Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY 29August2015
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TECHNOLOGY A23
Saturday 29 August 2015
What’s in a billion? Facebook users hit milestone in 1 day
BARBARA ORTUTAY a partnership with other
AP Technology Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — A billion tech giants that aims to
people logged in to Face-
book on a single day this improve Internet connec-
week, marking the first time
that many members used tivity around the world. The
the world’s largest online
social network in a 24- group’s plans include de-
hour period. The number
amounts to one-seventh of veloping cheaper smart-
the Earth’s population.
Monday’s milestone was phones and tools that
mostly symbolic for Face-
book, which boasts nearly would reduce the amount
1.5 billion users who log in
at least once a month. of data required to run
But CEO Mark Zuckerberg,
who founded the network apps, as well as working
in his Harvard dorm room
11 years ago, reflected on with telecommunications
the occasion with a post.
“’I’m so proud of our com- companies to provide ba-
munity for the progress
we’ve made,” he wrote. sic, free Internet services.
“Our community stands
for giving every person a The effort has received
voice, for promoting un-
derstanding and for includ- some criticism for putting
ing everyone in the op-
portunities of our modern Facebook in the position
world.”
Facebook achieved 1 bil- of Internet “gatekeeper,”
lion overall users in 2012,
but this week’s milestone deciding what sites peo-
is perhaps more signifi-
cant. It means the social ple can access and going
network has become an
essential service in many against the spirit of “net
of our lives, a sort of on-
line connective tissue that neutrality.”
binds us to friends, family
and even strangers who Zuckerberg disagreed.
find themselves in similar
circumstances. We need “Net neutrality ensures
it daily, or more. Facebook
has long sought to con- network operators don’t
nect everyone in the world
with its service. A lofty goal, discriminate by limiting ac-
it’s not so different from
the three other tech super- cess to services you want
powers that are changing
commerce, communica- to use. It’s an essential part
tion and worming their
way into every part of our of the open Internet, and
lives. Apple has its gad-
gets, Amazon delivers our we are fully committed to
every physical need and
Google, well, when was it,” he wrote in April. “To
the last time you went a
day without Google? In this May 18, 2012 file photo, a man surfs the Facebook site on his mobile phone in Mumbai, give more people access
(Google, incidentally, re- India. to the Internet, it is useful to
ceives an average of 100 offer some service for free.
billion search requests per Associated Press
day, which makes it likely
that more than a billion ers, more than 83 percent ly two-thirds of the world’s billion people. If someone can’t afford to
people use it daily.) come from other coun- pay for connectivity, it is al-
Most of the billion people tries. In a video posted population that is not yet Two years ago, Facebook ways better to have some
who logged in to Face- Thursday, Sheryl Sandberg, access than none at all.”q
book on Monday were out- connected — or about 5 launched Internet.org,
side the U.S. and Canada.
Of Facebook’s overall us- Facebook’s chief operat-
ing officer, mulled what a
Survey: Generation LOL mostbillion really means.
“Look closely, and you’ll
irked by grammar, spelling slips see more than a number,”
she said in the video, a
montage showing Face- LEANNE ITALIE ing and using abbreviated ers. That’s compared to 66
book users’ photos, posts Associated Press speech and lingo because percent of men who spot
and videos from all over NEW YORK (AP) — It’s the they are a tech-savvy gen- errors, according to the sur-
the world. LOL generation that ap- eration, we actually found vey.
“It’s moms and little broth- pears most annoyed by that they have much high- Specifically what is the big-
ers and cousins and cous- bad grammar and spelling er standards,” said Liz Mc- gest peeve? Typos on res-
ins of cousins. There’s Sam, slips, according to a survey Millan, the site’s chief exec- taurant menus, store signs
Dante, Ingrid and Law- by Dictionary.com. utive, from the company’s and ads for 59 percent of
rence. It’s camping trips, The site found in an online headquarters in Oakland, respondents.
religion ... there’s likes, Harris Poll done July 31 to California. Misspellings of “February”
loves and unfortunately still Aug. 4 that 80 percent of “The poll was a great way and “definitely” were sin-
some hate. Look past the American adults 18 and to get a sense for how gled out by 38 percent and
number. You’ll find friend- older consider themselves people really feel about 31 percent, respectively, as
ships.” good spellers, but they the way we communi- most bothersome when re-
As it grows, Facebook’s may be overestimating cate, whether through our spondents were presented
next billions of members will their abilities. speech, social media posts with a list of word candi-
likely come from outside The survey of 2,052 people or even signs and restau- dates.
the U.S., from India, South showed 71 percent re- rant menus,” she said. Thirty percent said the “I
America, Africa and per- sponded that they often Across all age groups, 59 before e except after c
haps even China, where find spelling mistakes in cor- percent said improper rule” — as violated in “re-
the site is officially blocked. respondence from others. grammar is their biggest ceive” — bothered them
To help expand its flock, Among respondents 18 to beef when it comes to the the most.
Facebook has been work- 34, 74 percent said they English language. But THE most irksome set
ing to make its service were irked by such slips on Women notice grammar of oft-confused words, at
easier to use on the basic, social media — more than and spelling mistakes more least to 46 percent of the
old-fashioned phones used any other age group. than men, with 75 percent survey’s respondents, was
in many parts of the world. “While we’d assume they’d saying they often find er- an old standard: “their,
It’s also working to get In- be accustomed to see- rors in the writing of oth- they’re and there.”q
ternet access to the rough-
