Company: FaceBook
Launched: February 4, 2004
Status: Funded by Peter Thiel and Accel Partners
Employees: 32 in Palo Alto, 4 in Boston
Location: Palo Alto
Overview
I’ve long been intrigued by FaceBook, the fantastically popular social network site for college and university students.
FaceBook raised about $500,000 from Peter Thiel in an angel round, and $12.2 million from Accel Partners in April 2005 (at a rumored valuation of around $100 million).
I’ve read the articles that describe a vibrant and growing social network, but lamented that I simply could not get in to it! To get past the login page you need a valid .edu college/university email address, and I am not a college student.
More news came out last Friday, September 2. FaceBook began allowing high school students to join the network, significantly increasing their target market.
I emailed FaceBook over the weekend and requested an interview. Chris Hughes wrote back and said he’d be delighted. We spoke today. And Chris, great guy that he is, gave me access to the site via a demo account. I was finally able to see what FaceBook was all about. By the way, the screen shot above is the demo account profile. The Kramer picture is a nice touch, I think.
This will be a longer than normal post since most of us can’t simply try the service out for ourselves. I’ve organized my notes under the subjects of “membership,” “functionality,” and “business model”.
Membership
To become a college member of facebook you must have a .edu college/university email address. Most colleges issue these to students.
Facebook supports 882 colleges today – there are about 2,000 in the U.S. if you count community colleges. Their goal is to support all of these over time.
The penetration rate is staggering – about 85% of students in supported colleges have a profile up on FaceBook. That’s 3.85 million members. Chris tells me that 60% log in daily. About 85% log in at least once a week, and 93% log in at least once a month.
With the addition of high schools – there are approximately 22,000 in the U.S., Facebook’s target market increases substantially. Chris tells me “tens of thousands” of high school students have joined since the functionality was launched last friday.
Becoming a member as a high school student is a bit easier. High schools generally do not issue email addresses, and so there is no requirement for an active .edu email account. Current high school members can invite others. Once you start college, you have the opportunity to change the account over to whatever school you attend.
Also, Chris tells me that recent alums (who can remain members) are maintaining the same log in rates as current members.
Functionality
The demo account profile can be viewed here.
In addition to basic personal information, users are encouraged to add additional descriptive information about themselves to build out their identity. Users can add favorite music, books, movies, quotes, etc. Every entry is linked to search results where users can see others who share the same interests.
Users can also form and/or join groups. Examples are political and social groups. However, about 80% are “fun” related, such as “I love NY”.
Additional functionality includes events (party notices, etc.) and messages (email).
Users can interact in a number of ways. You can add friends (must be mutually accepted), and you can also “poke” another member, which is a way of saying “hello”.
The biggest use of the site appears to be dating…as you can see from this very funny independent movie that I found on FaceBook. It’s long, but I highly recommend it if you are trying to get a feel for the service.
Business Model
FaceBook has three methods of producing revenue.
- local text ads (from the college and local businesses), running at $15-20 per day
- traditional banner ads, sold on a national basis
- sponsored groups – examples included Apple, EA, etc.
Team:
Mark Zuckerberg – Founder, CEO
Sean Parker – President
Dustin Moskovitz
Andrew McCollum
Chris Hughes
Yes you do need a University affiliation, but not necessarily an .edu account. I’m UC Davis alumni and my alumni addy is .com. Works fine so just get an alumni address. However you might not want to waste your time, Facebook is just another SNS.
“60% log in daily. About 85% log in at least once a week, and 93% log in at least once a month.”
Sweet jesus. Dedicated users. I wonder how other sites compare to that? I imagine not very well.
Nice look at FaceBook, thanks Michael.
I am actively working on adding this site to our Websense proxy to stop our high school kids from surfing it during the day and during their study hall.
I work at a boarding school and it is nearly impossible to keep the kids (girls, predominantly) off of this site when they should be studying or doing their work in class.
It’s amazing how 85% of students have profiles up. Still, that does not mean all 85% of the people update/check em constantly.
The high school thing is just stupid, with sites like myspace and xanga, high school doesn’t need facebook. Money is the only reason to do this.
I think that the Facebook is worse than pornography. It’s all about sex, swearing and drinking. What kind of example is it setting to college students who’re supposed to be doing their work? Thanks to this nasty website, students now think that you gotta be drinking all the time to be cool.
DjL – are you serious?
I disagree DjL. It is just like any other social network. There are those who drink and those who don’t. On facebook there are many opportunities to get involved and promote activities other than sex, swearing and drinking. But unfortunately if you only seek out the negative aspects you’ll get them and vice versa.
I’m a student at Butler Community College. And I was Wondering if you could register my school to the facebook website because, al of my friends that are in college and talking about and I would like to be apart and also several others students at my college.
“I think that the Facebook is worse than pornography. It’s all about sex, swearing and drinking. What kind of example is it setting to college students who’re supposed to be doing their work? Thanks to this nasty website, students now think that you gotta be drinking all the time to be cool.”
DjL, you’re absolutely stupid. As an avid facebook user, I’d like to note a few things.
#1: The only time I’ve seen sex on facebook is when it asks if you’re a male or a female
#2: Swearing?!?! Who honestly doesn’t swear these days?
#3: The only time I’ve seen any reference to alcohol is when people have pix of themselves with beer bottles, etc.
To sum it up: You’re stupid, get a life, and learn more about what you’re talking about before you make an ass of yourself.
;D
Facebook is just for fun people!!! Come on you need to atleast be able to let go of your kids once they’ve gotten to college. If you have taught them right then they will join the groups like “We Love Jesus” instead of “Crazy Will Sex and Booze.” Besides what is it to you; stop worrying about everyone else moral decay and worry about just your own instead.
As for comments about checking Facebook daily, yes I know people, including myself, who check Facebook at least once a day, if not more.
PS At least Facebook is better than MySpace where you can have 40 year old creepy guys drooling over 20 year old college students!
everybody swears these days so that makes it OK. freakin moron…
Lots of friends from high school on facebook and I would like to stay in contact and also met other people.
“I think that the Facebook is worse than pornography. It’s all about sex, swearing and drinking. What kind of example ……students now think that you gotta be drinking all the time to be cool.” Blah blah blah… That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. First of all, facebook users are COLLEGE STUDENTS!!! The appeal of “being cool” to fit in has been left at the highschool level. I,personally, no longer care what other people think of me. That’s the beauty of COLLEGE!And secondly, students who don’t want to do their work, won’t. I hardly believe that facebook could be blamed for it. People will do what they want, and facebook doesn’t really influence that. I don’t drink or sex it up every weekend and I am on facebook every day. Thanks to facebook, I was able to contact other people in my classes to study with, I got in touch with long lost friends, neighbors, and relatives whom I probably would have never talked to. To sum it up DJL, you make me sad…
What are you talking about? Facebook is not all about sex, swearing and drinking. Have you ever even been on facebook? I suggest you know what your talking about, before you go around acting like you know what your talking about buddy.
“The appeal of “being cool†to fit in has been left at the highschool level. I,personally, no longer care what other people think of me. That’s the beauty of COLLEGE!”
Ahhh, the lies we tell ourselves.
So does anyone else have a blog that we can move this discussion to? I mostly just write about companies here.
I love facebook. It has allowed me to reconnect with both friends from college and other from long before college. It is a great tool for keeping in touch and a fun waste of at work.
my girlfriends in college and im in high school i wish i could talk to her!
i love this site dude
GOOO FACEBOOK!
It’s funny… I wasn’t even gonna get on facebook because I thought it was a waste of time… I have no regrets, I talk to people I graduated from 8th grade with and I have even found long lost cousins… Djl is a hater and I feel sorry for you….By the way; facebook hasn’t affected my schoolwork in any way….
I don’t think the main purpose of facebook is dating. I’ve never heard of anyone meeting on facebook. I’ve heard of people going “oh, hey, you’re my facebook friend” but never intentionally meeting people via facebook.
You forgot one of the most important features of facebook. You can put down what courses you’re taking, including section number, and immediately know who (of your friends first, then everyone from your school underneath them) is in what class with you, either at the same time or a different time. This creates an excellent way to find study groups or ask a question about an assignment.
Is there any way a non-college student can get in the college facebook?
http://sneakabook.com/
I love facebook. It is the only way I found people I went to school with. I mean just this week I found a person I went to elementary school with and I never would have recognized him if I had seen him on the street. And two weeks ago on of my employees had an asthma attach and I used facebook to find some of her friend to go to the hospital with her to keep her calm, her friends’ phone number, her roommate’s phone number, where she lived, do I need to say more. Plus in college you don’t really learn everyone in your classes name so it is helpful to look up who is in your class and it is helpful to know who is majoring in what incase you need help. Course you are going to have people that abuse it like any other thing that comes out, but for the most part people like to stay in touch with their friend but they usually don’t because of one reason or another; and it will help you get to know the people on your campus. This is just a way to say, “O, I remember that person, I think I will friend them.â€
The facebook is amoral, a tool to do with it as you please. Christian groups and political groups have the largest “populations” by far. It provides many ways to meet people you live near (meet the neighbors), it provides many study tools (class scheduals etc…), through a message area it provides either the way to share the gospel of Christ or how to talk about the explicit details of a date gone bad. It provides many things…as a student alum of Auburn University, I stay in touch with my friends through it and look up old friends from my private highschool, whom I had lost contact with. I’m very thankful for this wonderful self regulating technoloy that Mark and Jim provided. With it, you offer the information you’re comfortable giving and you allow your friends…to be your friends. You can escape the evils of the world if you want, or be the hyper socialite with 750 friends. The truth is usually found in the balance and in openminded, but prudent wisdom.
thanks you so much insut this is my first time to visit
#15 Abayomi Str, Oshodi Lagos
state Nigeria
We desperately need facebook at hillsborough community college in Florida, I have so many friends that are on and my school is still in the stone age, somebody please do something, If anyone reading this has any influence, please get my school supported!
I’m a recent alum of st. ed’s u, austin, and I really want to try facebook.com. Can one of you invite me on? My .edu account was discontinued when I graduated. Thanks!
blakeivy@valornet.com
“PS At least Facebook is better than MySpace where you can have 40 year old creepy guys drooling over 20 year old college students!”
Yeah! Keep the creepy geezers off.
You know everyone on the facebook or at least know that they currently go to your school and how they look. It’s a great resource and to the person who said it was all about sex and drinking…do you even use the website?
and very very few people use it for dating. they might use it to let someone they like notice them, but then they’ll have to work at it in real life.
Facebook is so awesome! I completely believe that 85% of college students have a profile and that over half of them check it every day, because I am a college student, and I check my facebook 2 or 3 times a day. It’s just a great way to meet people and find people with your interests.
I also agree that there shoulnd’t be a high school facebook. Facebook is something that high school kids should look forward to when they get to college, but now it’s just for everyone. There are several groups that have been started protesting the high school facebook, such as “College Kids Who Oppose High School Facebook and Everything it Represents” or “Facebook For Highschoolers Is The Dumbest Thing I’ve Ever Heard Of”.
Facebook is a great website to keep in touch with people. All of my best high school friends are currently attending different colleges than myself, and this site has proven a great way to keep in touch with them. Also, I have located various members of my family that I never knew existed, and have made some new and close friends. There is nothing wrong at all with Facebook. Keep up the good work, Mr. Zuckerberg!
I thought Facebook was the dumbest thing in the world. Sadly I check it everyday because it is just that interesting! I go to school in usa but am originally from Canada…At first i thought it was just an american thing but honestly there are alot of schools in canada that have it as well. Everyone does check facebook all the time cause everyone changes or adds to their profile at least weekly. I have been able to connect with friends whom i havent talked to in forever through this. I love it!!!!
Hello
well i have read all the comments listed above and i have a few things to say.
for one i havent seen any “sex, and drugs” and all of that, that the dj dude said so that is false information, and he is just jealous of the great site that has been made. I have met people and also its a way for me to communicate with people who i have no other time to talk to.Next, I am in high school and all these college students that are wasting your time on discriminating against high schoolers using facebook, um your wasting you time ,seriously, i mean you just recently got out of high school i’m sure, i mean is it REALLY effecting you that badly? do something better than make these “groups”. Yes there are xangas and my spaces but Xanga is in online diary and my space..has nothing to do with school so there is no excuse to why high school students should not be able to use facebook. i love it! when i get home i get so anxious to see if i have any “messages” or if anyone wants to “be my friend” its fun and something to do in your spare time. It has not at all effected my study or school habits; its actually helping since i have friends on facebook with similar classes as me ,and it gives me a chance to get in touch with them if i have a question or dont understand anything that was said in class, I like facebook its not promoting anything but bringing people together, its almost like a free classmates.com because that site is waste of money and its stupid, and the comment above “fitting in” and “finding yourself” um some of us in high school have already done that ( like myself) but anyway, lastly I would just like to commend mark on his great work and i thank him for his great idea of creating the website “facebook” and open to high school students.
- Jazmyn
I’m not sure if I like the “Creepy Old Geezer” reference. I’m 34 years old and am listed on facebook as a student. I don’t log on everyday, nor do I oggle the student pics. The main reason why I use it is because it gives me a way of contacting people in my various classes. WIth work and family pressures, I tend to miss class more than the average student, so its nice to have a way of contacting people in your class for notes on those lectures.
Being a student is hard enough, made even harder by being 10+ years older than your peers. I do know that there are those out that prowl Facebook for the reasons stated, but not all of us non-trad students are walking ads for Viagra.
Greg
I think that the Facebook is worse than pornography. It’s all about sex, swearing and drinking. What kind of example is it setting to college students who’re supposed to be doing their work? Thanks to this nasty website, students now think that you gotta be drinking all the time to be cool.â€
If you had ever been on the site you would understand that it is not at all for the promotion of sex and drugs at all. There are probably more student-made groups about religion, politics, and school related issues than there are about being a drunken idiot. Before you go bashing something that 3.85 million people are involved in, get a little more information. College students, like myself, who use facebook understand that you’re a misinformed idiot, but those who dont know are getting the wrong impression.
o rly?
http://yearoftheowl.ytmnd.com
Honestly, FaceBook isn’t that great. It’s like LiveJournal for retards. Or maybe having the capacity to use a computer beyond making shitty powerpoints or badly typed papers makes me a total loser, lollercaust.
FaceBook is marketed towards college and high school students. OF COURSE IT’S ALL ABOUT SEX AND DRUGS, YOU MORON. That’s all older generations ever see as common themes in younger generations regardless of the truth of the matter.
I love the facebook….It is my crack!! I’m so addicted!! I even made a group for my fellow facebook addicts!!!!
As a college student, I would have to say facebook.com is a wanderful thing! I have found so many friends from elementary school and intermediate. Its so nice to be able to keep in touch with them and see how they are and where there life is going. Not to disrespect anyone, but if facebook.com is one of your biggest worries thats sad. Focus on something more important. For example drugs in high schools. When I was in high school it was pretty bad..
The facebook is great! I’m a college student and I’ve met so many girls with the facebook its ridiculous! Thanks facebook!
being a grad student on orkut i know how useful sns are in getting touch with my high school friends who have moved to colleges in other states.
added to that, the fact that facebook does some checking to see if u really are a student (hopefully increasing it’s scope of institutions soon) makes it all the more safer than some creepy guy coming along and telling them off, so he can swear at ‘em in drunken stupor and watch porn.
friend’s network when used to the fullest beyond the “pokes” and “apparent compliments”
really works out to be as efficient as a WAN of sorts connecting people’s mindsets and helping them work together.
facebook…when are you adding my university?
Opening Facebook for high school kids is just stupid. Facebook should only open to those who are in college or University.
Anyone else notice how the intelligence of the comments plummeted? This is exactly why I don’t use the facebook (or facebook now is it?).
Question: why do you guys care if its open to high school students or not? IT HAS ABSOLUTLY NO BEARING ON YOUR INTERACTON WITH THE SITE. Is it that you want to be exclusive?
And I’m pretty sure TechCrunch has no impact over what schools get added, I wouldn’t bug them about it!
i have a facebook. and a xanga. and a myspace. and a livejournal. and a blogger. and..yeah.
I totally disagree with DjL. I have been a faithful member of the Facebook community since January. I don’t drink. I don’t smoke. I don’t do drugs. I’m not that big on partying. I went through that stage in high school. I’m over it. Not all college students are partiers. I am a Junior at the University of Memphis. I joined Facebook because I saw an ad for it in one of the on-campus caf’s. It sounded like fun. All my friends (both drinkers and non) are on it. A lot of my friends from high school and even elementary school are on there as well. It’s a great way to keep in touch with those whom you normally wouldn’t. We organize pep rallies for our less-than-great football team, as well as religious, political and other social events as well. Sure, there are the occasional drunken kids on there. And a lot of the time, students’ pictures involve them and either a short skirt, a tall beer, or a cig. Big deal. They’re just trying to make themselves look “cooler.” I don’t care. My picture is of my boyfriend and me kissing. That in no way promotes sex. Get over it, DjL. Not everything on the internet that involves college students and pictures is harmful.
^^^ Katie is a loser…get a life
as far as what mojaam said, he read the statistics about how often people with facebook check it wrong.. but besides that, he says the high school thing is just stupid because they already have myspace and xanga and this is all al plan to make money… FACEBOOK IS FREE, unlike xanga. and as far as what DjL commented, that is absouletly ridiculous. facebook consists of whatever the user wishes to put up. everyone needs to lighten up. this is a great way to keep in touch with old friends and get to know new friends.
I am one of the 60% students that logs on facebook daily. A lot of people at my school wants to know who is that depressed looking guy who face is on the upper left hand corner of facebook.
I too, am one of the 60%! I am a kind of shy person and I live off campus so making friends is not really easy for me…Ever since I made an account, I have gotten in touch with old classmates, people I have lost touch with, and generally just made a bunch of friends. I even made contact with a friend that moved away in middle school. And no DjL, it doesn’t interfere with school work, infact, its a great way to get help with your classes too since you can but your classes on your profile. And that stupid comment about Facebook being worse than pornography– dude, have you ever even SEEN the facebook sight???? btw….you can’t blame facebook for underage drinking since people have been doing that FOREVER. I don’t drink, smoke, do drugs, or advertise sex on facebook, and people think I’m “cool”. People don’t put up those profiles to impress everyone: they put them up to find other friends they like or can relate to just the way they are.
Jeez~ Why is it that anytime a young person is having fun, people gotta go and turn it upside down?
I truly think that facebook is great! I have been able to contact a lot of people I would not have otherwise known how to. I have found friends from camp from many many years ago and we have re-connected. There are always going to be people who drink and party and put stupid pictures up, so what. Just don’t look at them. Yes, it is time consuming and addictive but isn’t the internet in general? I think facebook is a great idea and enjoy every moment of surfing my friends!