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Facebook shutdown a hoax
2011/01/10
By Rozanna Latiff
rozanna@nst.com.my
By Rozanna Latiff
rozanna@nst.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: The Internet was abuzz yesterday as rumours spread that the popular social networking site Facebook would be shutting down on March 15.A glance on online trend-tracking system GoogleTrends indicated the rumour started gaining traction yesterday at 4am before peaking seven hours later.
If true, the shutdown could affect some 500 million users worldwide, including some 9.9 million users in Malaysia.
It is unclear where the rumour began, although some publications have attributed it to a widely-linked article posted by US-based news website, the Weekly World News.
The article stated that “users will no longer be able to access their Facebook account” starting March 15, and quoted Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.
“Facebook has gotten out of control and the stress of managing this company has ruined my life.
“I need to put an end to all the madness,” he was reported to have said.
Weekly World News, however, is known for its comedic news spoofs and blatantly false reports, with its recent articles claiming that United States First Lady Michelle Obama was pregnant and that actor George Clooney would be running for president next year.
Facebook representatives have yet to address the rumour. For now, however, it is fairly safe to assume the speculation is a hoax.
The rumour came on the heels of major developments in the industry, with online services corporation
Yahoo! announcing last month that it would be shutting down its
Yahoo! Video service, also on March 15.
The Facebook corporation’s value is also set to rise to US$50 billion (RM153 billion) following a recent announcement that global investment firm Goldman Sachs and Russia’s Digital Sky Technologies would be investing some US$500 million investment in the social networking giant.
Meanwhile, MySpace.com, another social networking site which has struggled to compete with Facebook’s success, is reported to be planning a massive restructuring project, which would reduce its international workforce to a skeleton staff.
Read more: Facebook shutdown a hoax http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/Facebookshutdownhoax/Article/#ixzz1AjtM6U00
If true, the shutdown could affect some 500 million users worldwide, including some 9.9 million users in Malaysia.
It is unclear where the rumour began, although some publications have attributed it to a widely-linked article posted by US-based news website, the Weekly World News.
The article stated that “users will no longer be able to access their Facebook account” starting March 15, and quoted Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.
“Facebook has gotten out of control and the stress of managing this company has ruined my life.
“I need to put an end to all the madness,” he was reported to have said.
Weekly World News, however, is known for its comedic news spoofs and blatantly false reports, with its recent articles claiming that United States First Lady Michelle Obama was pregnant and that actor George Clooney would be running for president next year.
Facebook representatives have yet to address the rumour. For now, however, it is fairly safe to assume the speculation is a hoax.
The rumour came on the heels of major developments in the industry, with online services corporation
Yahoo! announcing last month that it would be shutting down its
Yahoo! Video service, also on March 15.
The Facebook corporation’s value is also set to rise to US$50 billion (RM153 billion) following a recent announcement that global investment firm Goldman Sachs and Russia’s Digital Sky Technologies would be investing some US$500 million investment in the social networking giant.
Meanwhile, MySpace.com, another social networking site which has struggled to compete with Facebook’s success, is reported to be planning a massive restructuring project, which would reduce its international workforce to a skeleton staff.
Read more: Facebook shutdown a hoax http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/Facebookshutdownhoax/Article/#ixzz1AjtM6U00
read this also...
Facebook Shutting Down Rumor Goes Viral: Site Said To Be Ending March 15, 2011 (UPDATE)
The Huffington Post | Craig Kanalley First Posted: 01- 9-11 12:07 AM | Updated: 01- 9-11 06:29 PM
It's not clear how it started, but a ridiculous rumor that Facebook is shutting down is spreading fast on social networks.
The hot rumor -- evidenced by Google Trendsand gaining traction on Twitter -- says that on March 15, 2011, Facebook will be closing down. Not taking a day off, not undergoing maintenance, but ending entirely.
The rumor has led to such frantic tweets as, "Facebook will be shutting down on March 2011? I hope not!" (@MissAyl) and "So the rumor is Facebook is shutting down....please don't jump to twitter & ruin my social networking experience" (@jjelksboss).
Facebook users are also concerned. Says one: "Facebook is shutting down on March 15, 2011 for good D: Is there any way we can stop this!?!?" And a group has already started to stop Facebook from shutting down.
Ironically, Yahoo announced last month that its "Yahoo Video" will be closing down on the date in question, March 15, 2011, and videos can be seen for the last time on March 14. But that hardly means it's taking the rest of the Internet down with it.
Just a day ago, an opinion piece published on CNN said that the recent Goldman Sachs investment was the "beginning of the end" for Facebook. That post went viral with more than 5,000 Facebook "likes" and could be partially to blame for the ensuing panic.
Whatever the reason for this rumor, it's safe to say that as a site with more than 500 million users and a $500 millon investment from Goldman Sachs recently, Facebook won't be shutting down anytime soon.
UPDATE (3:30 p.m. ET) ABC News speculates that the rumor started with this post published Jan. 8 by the satirical Weekly World News. Facebook has yet to officially respond to the rumor.
UPDATE: (6 p.m. ET) Facebook has officially responded to the rumors with a tweet: "We didn't get the memo about shutting down, so we'll keep working away. We aren't going anywhere; we're just getting started." A company spokesman also dismissed the rumors as "silliness."
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