Happy Birthday, Facebook!

So today is Facebook's 10th anniversary or birthday...

What were you doing 10 years ago? It was 2004...I was graduating law school. I recall hearing about the new service for college kids and some scandal about posting pictures. My daughters were in junior high, so they were on the infamous MySpace (where is that now, anyway?).  That proves that first-to-market is not always market leader.

Facebook has faced (pardon the pun) many challenges in the U.S. and globally about their privacy practices, which seem to change daily without notice. Which is not true, by the way. Facebook does not change its policies daily. On the other hand, since they eliminated the public voting process last year or so, now we as users don't know when it is changed.

Much of the controversy over Facebook has been based in its for-profit side - we, as users, don't provide it any money directly so they have to get it from somewhere. They get it from ads. You may recall how users' likes were used as product endorsements at one time. Now, we get served targeted behavioral ads in our newsfeeds. You can report these as spam. 

But let's move away from the negatives and look at the positives. There are people I have not even thought about in over 25 years...and now, through Facebook, I see what they are doing in their lives - pictures of them and their children, families, colleagues, and friends. It is kinda cool. Many people who I love that I do not get to see for years, now I am a permitted peeping Tom in their lives. It's wonderful.

Facebook made our 25th high school reunion a huge success - cause we could find people!

Facebook let me know when some older family friends passed away - I could send flowers and/or make it to the funeral.

Facebook sometimes provides me more of a look into lives than I wish to have - don't need to know when someone has a bowel movement or is mad at the cashier at Wal-Mart. But in general, I like Facebook, which is why I use it. Under my real name. I also get to "like" the pages of actors and writers I like and they frequently have contests and cool information. It's fun.

So Happy Birthday, Facebook - may the next decade see you enjoy even more success and more maturity in your practices.