Facebook Friend Request Turns to Happily Ever After
by Sara Lannin on Friday, May 14, 2010 at 10:51am
The following is part of our "Your Stories" series on different ways Facebook is used across the world. Submit your story to us and we'll consider featuring it in future posts.
A chance encounter on a friend of a friend's Facebook profile changed Jason Bussey's life forever. While browsing the profile in March last year, he stumbled upon Heather Willis, a classmate from his freshman year in high school almost two decades earlier. Tomorrow, Jason and Heather plan to marry after a romance rekindled on Facebook.
As soon as Jason discovered... Heather on Facebook, he friended her. She was delighted and quickly accepted. After spending one year together in high school in Georgia, they had lost touch for 17 years after Jason had moved to Florida. They initially became reacquainted on Facebook for a few weeks—checking out each others' photos and profiles and regularly chatting and messaging. Realizing they both now live in Atlanta, they soon reunited in person.
Jason and Heather atop the Eiffel Tower.
"It was the strangest sensation of knowing him from 17 years ago, but also like meeting someone for the very first time," Heather said of the reunion.
It didn't take long for Jason and Heather to become inseparable. Heather estimates that they have only spent four days apart since their initial reunion. They've learned to wake board, attended football games, and even entered triathlons and marathons together. Although Heather previously didn't believe in the idea of a soul mate, she now says that Jason has changed her mind.
In August 2009, Jason and Heather traveled to Paris, where Jason seized the opportunity to cement their relationship for life. At the top of the Eiffel Tower, before a beautiful sunset, he proposed to a "shocked and incredibly happy" Heather. Now the couple and their families will be celebrating their love in a lakefront ceremony and reception outside of Atlanta.
"Facebook has allowed us to find that one person in this world who truly complements the other," the soon-to-be Mrs. Heather Bussey said. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart."
Sara, an intern on Facebook's communications team, is chatting with her boyfriend on Facebook.Topics: Your Stories
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Staying in Control of Your Facebook Logins
by Lev Popov on Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 1:25pm
At Facebook, we're constantly working on new ways to protect you from scams and help you keep your account and information secure. Today, we're announcing some new tools and systems designed to keep the bad guys out and keep you abreast of suspicious activity so you can quickly take action to correct it.
We've always devoted significant time and effort to security. We've built technical systems that operate behind the scenes to quickly detect and block suspicious behavior, delete phony posts and messages, and return compromised accounts to... their rightful owners. Most of these systems are invisible to the average person who uses Facebook. Very few people will ever experience a security issue on Facebook, which means that most of you have probably never noticed these systems at work. Rest assured that these systems are there, though, protecting you and your friends.Login Notifications
Over the last few weeks, we've been testing a new feature that allows you to approve the devices you commonly use to log in and then to be notified whenever your account is accessed from a device you haven't approved. This feature is now available to everyone.
To try it out, go to the Account Settings page and click on the link next to "Account Security" at the bottom of the page. If you select the option to receive notifications for logins from new devices, when you log in, you'll be asked to name and save the various devices you use to access Facebook.
For example, you can save your home computer, your school or work computer, and your mobile phone. Once you've done this, whenever someone logs in to your account from a device not on this list, we'll ask the person to name the device.
We'll also send you an immediate email notification - and if you want, a text message - so that you're always up to speed on how your account is being accessed. This notification will provide steps on how to reset your password and remove the device, so you can quickly secure your account if it's being accessed from a device you don't recognize.
We're not aware of any other service that does this, and we encourage you to try it out.Blocking Suspicious Logins
We've also built a new system to block suspicious logins before they happen. When we see that someone is trying to access your account from an unusual device, we'll ask the person to answer an additional verification question to prove his or her identity as the real account owner. For example, we might ask the person to enter a birth date, identify a friend in a photo or answer a security question if you've previously provided one. These questions are designed to be easy for you, and hard for a bad guy, and we've already seen some great results.
Once you've confirmed your identity, you'll have the opportunity to review recent logins on your account and reset your password if you see logins that you don't recognize.
You won't go through this flow often. We'll only ask you to prove your identity on the rare occasion that we notice something different. If you're ever asked to go through this flow, that's just Facebook's site integrity team saying "Hi" and that we're here to help you protect your account.
We're confident that these new tools and systems will do a lot to prevent unauthorized logins and the nuisance they can cause. As always, though, the first line of defense is you. We need you to help by practicing safe behavior on Facebook and wherever you go online.
Be careful where you enter your password, and don't download suspicious-looking software. We've posted more tips and information on how to be safe on our Facebook Security Page, so check it out and "Like" it for ongoing updates.
Lev Popov, a software engineer on Facebook's site integrity team, is keeping track of his Facebook logins.- Comment ·LikeUnlike · Share
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The World Cup™ through the Eyes of Friends
by Alex Wu on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 11:27pm
Respected British football manager Bill Shankly once famously said, "Some people believe football is a matter of life and death...it is much, much more important than that." While growing up in Taiwan during my childhood, I learned firsthand what Shankly meant.
Football, also known as soccer in some countries, is not exactly a national sport in Taiwan. Come to think of it, I can't remember the last time the national team even came close to qualifying for the World Cup. But when the tournament came around, everything—and I mean everything—stopped.... The World Cup was the one event that brought everyone—my family, friends, country and the world—together. For a few moments at least, the world seemed smaller and more connected.
In a few short weeks, people from all 32 competing countries and the rest of world will come together for the 2010 World Cup unfolding in South Africa, both on the field and through Facebook. To make it easier for you to be part of the action with your friends and the world, we're launching Facebook's Goal! Leaderboard today on the Sports on Facebook Page.
We chose one of our preferred developers, Involver, to build this application, and they've created an engaging, globally accessible application that is designed to ignite and stoke global football passions in preparation for the June 11 kick off. It is available initially in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian and Portuguese.
This leaderboard complements the hundreds of authentic team, player, brand and media voices that are sharing World Cup dreams and drama on millions of people's Facebook home pages. People's football passion will be shared, liked, commented upon and amplified billions and billions of times over. In fact, one could say that the 2010 World Cup tournament marks the first time in history that the event will be truly experienced and celebrated through the eyes of friends.
Through the Goal! Leaderboard, fans all over the world can:
- Like their favorite teams
- Publish a News Feed story broadcasting their support
- Recommend their team to their friends
- Invite their friends who aren't on Facebook to support their team
To help you and your friends get in the competitive spirit, Facebook will be tracking and ranking teams based on a "Passion Index"—a measure of a team's total number of "Likes" divided by the internet population of the country it represents.
The leaderboard will be available via the Goal! tab on the Sports on Facebook Page. Connect with your favorite team, show your support and share your passion with your friends. And while you're at it, help us bring your friends and the whole world together.
Alex Wu, who runs the Sports on Facebook Page, is excited about experiencing the World Cup live in South Africa with one of his best friends—his little sister.Topics: Sports
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'Facebook Fairytales': Missing Person
by Emily Einhorn Liebert on Monday, May 10, 2010 at 3:50pm
The following is our final installment in a series of excerpts from the new book "Facebook Fairytales: Modern-Day Miracles to Inspire the Human Spirit." This chapter tells the story of how one man's creation of Facebook group helped the Nepali Ski Team find a missing teammate.
When sixteen-year-old French student Tom Baraize was recruited to act as liaison officer for the Nepali Ski Team at the World Ski Championships in February 2009, he had no idea of the drama that would ensue.
Hailing from the quiet community of Lyon, in southeastern... France, roughly a ninety-minute drive from Val d'Isère—the legendary ski area in the French Alps where the Championships would take place—Tom was excited and prepared for his many responsibilities to follow.
The Nepal Alpine skiing team, he was told, had been founded in 1997 by British businessman and former skier Richard Morley at the request of the Himalayan country's then ruler, King Birendra. Tom would report to Richard, the team's coach, and help him tend to the practical needs of the three skiers competing: their star, Shyam Dhakal; their number two, Subash Khatri; and their final and youngest recruit, sixteen-year-old Uttam Rayamajhi.
Tom, who was quadrilingual—speaking English, French, German, and Spanish—was assigned two significant tasks. His first and most important priority was to help the organization committee welcome the international teams; his second was to set up and manage the Nepali team's website.
Arriving in Val d'Isère, Tom was instantly swept up in the frenetic energy palpable at every turn. There were races, events, music, parties, food, and throngs of fans, skiers, and workers buzzing around the cool, sun-soaked slopes. It was a sixteen-year-old's dream job, and Tom could hardly believe his good fortune in landing it.
Tom hit it off immediately, not only with the team members, but also Coach Richard Morley. And as he ran around frantically dotting every "i" and crossing every "t" for the team—from transporting their gear to races and securing the proper documentation to getting them new ski equipment when theirs wasn't authorized—his friendships with the team members were cemented even further. Tom oversaw and chatted with them by day, drank with them in the evenings, and—ultimately—became part of their intimate family.
When the Ski Championships finally came to a close—after two weeks of working and playing hard—Tom departed from the team's base in Les Arcs to return home to Lyon, promising to stay in touch with his newfound friends. They discussed reuniting for a ski trip or even to work on a film about the team. Tom felt gratified and lucky to have experienced this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Nearly two months passed, and in April—back at home—Tom found a note from Richard in his e-mail in-box. Perhaps he's writing to get together or to plan our ski trip, Tom speculated, energized at the thought. He opened the message at once:Tom,
I have some disturbing news. Uttam Rayamajhi has vanished from the team's base at Les Arcs. No one knows where he's gone. Please let me know if you've heard anything.
Regards,
Richard
Alarmed by word of his friend's disappearance, Tom hastily logged on to Facebook to reach out to Richard. They'd communicated via the social networking site often, and Tom knew that Richard would likely be on Facebook more often than on his regular e-mail, since it was the fastest and most efficient way of reaching as many people as possible at one time. Tom wrote:Richard,
Please send me your number so we can chat via phone. I want to help in any way I can.
Sincerely,
Tom
Minutes later, Tom and Richard were speaking directly, and Richard was explaining the circumstances surrounding Uttam's departure from the team's base camp. Uttam, Richard said, had been distraught because of the disintegration of Nepal's ski team in the wake of a funding debacle. Essentially, a corrupt Nepali leader had rescinded his promise of financial support for the team, and when Richard had filed a complaint with the International Olympic Committee, not only had he been dismissed as coach, but the skiers' scholarships had been revoked—rendering Uttam inconsolable and the team's chances of competing in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics hopeless.
Confused and concerned, Tom had an idea. "I might have a way to find Uttam," he told Richard.
Having been a member of Facebook for a year and a half, Tom was familiar with the viral effect of the site, and decided to start a group whose main purpose would be to help track down his forlorn friend. He titled it "Help Uttam and All Victims of Corruption in Sport," and included photos of Uttam, along with a full description of his story—in both French and English—on the opening page.
Aside from finding Uttam, Tom's secondary goal was to denounce the Nepali government's crooked behavior, and to fight to break the cycle of fraudulence in the sports arena. It was a lofty objective, perhaps, but this didn't stand in the sixteen-year-old's way.
Using the Facebook group as his platform, Tom swiftly spread information about Uttam's disappearance to all of his contacts, inviting them to join the group, and asking them to invite their own friends to follow suit. He even included Uttam in his plea.
One week later, the group was 500 members strong. And when Tom sat down at his computer after school one afternoon, he noticed that Uttam had become a member of the very group designed to find him. There was no note or any indication of his whereabouts, but Tom and Richard—who he called immediately upon finding Uttam's response—were beyond relieved to learn that the young skier was alive and well. After all, he was only sixteen and had been missing for weeks—with no money, clothes, or telephone at his disposal.
But where was he? And why had he only accepted the Facebook request and not contacted someone—especially having seen the desperate online campaign to locate him?
They'd have their answers soon enough.
Once Richard had alerted the police, confirming that Uttam was in fact alive, and mass media had gotten wind of the news, Uttam—astonished by the spectacle of so much attention—reached out to Richard, who took the first train to Paris to hear the young boy's side of the story.
Uttam had been wandering the streets of the City of Lights, near the Bastille, having hitchhiked there from Les Arcs with just five euros in his pocket. He'd been stopped by police a number of times, he said, but had produced a valid visa and been released. Nearly three weeks had gone by, and he'd been surviving on mostly bread, when a man—a stranger—had called out to him.
"Hey, kid! I saw you on Facebook," he'd declared, flagging Uttam down. "There's a group with photos of you and your story. They're looking everywhere for you."
Subsequently, the man had invited Uttam to come back to his house so he could see for himself. That was when Uttam had accepted Tom's invitation to the group.
"Why did you not call someone, or at least let us know you were okay?" Richard questioned.
"I had to take a step back and think about my life," Uttam revealed. "When they took away our funding, I realized that I'd wasted two years of my life pursuing a skiing career. I'd dropped out of school to train, and I just needed some time alone to let it all sink in. I felt discouraged and angry."
"I understand. We were all very frustrated, but you still should have come to me," Richard said, resting his hand on Uttam's shoulder. "That's what I'm here for."
"I know. And I'm sorry." Uttam smiled humbly.
"Will you come back with me?"
"Not just yet, but I will return to camp soon."
And that he did. A few days later, Uttam rejoined Richard and his fellow teammates in Les Arcs. He also wrote a long-overdue Facebook message to a very special friend:Tom,
I cannot thank you enough for your help and attention in looking for me. You never abandoned hope, and, if not for the Facebook group, I may have been a lost soul forever.
Thank you.
Your friend always,
Uttam
While the future of the Nepali ski team remains ambiguous—they hope to send their top seed, Shyam Dhakal, to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics—Uttam is back in his home country, reenrolled in school and eagerly awaiting an opportunity to return to the slopes.
As for the story's hero, Tom Baraize, he says, "I'm quite proud of what I did, and I look forward to seeing my friends on the ski team again very soon. Maybe we can meet up for a drink when they come back to France."
How would Tom describe his experience at the World Championships in retrospect?
"Five words: Best time of my life."
Emily, the author of "Facebook Fairytales," continues to share inspirational stories on the book's Facebook Page.
Tip: Share your stories here with us about interesting and inspiring ways you use Facebook.Topics: Facebook Fairytales, Your Stories
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Stories of Motherhood from Facebook Families
by Sara Lannin on Sunday, May 9, 2010 at 10:44am
Today is Mother's Day in the U.S. and dozens of countries around the world, and to honor it we're profiling three stories submitted to us for our "Your Stories" series about how mothers and children are building family bonds through Facebook. If you have a story you'd like to share with us, please submit it here.
Mom's Yiddish Word of the Day
Robbin Anderson is proud to say she has a very close relationship with her mother, Marcie. The two talk nearly every day, and live just close enough (near Hicksville, NY) that they can pop in on one... another easily. However, recently, the mother-daughter pair have found a way to use Facebook to strengthen not only their family ties, but also their cultural ones.
"Growing up I would hear [my mother] use Yiddish words, but I never paid much attention to what they meant," explained Robbin.
One night, when Robbin's husband asked Marcie a question, Marcie responded in Yiddish. Suddenly, Robbin realized how little she actually knew of the language.
"I started asking what some of those Yiddish words from my childhood meant," Robbin said.
Robbin's mom, Marcie.
From this simple question her mother began a Facebook tradition—a "Yiddish Word of the Day." Every day, Marcie posts a new word as her status update. From there, Robbin can guess what it means, or provoke conversation on the topic.
Of the words shared so far, Robbin has one favorite: "bashert." It relates to destiny, signaling that something was, or was not, meant to be.
To Robbin's delight, friends also join her in guessing the words from time to time. More often than not, it remains a personal experience between her and her mother.
"For some crazy reason this new tradition of ours brings me comfort," said Robbin. "It's the first thing I check when I turn the computer on in the morning."Birth Mother Locates Daughter
On Dec. 31, 2009, Janet Mackenzie-Cohen received a large envelope from the government of Ontario, Canada. The package contained court records, hospital papers and a crucial piece of information—her daughter's name, Karyn. Janet had been looking for Karyn for decades, nearly since the day Janet had given her daughter up for adoption in 1965.
Though Janet finally had her daughter's adopted name, she had no clue as to her whereabouts or how to contact her. "I didn't know where to start," Janet said. "My first thought was not to frighten her." Eventually, a friend suggested she try Facebook.
Janet created an account, and within a matter of minutes discovered Karyn. More than anything, Janet recalls the overwhelming feeling of relief that accompanied her discovery.
When Karyn was born, she was dangerously small—a mere 3 pounds, 14 ounces. Janet was told the child would likely not survive, and if she did, it would only be with serious difficulty. However, when Janet discovered her daughter on Facebook, she found her to be a happy, healthy mother of her own.
After sending Karyn a message, the two became Facebook friends and now talk regularly through Facebook Chat. Content for now with their level of communication, they have plans to reunite in 2011.
"I knew that I would never go to my grave without making superhuman efforts to find my baby, but in 1965, who would dream that Facebook would make it so easy?" Janet said. "I am totally grateful."Staying Close a Thousand Miles Away
Valerie Collins of Indiana was determined not to let distance keep her apart from her 88-year-old mother, Alice, who lives in Arizona. In October, the mother-daughter duo turned to Facebook to stay in touch.
When Alice recently suffered a broken foot, Valerie used Facebook to check in on her mother, remind her of upcoming doctors appointments and discuss the results of her lab tests. She also was able to connect with Alice's neighbors in Arizona, important contacts in case an emergency should ever arise. "It's a comfort knowing someone is nearby," Valerie said.
Alice's profile picture.
Of course, Valerie also uses Facebook to connect her mother with two very important family members—Valerie's two sons. Due to the long distance separating them, Alice does not get to see her grandchildren in person very often. Now through photos and videos, she has the opportunity to watch them grow.
"Facebook is giving us an opportunity to share across thousands of miles," explained Valerie.
Valerie also keeps the boys updated on their grandmother's activities, and the kids recently got a kick out of Alice's profile picture (shown to the right).
Valerie even posted a video of her son's entry at a music competition, and marveled that "Alice was able to see the video just minutes after the show!"
Sara is an intern on Facebook's communications team.Topics: Holidays, Parents, Your Stories
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Um...Your Mom Poked Me on Facebook
by Olivia Gorvy on Friday, May 7, 2010 at 12:57pm
Whether they're feeding fish on Happy Aquarium or checking up on their kids at college, moms everywhere are taking advantage of the various Facebook features that allow them to stay connected to their families and friends.
We at Facebook couldn't be more excited to have our own mothers be some of our most enthusiastic and active supporters. But as everyone who has a mom on Facebook knows, their messages and postings can lead to some comical interactions. As a tribute to all of the moms who have wholeheartedly embraced Facebook and in honor... of Mother's Day being celebrated in dozens of countries this Sunday, we wanted to highlight some of the more amusing stories of sharing—and, sometimes, oversharing—between Facebook employees and their moms.Parenting from Afar
My own mom was hesitant to join Facebook a few years ago because she figured that it wouldn't offer her any sort of utility. Little did she know that Facebook would give her the opportunity to keep a watchful eye on her two 20-something children who both live across the country.
My mom, wanting to see what I'd been doing recently, was browsing through my photos and stumbled upon one of me in a large group. She decided to add a comment: "Olive! You look so skinny!"
Olivia with her mom, Judith.
She didn't realize that all 12 others tagged in the photo would be able to view the comment, and that all of them were various coworkers, superiors and clients who had attended a convention with me.
Keeping tabs on my weight is just one of the ways that my mom uses Facebook to parent from afar. Growing up, my younger brother and I were taught that expletives were unseemly and shouldn't be uttered. The other day my brother posted a status update emphasizing how livid he was about one of his favorite sports teams losing a game. My mom, while unable to wash his mouth out with soap, reprimanded him with a status comment urging him to, "Watch your language, David!"
Blaise DiPersia, a Facebook designer, is known throughout the office for having quite an extraordinary beard. His mom had been browsing through photos of him, when she decided that Blaise's famed beard was getting a bit unruly. Because of his busy schedule, she figured that the only way she'd be able to get in touch with him would be on Facebook.
So she updated her status: "Blaiser, you are sporting some serious beard fro… might be time for a trim soon. Just saying!" Now Blaise is better known for a trim mustache.Motherly Matchmaking
Brion with his mother, Cheryl.
Brion Spensieri, a member of the Facebook Platform operations team, has a very close relationship with his mom. He typically tells his mother when he has a special someone in his life, so one day he was chatting with his mom when he mentioned the name of a girl he had just started seeing.
Around the same time, Brion's mom signed up for Facebook and was eagerly sending friend requests to many of Brion's childhood friends. Her friending didn't bother him—at first. Then, a few nights after talking to his mom, Brion was on a date with his latest love interest when her phone started vibrating with one Facebook notification after the other.
Not only had the young lady just received a friend request from Brion's mom, but minutes after accepting, she also got a slew of Wall postings on her profile sharing scanned photos of baby Brion.LOL is So Last Year
Many of us assume that our moms don't keep tabs on the latest celebrity gossip or spout new digital slang. A few of our Facebook employees discovered just how wrong we can be.
Ashoke Chakrabarti and Sasha Rosse, two Facebook user operations specialists, have a playful rapport with one another on Facebook. Ashoke recently posted the following on Sasha's Wall: "Zac Efron told me you aren't cool. And then he made out with your mom."
Unbeknown to Ashoke, Sasha's mom is an active Facebooker, saw the post on her daughter's Wall and snarkily retorted to the Wall post with: "Eh, he's not my type."
One of our account managers, Pete Marler, assumed that his mom didn't even know what "BRB" stood for. (It's online slang for "Be Right Back.") Turns out she is quite adept at speaking in colloquial lingo, using one of the more nuanced Internet acronyms in one of her recent status updates: "Just cooked Boef Bourgogne. NBD."
That's "No Big Deal," for those of you not as hip to the lingo as Mrs. Marler.
We're thankful that Facebook gives us the opportunity to stay in touch with our moms—when time zones and texting prove to be hurdles. We don't even mind that Facebook helps moms to do borderline embarrassing things to their kids, because we know it's all done out of love. After all, as more of our grandmothers sign up for Facebook our moms will understand what we're going through.
Olivia, an analyst on the Facebook Platform operations team, wishes her mom, Judith, a Happy Mother's Day and hopes she writes an embarrassing comment on this blog post.Topics: Holidays, Parents
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A More Global View of Gross National Happiness
by Lisa Zhang on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at 10:25pm
We're bringing the Facebook Gross National Happiness index to 18 additional countries today, including Germany, India and Spain. As before, we analyzed the use of positive and negative words in status updates to estimate the happiness of people on Facebook in each of the countries.
We chose the countries based on those with the highest volumes of status updates in one of the languages that we currently support: English, Dutch, German, Italian and Spanish. This is because we need a large number of status updates in order to build a model that... is not easily affected by random variations in word usage. Our methodology also requires us to have reliable, validated dictionaries of positive and negative words in the languages we analyze, which is why we do not yet support all languages.
We found that a country's happiness score is representative of the country's culture and experience on a particular day. Besides popular holidays like Christmas and New Year's Day, we see a spike in Spain's happiness index corresponding to Saint Jordi's day in Apri. In India, Holi in March and its Independence Day in August also lead to peaks, as do big sports victories in many of the countries. In the United States, we see similar spikes every Super Bowl.
Sports also can lead to some of the lowest days in the happiness index. Ireland's score drops on Nov 18, 2009, when FIFA awarded a controversial win to France over Ireland in the World Cup playoffs. Similarly, Germany's happiness level dips on Nov 10, 2009, when the goalie Robert Enke committed suicide.
Unsurprisingly, disasters have a dramatic effect on happiness levels. We see a large dip in India's index on Nov. 27, 2008, the day of the Mumbai terrorist attack. We also notice a huge drop in Chile's index, corresponding to the tragic earthquake on Feb. 27, 2010. Chile's happiness index has still not fully recovered. When another earthquake of a magnitude 6.3 hit central Italy on April 6, 2009, its happiness score dropped, as did Mexico's index between April 24-29, 2009, during the H1N1 flu outbreak and an earthquake.
Check out the graph yourself and see if you can find a significant day in your country.
Cultural differences also play a role in people's weekly happiness cycles and how they celebrate holidays. South Africans are happier on Fridays than Saturdays, a weekly cycle different from that of other countries. In several countries such as Spain and Germany, people are more festive on Christmas Eve than on Christmas Day. One week later, Singaporeans are happier on New Year's Day than New Year's Eve.Measuring Happiness over Time
Because each country is analyzed separately to reduce effects due to language differences, we cannot directly compare one country's Gross National Happiness to another country's. However, we can compare how the indices of different countries are changing: We can determine whether people on Facebook in specific countries are becoming more or less happy over time. We examined these trends from September 2008 through the present. The results, as well as all the countries with Gross National Happiness indices, are shown below.
Some countries like the U.S. and Canada are seeing increases in both positivity and decreases in negativity. Other countries like India see decreases in negativity, but changes in positivity are not statistically significant. We see an increase in both positivity and negativity in Spain and almost all Spanish-speaking countries. Singaporeans and South Africans, on the other hand, are decreasing their use of emotional words overall.
As always, no one at Facebook reads status updates to conduct this analysis. Instead, computers do the calculations after all personally identifiable information is removed.
Lisa, an intern on Facebook's data team, is now back at the University of Waterloo improving Canadian happiness.Topics: Status Updates, Research
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Democracy in the UK: Results of the Social Media Election
by Richard Allan on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at 12:22am
With just a day left before the closely watched general election in Britain, Nick Clegg of the Liberal Democrats was the winner of a mock election held on Facebook, with 42 percent of the vote. David Cameron of the Conservative Party came second with 31 percent, while Gordon Brown of the Labour Party finished in third with 27 percent.
A total of 463,000 votes were cast in a home page polling ad displayed to people in the UK who visited Facebook over the bank holiday. The result was not intended to represent the voting population of the UK, but... be a snapshot of the opinions of those who responded.
The mock election was just one in a series of UK election activities happening for the first time on Facebook. At the time of the last British election in 2005, Facebook wasn't available to most people in the UK, while other social networking sites and services were in their infancy.
In 2010, however, Facebook has more people in the UK using it than the total number of votes cast in the last general election. In recent weeks one question has been asked by almost everybody in Britain: What would the impact of the online world be on the political views of the British public?
We'll soon find out how closely the Facebook mock election matches the real one, but since the election was called on April 6, we already have seen people in the UK and around the world flock to Facebook and other sites to get informed, share their opinions and even rate the candidates' debate performances.
To help people join the debate, we launched Democracy UK on Facebook. This Page, which has more than 160,000 people connected to it, has posted a constant stream of serious and light-hearted news and discussion, including question-and-answer sessions with notable journalists providing a range of opinions. Democracy UK also hosted two applications—VoteMatch and My Vote Advisor—to help people determine which party and policies they might most closely align with.Rating the Debates
While televised debates between political candidates are commonplace elsewhere in the world, this year saw Britain's first experience of them. The TV debates were an historic moment. More than 80,000 people logged on to use ITV's Livestream, which enabled people to post updates alongside the live online streaming of the debate on the ITV website, while thousands of additional people did the same on the Sky News website.
UK broadcasters, though, had restrictions on the type of audience reaction they could show during debates. So we gave people an opportunity on the Democracy UK on Facebook Page to interact with each other and discuss the debates while also giving real-time feedback on the performance of the party leaders. Through the Rate the Debate application, people could participate in a real time "dial test," clicking on a moving dial to indicate their feelings about what was being said at that moment in time and seeing aggregated results (as shown below).
In addition, in partnership with YouTube, Facebook crowdsourced questions from potential voters that were then put to Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg. Questions were sourced using an application hosted at Democracy UK on Facebook and on YouTube's dedicated election channel.
The result? Party leaders answered the most popular questions based on more than 180,000 votes on the more than 5,300 questions submitted. See the answers by clicking the "Digital Debate" tab on Democracy UK.
Getting Out the Vote
In Britain voters had to be registered by April 20. Research suggested that about 3.5 million people who were eligible to vote in England and Wales were not registered. In response, Facebook and the Electoral Commission worked together to create a new application, enabling the 23 million people using Facebook in the UK to download a personalised voter registration form. The effort increased voter registrations by thousands in a matter of days.
Whether you're in the UK or not, you can follow tomorrow's election by liking the Democracy UK on Facebook Page for more updates and joining future election debates for your country.
Richard, Facebook's director of policy in Europe, is a recovering politician.Topics: Elections, Politics
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Facebook Events: Now Making Casual Get-Togethers Easier
by Devin Naquin on Saturday, May 1, 2010 at 9:20am
Some events in life are spontaneous—such as catching a movie, meeting a friend for dinner or taking an impromptu day trip. So today, we're making it easier to let your friends know about those last-minute plans in our new version of Facebook Events.
You can now create an event directly from the "Events" box on your home page with one step. Just start typing your event into the "What are you planning?" field on the right-hand column of your home page. A form will open. Add a time and place, and you'll be ready to share your plans with your... friends.
You can also create events by going to your Events dashboard in the left-hand menu. Once you're there, click the "+Create an Event" button and fill out each field. This more-detailed creation form is useful for more formal events or those you're planning further in advance.
With this update to Facebook Events, we've streamlined the number of options to make it faster and simpler to share your plans. For example, for all events you create, the people you invite will be able to post messages, photos, videos and links on the event's Wall.
You can also choose between two types of events: a public event, available for anyone to RSVP and attend, and a private event. Private events will only be visible to people who have been invited, and only invited people can see the event in their News Feed.
Events created before this launch will maintain all of their settings. Going forward, all new events you create will follow this new format.
Devin Naquin, a Facebook engineer, is planning to go skydiving this weekend.Topics: Events
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Kenyan Refugees Find a Home on Facebook
by Oscar Raymundo on Friday, April 30, 2010 at 3:59pm
The following is part of our "Your Stories" series on different ways Facebook is used across the world. If you have a story you'd like to share with us, please submit it here.
The last days Abdi Mohamed lived in his homeland of Somalia were spent in fear. Weeks earlier, in 1991, civil war had broken out across the African country, bringing violence to his doorstep.
"The situation was bad," Abdi recalled. "I escaped with my dear life after the warring militia looted everything I owned."
Searching for safety, Abdi traveled for days through... what the U.N. deems one of the most dangerous regions in the world. He arrived at the Kenyan border, where a branch of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) soon transferred him to the Hagadera refugee camp in Northern Kenya.
Refugees fleeing to Hagadera.
At Hagadera, now home to 135,000 refugees, Abdi began working for CARE International, one of the more than 20 world relief organizations there. He started as an elementary school teacher, then became a store clerk distributing food.
Because of his work, Abdi was one of the lucky few to have an Internet connection in a part of the world where coverage is rare. He became a crucial link between refugees in the camp and those who had left.
"People who had left were always sending me e-mails asking me to update them on what was going on," Abdi said. "Once out, it's difficult to keep in touch with the people back in the camp."
Abdi turned to Facebook in 2008 to help him reach out and connect Somali refugees from all over the world who had spent time at Hagadera. He created the Facebook group "HAGADARIANS ON FACEBOOK," which has grown to 400 members.
When the group began, only a few of the refugees were aware of Facebook. But once they heard about the group, they flocked to Abdi for help in opening an account so they too could connect with current and former refugees around the world.
"It became the best forum to keep in touch considering the prohibitive prices they used to pay for calling their friends from the refugee camp," Abdi said.
"HAGADARIANS ON FACEBOOK" has become the place to get the latest news and updates on the refugee camp –from how the camp observed World Refugee Day to a Human Rights Watch report on police abuse of refugees in Kenya. With a simple Wall post or comment, group members can share their news or join a discussion.
The discussion board is particularly active. Current and past residents discuss topics such as relief efforts, life in the refugee camp, resettlement in a third country and ways in which peace may be restored to their respective homelands.
For his part, Abdi, who left the camp last year to attend university in Canada, is focused on attracting more former Hagaderian refugees now living around the world. His goal is to form an international coalition, powered by social media, to raise awareness about issues such as the poor living conditions in the camp and the exploitation of refugee labor.
He already has noticed a member-driven effort spring up in recent months—a proposal for raising funds to deliver school supplies to a refugee-funded school in Hagadera. While logistics made that plan too difficult to complete, Abdi remains hopeful.
"The will is there," Abdi said of the group's members. "I am optimistic that we can at least do something to give back to the community."
Oscar, a San Francisco-based freelance writer and contributor to the Facebook Blog, remembers the day in elementary school he first learned about the U.N.Topics: Your Stories
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