Write Team: Social media has evolved into our lives

Fifteen years ago, if I were to mention I saw something on Facebook, you may look at me like I was speaking a foreign language. What the heck is Facebook? Is it a book? Is it a face, well that would be kind of a stupid question, but you get the point.

In the early days, we were tagged, poked, prodded and issued friend requests. We had no idea why were getting poked, tagged and prodded but we knew we liked it, we just weren’t sure why.

Simply put, Facebook is a social networking site that enables people to connect, via the site, with friends, laterally all over the world. There are other networking sites, such as LinkedIn, but that one is aimed far more directly at business contacts and relationships. There is also Myspace, which predates Facebook by over a year but seems to have lost steam over the years. In 2005, Myspace was sold to News Corp, the parent company for Fox Broadcasting, for $580 million dollars. Six years later, News Corp sold Myspace for only $35 million, taking a loss of, well, you do the math.

Facebook was started in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin while they were both students at Harvard University. In fact, when it was created, it was only available to Harvard students as a means to connect, share information on classes and teachers as well as other campus news. It was eventually expanded to other Boston, Massachusetts area colleges and universities, then other Ivy League schools before being available to every college and university in the U.S. and Canada. By the end of 2006, Facebook was everywhere.

Facebook is now a major, worldwide corporation. In 2012, the privately held Facebook decided to make an IPO or Initial Stock Offering with the intent of raising $5 billion in capital. After some maneuvering by the then major shareholders to release an additional 25% of the company, Facebook was able to raise more than $16 billion dollars, making it the third largest IPO in history, just behind General Motors and VISA.

I currently have 800-plus friends or connections and have liked or followed another roughly 50 more. My friends include a wide variety of folks, from former college roommates to people I knew in high school. I have piggyback on other friend’s connections to meet comedians, actors and our current U.S. congresswoman, although she’s not as friendly as he appears.

I have liked various companies or organizations like The Times Newspaper, Fox 32 news, Jeep and for some completely unexplainable reason, the Batesville Casket Company which, I will admit, I am hesitant to “un-like” as I don’t want to hurt their feelings.

I have my Facebook page set to “public” which means anyone at any time can access my page and see what I’m talking about. I really don’t care who looks, I have nothing to hide, but I do wish that Umbilta Nikoombo would stop trying to “friend” me. I don’t know you, sir, and I don’t think I like what you’re selling.

If you’re not on Facebook, chances are you have no idea what I’m talking about but don’t worry, my mom was not on Facebook and other than confusing me with my brothers, she seems to be doing just fine.

If you are on Facebook, send me a friend request. I rarely say no. Except to Umbilta Nikoombo. Give it up, dude. It’s not happening.

Jonathan Freeburg is an Ottawa transplant for the past two decades-plus and a regular contributor to 1430 WCMY Radio. He can be reached at newsroom@shawmedia.com.