DailyTech - Facebook Tops 500M Active Users

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Internet Facebook Tops 500M Active Users
Michael Barkoviak - July 21, 2010 5:26 PM

17 comment(s) - last by jmunjr.. on Jul 28 at 2:07 AM

Facebook has reached the 500 million user plateau

Facebook today confirmed the popular social networking site now has more than 500 million active users, and continues to gain an impressive number of new users.

"This is an important milestone for all of you who have helped spread Facebook around the world," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in the blog post. "Now a lot more people have the opportunity to stay connected with the people they care about."

To help celebrate the 500 million milestone, Facebook launched the Facebook Stories application that gives users the chance to share their Facebook experiences. The newly launched service wasn't a secret, but was promised when the site was ready.

The No. 1 social networking site has seen significant growth since its launch in 2004, but has faced numerous issues along the way. Although most problems have been resolved and widely forgotten, there still are new issues Facebook must deal with. Privacy issues have gained the attention of several foreign governments. The Canadian and German governments specifically are interested in possibly punishing Facebook for its obtrusive privacy issues.

Facebook also faces a low user satisfaction level, even though it continues to draw a reported 50 million new users each month. The site has seen even stronger growth in foreign markets that didn't have a large social networking presence.

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Attention all Facebook users....

By bigboxes on 7/21/10, Rating: 0

RE: Attention all Facebook users....

By BruceLeet on 7/21/2010 9:42:59 PM , Rating: 3

no u

you're mad cause you wouldn't have any friends to add HAHAHAHA

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RE: Attention all Facebook users....

By xti on 7/21/2010 9:51:36 PM , Rating: 1

lol, epic.

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RE: Attention all Facebook users....

By quiksilvr on 7/21/2010 11:26:20 PM , Rating: 2

Why? Because I use it to chat with people and I post my engagement party photos so my family across the country can see it?

Either get some real friends on Facebook and make sure you have decent privacy settings or don't use it and quitcha trollin'.

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RE: Attention all Facebook users....

By MadMan007 on 7/22/10, Rating: -1

RE: Attention all Facebook users....

By quiksilvr on 7/22/2010 9:55:33 AM , Rating: 2

They exist, but no one uses it because that's ALL they do.

Facebook is one stop shopping. You chat with friends, write notes to them, and look at pictures and videos and play games and take quizzes.

Just because you may not like/use it doesn't mean its sucks you ignoranus.

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Prophecy

By CowKing on 7/21/2010 5:49:32 PM , Rating: 4

like MySpace and Friendster(apparently popular in the far east) before it; it will fall

RE: Prophecy

By BruceLeet on 7/21/2010 7:03:36 PM , Rating: 2

MySpace failed because it was too open to edit, basically everyones page (personal taste) was ugly and it's mostly for young teenage girls and boys who feel the need to "express" themselves and their personality, and friendster? The hell is that? LOL

Facebook just might become a lock-in technology the way Google has, meaning it won't go away not saying they will surpass Google's financial stance or surpass its use. It might become that type of service that people will be using for a very long time as long as they keep it simple and gauge their privacy policies and standing correctly then I don't see why not.

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more like dumb f*ks

By MadMan007 on 7/22/10, Rating: 0

RE: more like dumb f*ks

By callmeroy on 7/22/2010 9:03:17 AM , Rating: 2

People like you amaze me.....why do you care what other people chose to put their time into? The only times I'd support your view is if : A) It's something that can impact me or the safety of others -- for example: I would care with something like driving or if you are in a gang because that could have safety implications for myself or my family. B) If it affects me financially. If your activity takes out of my pocket (like its one that supports higher taxes) again I care because it affects me. C) If its something that is inappropriate for the children in my family, again that affects me because it affects a loved one...so again I care.

BUT --- to care how someone wants to use a social networking site to keep in touch with friends (though I am with you its very strange and ultra nerdy to keep in touch with just random people you add to your social networking site) ....that makes no sense to me. Its not affecting YOU in anyway.

Its the same thing when we have threads on what computer games people play and some slam down hard on folks for playing MMOs or certain consoles or whatever... WTF do people care, its not affecting them.

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RE: more like dumb f*ks

By jmunjr on 7/28/2010 2:07:49 AM , Rating: 2

Other people's ignorance affects everyone in that future laws and policies will be written that take this into consideration. We are having serious privacy issues in cities world wide because the ignorant sheep don't care. If the sheep don't care laws that should be laughed at get passed and only a few complain. The sheep say things like, "if you've got nothing to hide you've got nothing to fear."

Ugh, why do I bother...

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I wonder how many are real accounts

By dewlim on 7/21/2010 10:11:16 PM , Rating: 2

I seriously doubt those are real people's account.

I have friends having account for their MULTIPLE pets, I know children who has 5 accounts just to play their silly games, People who has dual account and not counting the multiple unknown girls that try to add you with a sexy profile photos.

Facebook...

By ForumMaster on 7/23/2010 5:00:43 PM , Rating: 2

Proud to be facebook free...

Oh the irony

By Reclaimer77 on 7/21/2010 5:57:30 PM , Rating: 1

Governments concerned with "privacy issues", oh the irony. Especially in the UK where there is a Government camera in every bathroom, closet, and under your bed.

Give me a break. Why don't they just come out and be honest? "We see an opportunity to put some money in our coffers in the name of protecting the very citizens we blatantly loathe."

Random idea

By HostileEffect on 7/21/10, Rating: 0

RE: Random idea

By MScrip on 7/21/2010 9:38:35 PM , Rating: 1

Mark Zuckerberg actually has $8 per Facebook user.

$4,000,000,000 net worth / 500 million users!

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Now...

By Pessimism on 7/22/2010 9:32:46 AM , Rating: 1

If only they could make their site run consistently. For such a huge entity their web availability is pretty bad. I frequently get white screen no-loads, the photo viewer will sometimes decide to not show some of the photos in an album, sometimes it locks the browser. Photo uploader has improved through several rewrites but still stalls mid upload with no feedback to the user.