially Facebook you can track the web," he says. Facebook makes public policies among their users, but critics wonder how many people pay attention.

3 .- "... and we hope you do not mind being tracked in real life too."

In August, Facebook launched Places or Places, a tool that allows you to "register" in real life places such as restaurants and parks and stadiums, with the help of GPS in your smartphone. The idea is to let your friends know where you are. Places features two issues: one, that allows users to record virtually anywhere with the service, including home or office to another; two, which allows friends to consult locations unless you disconnect function . That means that other Facebook users may know where you live or where you are, even if you did not publish that information.

4 .- "Your account is not exactly sure."

in social networking sites, is increasingly common for scammers steal passwords and other sensitive data by mimicking reliable sources, which is known as Phishing. Facebook is now the third attack on the internet brand, according to PhishTank monitoring service.

An example: an imposter uses your account to send a message to his friends and, for example, asking for money, saying it is a emergencia.La situation could worsen as more people who play games online using your credit cards to buy virtual goods and currency. It is better to use a credit card and no debit.

5 .- "If it looks addictive, it probably is."

Randall Sokoloff, California, was recorded in Facebook to make new friends. It worked. Month, had 175, but the site had become a obsession. Sokoloff said that entered Facebook 20 times a day. After talking about this habit with a therapist, eventually managed to take a break. Sherry Turkle, MIT professor of social studies of science and technology, says that some users have trouble living up to the version presented themselves online.

Kim White Bloomberg

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder.

6 .- "The fans give them marks, and a headache."

Social networks offer businesses new ways to connect with clients, and currently Many companies create Facebook pages where those who register as "followers" can learn about the latest products and opportunities. Works: according to Michael Scissons, president of Syncapse, which advises companies on social media, supporters of a brand on Facebook spend on average U.S. $ 71.84 more products per year than non-followers.

But social media can also cause problems for companies. For starters, enables users to organize and complain.

7 .- Prepare for some awkward moments. "

is no secret that Facebook is changing the way it interacts la gente. Pero el sitio puede causar problemas personales y profesionales.

Los empleadores pueden buscar el perfil de Facebook de postulantes a un empleo, y la familia puede curiosear por su cuenta.

Aria Afshar, un consultor de 24 años de Nueva York, afirma que su novia fue a ver a su familia en Italia cuando descubrió la foto de Afshar en una computadora de sus padres, quiene s en teoría no sabían de la relación. Resulta que los padres "se dieron cuenta por Facebook" y les estaban enviando su foto a familiares en toda Italia. "Fue un poco incómodo", asegura Afshar.

8.- "Puede ser difícil controlar las aplicaciones".

Facebook lanzó una plataforma, mid-2007, which allowed developers to design applications for the site. Now there are over 550,000 available, from horoscopes to fantasy football betting, some of which generate huge revenues.

Critics, however, contend that Facebook should do a better job of controlling the application developers, who manage user information. Facebook claims to work to control and improved tools to prevent users from stealing data.

9 .- "We are not only engaged in this business."

Despite the growing popularity of Facebook, the site has no monopoly social networks. Others are MySpace (owned by NewsCorp., Which also owns The Wall Street Journal), and Foursquare Twitter, which lets you share the location of users in the U.S. Other U.S. companies like Google, prepare initiatives that could compete with Facebook.

But Facebook's most demanding markets outside the U.S. may be For example, in Brazil, Orkut, developed by Google, had nearly 32 million visitors in September compared with Facebook's 11 million, according to market research firm comScore.

10 .- "You must wait to buy our shares."

Facebook has been valued at This ranges from U.S. $ 10,000 million to over U.S. $ 50,000 million. Beyond what it's worth, Kirkpatrick predicts strong demand for shares if Facebook comes to making an initial public offering, and the end of 2012 mentioned as a possibility.

Until then, however, it is possible to buy shares in the secondary market, although it is a complex operation that requires experienced investors.