We were about 17 young men and 5
young women, all of us from different ethnicities and races. I imagined we were
between 17-45 years. I am from Africa,
another was from Vietnam, another from Canada, well, from all over the world as
well as those who were born and bred from USA generations back. Many had iPads and latest model phones which had
various websites including facebook website open. We talked about different
things and somehow we found ourselves steering into such conversations that
depicted sacrifice, inventions and gratitude. It came to my turn to chip
in. I talked of people whose ideas
continue to create opportunities for others to see life as a potential and live
it to the fullest. We talked about so
many other issues and we exchanged e-mails and phone contacts. I left, like
many in the group, to return to the library for another hour and later went
back home. That day at the library was a worthwhile activity in which I
experienced more interactions with people from many parts of the world. That
sun break helped me break down what was eating at my mind as I was preparing to
write my regular pieces for my blogs and facebook walls. Humans are a grateful
species, humans are an enterprising species. We also reflect upon economics and
conservation. Given the levels or our state of competence we may be able to
create possibilities and opportunities where there was none. I came to this
realization when I compared things here and back in Africa. My question this
time was whether we can be able to say ‘Volksbook’ about facebook much the same
way we say Volkswagen......about Volkswagen! Fuel/energy is to the car as the
car is to the road. I wanted to relate the people to facebook, Google and the
computer. I dare say, the people are likened to the energy for the car.
Facebook (platform) is the car and Google (website) is the road. The computer
is the key that starts the ignition. As part of those who had come out of the
library to sun ourselves (a sun break) or for a smoke break for those who smoke,
I could not help but note all of us were had active facebook accounts.
Anecdotal remarks, plus visible interactions while we were at the break,
informed my opinion on this. Smoke and
sun breaks are two things one cannot do inside a library! At what standard would humans be if for
instance we lacked initiators who were more skilled, far seeing and movers of
things? What if there were no early adapters? I gazed around the Worcester (MA)
Public library. It was an idea of a person whose deed commits it for use by
other people. It is an idea of utilitarian quality. This large concrete, steel,
fibre and glass edifice was the idea of a person whose mission statement is ‘to
serve as a gathering place that actively promotes the free exchange of ideas in
our democratic society.’ This thought triggered another. What is the
relationship of facebook and the people who subscribe to it? The relationship
is captured in the facebook mission statement which goes thus: ‘to
give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.’
Founded in 2004 as an exclusive student website it grew to become a website with
over 12 million users from the entire world by 2006. At a growth rate of 10
million users per month, it currently has over 650 million active facebook
accounts, 16 million facebook fan pages and it is valued at $ 80 billion. As a
website, it is only surpassed by Google. Every 20 minutes at facebook, 10.2
million comments are posted. 48% of users between 18-34 years check facebook
right after waking up. Almost 10% of the world population is connected to
facebook by an active account. An average account user has 130 friends. 50% of
active users log on to facebook any day. It is a promise of continued
interactions, reading, writing, drawing, composition and connections. This and more, indeed, make facebook a
‘Volksbook’ (People’s book). The mission
statement that willingly calls on as many people to join, the interesting
interaction and share tools make it a motivation for continued use. Facebook
has another entity it resembles in winning people’s hearts. This is the very
popular Volkswagen. Outside of Germany, this little car came to be liked as the
‘people’s car’ by all definitions. It is a translation of the name Volkswagen.
As of 2012, Volkswagen (people’s car) has produced 5, 771789 cars and to-date
Volkswagen is the number one automobile maker in the world. The ‘Beetle’ and
‘Golf’ are the flag-bearers. They are a family car, they are dependable, they
do not break down on the roads and once handled well can last many years. Many
families have held on to their Volkswagens.
For facebook and Volkswagen, dependability, built-in interactive apps,
stirring connectivity, information medium, status symbol and utility include
some of the reasons why many choose to ‘like’ these inventions.
Interesting links for further
reading:
9.
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