Facebook goes down, is it the end of the world? |
288 Comments |
Posted by Simon Cohen at 3:37 PM | E-mail this post
According to some sources, Facebook was down today for about an hour and a half. A lot of people use this popular app, but if it went offline for an extended length of time, or went away permanently, would you care?
According to TechCrunch, the outage lasted from about 10:00 AM PST to 11:30 AM PST. Normally, I wouldn't think that any website's outage would be cause for alarm, let alone a blog entry, as most people rely on their net connection, not a specific website for the majority of their daily needs. After all, it can't be compared to outages like the kind experienced by AOL users years ago, when a busy signal meant you were offline. Period. Right?
On the other hand, the pain felt during an outage of any kind is directly related to the number of people it affects. Facebook recently announced that they have over 30 million 'active' members. That's a big community and presumably a good number of them were inconvenienced as a result of the outage.
I'm gonna come clean: I'm not on Facebook, and everything I've learned about it through friends and colleagues - the vast majority of whom *are* Facebookers - leads me to think that I'm far better off without it in my life. I barely have time to get to the must-do things on my to-do list without the seemingly addictive call of a social networking site.
So now that you know that I'm amongst the group who weren't annoyed at all by this morning's events, let me ask you this:
How important are sites like Facebook? If you use Facebook, or MySpace, or any other social networking site, would a lengthy outage cause you serious distress or would you look at it as an opportunity to focus on other activities?
Update, Aug. 1 12:25 PM EST:
Facebook speaks up about yesterday's outage.
If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe to this blog via RSS? It's easy and you'll never miss another sync article.
Posted by Simon Cohen at 3:37 PM in Web/Tech
| Permalink
| Comments (288)
mark on July 31 at 3:48 PM | Report abuse
Hopefully this will allow some competitors like ClutterMe to gain some more members, err sign-ups.
Mark from ClutterMe.com
Angrelica907 on July 31 at 6:04 PM | Report abuse
I enjoy face book.Many of my friends are on with recent updated photos of family members so I can see how everyone has changed and post new pic of my family also. I would not panick but I do depend on it for interaction with friends and family that I can't see every day.
Should-be-working-but-I'm-Facebook'ing on July 31 at 9:45 PM | Report abuse
Frankly, Facebook is a fantastic time waster, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't cruise the site oh, every 90 minutes or so just to kill that pang of curiousity while at work. Not only is it a great way to keep in touch with people around the world without having to write out enormous emails (oh what labour), but I can see what friends of mine are up to pretty easily. Some might call that stalking, but I like to think of it as being a lazy informed friend. However, if it goes offline for a couple of hours, I think I - as well as the rest of the social networking world - should be able to cope. There *was* a world before Facebook as hard as that is to remember...
N. Smithson on August 1 at 12:05 AM | Report abuse
I'm on Facebook to see pictures of faraway friends and relatives, but I think that the world would be better off without social networking sites. Emailing the pictures works too, and is much less time consuming.
I. Foster on August 1 at 12:13 AM | Report abuse
As a way to keep up with the daily lives of friends Facebook is great. It also allows us to connect with people we may not have seen for a while and find out what's new in their lives.
Downtime is not a serious issue for me, if I wanted desperately to contact someone there's always that thing called the phone.
Rachel on August 1 at 12:15 AM | Report abuse
I use Facebook mostly to show off pictures I have taken, and I have found some long last friends since I have joined.
Kellie on August 1 at 12:16 AM | Report abuse
Frankly Facebook and Myspace are crawling with pedophiles and nutjobs. So would it be such a bad thing if they didn't exist? I think not!
jason on August 1 at 12:28 AM | Report abuse
Wouldn't bother me one bit. Face what? Who book? I have better things to do with my time like watch tv and surf the internet posting random messages...
Jen on August 1 at 12:35 AM | Report abuse
Wouldn't bother if they went down, as it happens on the net all the time. But I would be upset if Facebook went down permanently, as it has been a fantastic resource for reconnecting with old friends, and making new ones! For all the non-Facebookers, open your eyes a little, and give it a try. If ya don't like it, you can always leave.
Tash on August 1 at 12:36 AM | Report abuse
I use facebook alot and would probably be a little distressed if it crashed but I don't watch TV or movies...I choose to spend a few hours on the internet instead of hours infront of the TV...I think it's when you roll from the computer to the couch is when you need to be worried...so pick your evil
brock on August 1 at 12:44 AM | Report abuse
Wow i thought i was the only person in the world who thought this stuff. I don't understand why people need to blog every single thing that occurs in their life any given day! Is this necessary? Sure i see the upside of getting in touch with old friends or alumni but honestly the degree most "facebookers" take their involvement on these online communities is absurd. I wonder don't you have family to talk to in person or maybe exercise or something. But really my main peeve is how they use it to detail every minute of their day...and people actually care. Wow what have we come to? Who really knows.
Blaise Wong on August 1 at 12:49 AM | Report abuse
When Youtube goes offline every week I get lonely. LOL. It is an inconvenience and I get a little sad but there is a lot of other stuff to do. If Youtube went offline I would wait for the next craze. Same with facebook I guess.
Dick on August 1 at 12:50 AM | Report abuse
To most people other than college students facebook didn't exist a year ago. The number of people that I know that have signed up in the past year is unreal. What's worse is the number of people that seem to be totally addicted to it. My wife is home with a baby now and she was spending hours on it, so we both got rid of our accounts. What's interesting is that they don't delete your information or pictures when you "deactivate" your account. While I see the argument that it's so convenient to share pictures etc. Do I really care to have all kinds of long lost friends from high school or grade school keeping up with what I'm doing? If I really want to keep in touch, I can use the phone.
Carrie on August 1 at 12:54 AM | Report abuse
Facebook is great for people like me who have moved a few times over the years and would like to reconnect with old friends. Yes, I am a daily facebook cruiser but would my life end if it was gone for good? No, but it wouldn't be as much fun and I certainly wouldn't be reconnecting with the friends that I have been. Facebook is great!
Greg Jeanes on August 1 at 12:57 AM | Report abuse
I just quit facebook. I realized that I was spending too much time trying to track down girls i liked in high school and college. i realize that i was a loser and still am a loser and I think i am becoming a stalker.
Sandra on August 1 at 1:01 AM | Report abuse
I have found so many old friends on Facebook, that I don't think that I could be without it. I mean, I have found family all around the world that I wouldn't have access to if I didn't have facebook. I find it a lot easier than MySpace.
Ji on August 1 at 1:02 AM | Report abuse
No. I do not think that it would be a problem if Facebook were to have been pulled off the internet. In fact, I find it to such an addictive, yet unfortunate waste of time! I feel that the whole social network ought to spend more time doing alternative activities, like going outside for a change. Wait a minute, do people still do that????
Jason on August 1 at 1:05 AM | Report abuse
Hey - don't diss facebook. I am not addicted to it, but I met the girl I am dating on there and she is far smarter and better looking than anyone I met on lava or plenty of fish.
Lee on August 1 at 1:06 AM | Report abuse
Haha! Greg, you're awsome!
Anni on August 1 at 1:07 AM | Report abuse
Well facebook i reallly enjoy it my family remembrs from across da world are on it.so i get to see there recent pictures and information and they enjoy looking at my pictures.i get to keep in touch wid my old friends from so long ago which i met now on facebook and make new friends so my community of friends grows...its a great oppurtunity i think if facebook is stopped it will be a tragedyy!
Kristine on August 1 at 1:08 AM | Report abuse
I personally am very thankful that Facebook exists. I have been struggling with a mental illness for quite a few years now and basically disappeared as far as friends were concerned. Now that I am well and feeling back to my old "social butterfly" self, it's been great to catch up with so many old friends, especially locally, and start to create a new social network for myself!
I wouldn't be lost without Facebook for a while but as of now, I'm still looking forward to catching up with friends!
Kim on August 1 at 1:09 AM | Report abuse
I wouldn't mind if facebook went down or went off the net. I am on it but just periodically, but I know people who live their lives on it and that is unfortunate. As with everything in life; it's all good in moderation.
julie on August 1 at 1:13 AM | Report abuse
i wouldn't be distresed if face book went offline.i am a new user.i am at home with 7 kids all day and don't have much of a social life so it is a nice way for me to keep in touch with family and freinds.i don't stay on for hours i just leave it on and check it every now and then.it makes me feel less lonely.but i wouldn't be in dire straights if it wasn't there.i managed before without it.
Jay on August 1 at 1:16 AM | Report abuse
I use Facebook a lot. I have found friends of mine that I havent spoken to in years from school days past, and family members that I had no other way of contacting. Would I be devastated?...no... would I be inconvenienced?... very. With busy schedules and work weeks and such, Facebook usually is the only way I can connect with others nowadays. Id love to see it stay around...for the sake of those who just want to stay in contact with those they need to.
Lindsay on August 1 at 1:18 AM | Report abuse
I'm on Facebook at least once a day but not for very long so I could manage without it
OlgaL on August 1 at 1:24 AM | Report abuse
I do have account there, and for the few first days I spent a quite some time there, but after novelty wore off,now I rarely log in to it. I feel that this is huge black hole where your time is just truly wasted. If you have good friends you really need, you should be able to keep up witrh them at least a few times a year by e-mail/phone call. Other people - you lust live by illusions that they are your 'friends'.
I do believe though that some websited/forums can be different - when they have some substance in them. I am a member of a group of ~ 15 people for almost 5 years now, we did become real friends, and it's really supportive and interesting group...
pfft on August 1 at 1:24 AM | Report abuse
i don't use non of that crap. take it off!
Cornelius on August 1 at 1:30 AM | Report abuse
I like facebook. I don't know why people hate on it. It's like how some people are just anti-cell phone. They hate something everyone else has or does just to be different I guess. I'm sure like anything, facebook can become problematic if you're on it 24/7. But for those of us with lives, we use it as a way to see how people we know are doing. No, we can't call every single person and ask them individually how they are. It'd be nice, but it's not realistic. Facebook allows you the chance to see how someone you're acquainted with is doing without the awkward 5-minute phone conversation. I say, long live facebook and other social networking websites.
Wayne on August 1 at 1:30 AM | Report abuse
I just started the other week there. I've already found some friends from university and so on. If it went down I'd lose contact with them since they don't live locally. However I don't plan to talk daily on it to anyone, just check every couple days. I like the messaging system better than email or myspace.
Chris on August 1 at 1:47 AM | Report abuse
At first FB seemed like a useful tool to reconnect with long lost friends and in afew cases that might be true but this site merely seems to be like a 'bragging' site on how many friends one has, etc. People lose contact with one another for a reason and without FB they would have never spoken again. Worse yet is that these so called 'friends'? You never even speak to on the site! They are just 'there'!
Andrea on August 1 at 1:49 AM | Report abuse
I travel all the time and facebook is a way for me to keep in touch with how all my friends and family are doing even when I am far away. I find it helps me to not feel like I am missing as much, I am gone for 5 months at a time. Plus I can share my adventures and pictures right away instead of the next time I am home.
Barb on August 1 at 2:04 AM | Report abuse
I Live For Facebook in & out all day I have found many friends I have not seen in over 20 years....... thought I Never would hear from again as has many of My other Friends.............
Chuck on August 1 at 2:13 AM | Report abuse
It wouldn't really bother me. I do use facebook but I do still have a very active real life.
Manu on August 1 at 2:15 AM | Report abuse
Well I check up on facebook everyday or so. Nice to stay in touch with people, I could do without it, though as mentioned, it would be inconvienent.
Connie on August 1 at 2:27 AM | Report abuse
I was unbelievably angry while Facebook was offline. Facebook (and a couple of other sites) are all I surf --make that do--while I'm at work. So for me, the hour and a half it was offline doing upgrading really made it longer. Had I not been at work? I'd probably wouldn't even care.
Kannon on August 1 at 2:35 AM | Report abuse
As a Canadian studying in New Zealand I use Facebook to let my friends and family back home know what I've been up to and see pictures without having to do a mass email. And to see what they've been doing. I also use it to keep in touch with them - I can quickly leave a short note on my sister's or brother's wall that wouldn't seem worth an email.
That said, I only check Facebook a few times a week. I'd be a bit upset if it just disappeared without warning as I don't have some people's physical address or even email address anymore.
L-Jam on August 1 at 2:47 AM | Report abuse
i'm sick of people accusing others of never going outside just because they use facebook. that doesn't even make sence. i facebook, work and hike daily. i also enjoy other activities like motorcycle riding, camping and dirt bike riding. obviously some of you freaks facebook WAY too much. i wouldn't care if it was taken off line. meh
Abby on August 1 at 3:04 AM | Report abuse
I would be devastated if Facebook went down permanently. I don't facebook "stalk" other members, I do not have a hundred extra applications added onto my profile, but I still use facebook for it's intended purpose; college/university students corresponding with their classmates.
Originally, you had to have an official university/college e-mail address before you could register as a member. I do not mind that it's an open community now, but a lot of students still use the site for its' original intended purpose. There are many course discussion groups and homework study sessions, as well as extra-circular school events. Seeing as it's final season, I was quite worried about the outage as we have a class discussion group for our first final up and running.
J-mel on August 1 at 3:12 AM | Report abuse
I like facebook. Would be fine with it if it was down a for a few hours, or a day or two. Longer than that would be annoying though. Facebook is fun!
lol ;-)
Edith on August 1 at 3:26 AM | Report abuse
I personally LOVE facebook!!! It has brought me back in contact with a lot of people!!! :) I check it daily (I'll admit, sometimes even more than once per day) and I would miss it terribly if it was taken off permanently, but when it's just for a couple of hours it's not the end of the world!!!
There's a LOT of things to do on there too, besides looking at friends' pics and keeping up to date with what's going on in their lives - you can play MANY different games, laugh at jokes, listen to music, etc.
Long live Facebook I say!!! :D
Jessica on August 1 at 3:33 AM | Report abuse
To be honest, I like to see what my old friends from various times in my life are up to, without the commitment of having to meet for coffee or exchanging emails/phone numbers. It's a lazy way fo reconnecting, and extremely superficial. And just as easily as you said hi, you can stop communicating.
I love it!
Lori on August 1 at 4:40 AM | Report abuse
I am a recent ex-user of Facebook.I,like everyone, thought it was great at first cause you get to talk to people which you wouldnt normally.However,i was staring to get friend requests from people i did not want to associate with and all my fellow co-workers would all be on there tracking what you're doing and reporting it the next day at work.I think its a complete invasion of privacy and no one needs to know what i do or who my friends are so i deleted my account.Im quite happy without it.But that's just my opinion.
Ink on August 1 at 4:58 AM | Report abuse
Serious mental issues if it's the end of the world for someone in this situation. I'm sure Facebook is a great search engine for family and lost friends. However, it is nothing but another mainstream trend waiting to fade. Friendster, then MySpace.. now Facebook. Who will cash in next?
Ding Chavez on August 1 at 5:08 AM | Report abuse
I don't use Facebook because 97% of the people I know use it. 90% of these people go onto it more then 3 times a day. I don't care about what people i know did or didn't do, the ones I do care about I know with out Facebook. As for past friends, I don't care, it's in the past. If i want to contact a past friend, I e-mail or use a popular device called the Telephone. As for college students, it's basically a place to post pictures up of how drunk you got. If you were really drunk, you wouldn't have been able to take a picture, fakers!
Dave on August 1 at 5:41 AM | Report abuse
I was skeptical, and then stayed away, then joined, then got excited, then it just became that thing you check when you get online.
It adds another element to keeping touch, with more up to date stuff, and I think the allowing of WHO can see WHAT, adds to all that. You don't get that option on most other sites. The customization just brings it to a new level.
Facebook is good and has positives, but it has bads too. Overall though, it's a great place to be and to keep in touch. But like they say, when you participate on the internet, say good-bye to your privacy, no matter how much customization have you have on giving it =)
Cheers.
Fitchickcristina on August 1 at 5:56 AM | Report abuse
I was massively addicted to facebook in 2006 to early 2007. I spent so much time online updating my profile, reading posts, joining groups, etc. My last year of university, i spent so much time NOT sleeping just to keep up with the stuff on facebook. I procrastinated instead of studied for exams. I've met people who were interesting and have also met people who were mean and obnoxious. Overall, I did not find good value in keeping my facebook account. To give credit, I met my current bf there and I will always be grateful to facebook for that.
Shawn on August 1 at 6:44 AM | Report abuse
I don't understand f-book, why can't the world speak face-face anymore.
Effort, face-face takes too much effort, f-book is easier, it allows us to get lazier and we don't have to leave the house. Get a life and go for coffee. Leave facebook at home.
James on August 1 at 6:59 AM | Report abuse
I dont understand what all the hype is about Facebook, Myspace , Orkut etc...What happened to the times when we went out for coffee or drinks..met new people on the street..and became friends...u dont make friends on any of these sites unless you have met them in person..u meet accuatiances (sorry about spelling..never could spell that word)...someone you get to know and talk to...a freind is someone who takes it 1 step more and you meet..how does anyone know who they are really dealing with on these sites?? Do you really know who they are???
Keith on August 1 at 7:02 AM | Report abuse
I'm on facebook but it could go down forever and my life would not be affected. People need to get a perspective on things. Letter writing, personal visiting, telephone calls and Email came before facebook or any of those sites. It's nice to utilize for its photo sharing capabilities and that's about it for me.
Shelley on August 1 at 7:08 AM | Report abuse
I thought yesterday was an awful day without facebook, and it looks like today will be the same...the site still say's it's upgrading. *sigh*