And what did Mark Zuckerberg, whose personal fortune is now bigger than the GDP of Jamaica, offer to the legions of users, whose time and information have imbued Facebook (META) with its vast value? “In the past eight years,” he said magnanimously, “all of you out there have built the largest community in the history of the world. You’ve done amazing things that we never would have dreamed of and I can’t wait to see what you’re all going to do going forward. So on this special day, on behalf of everyone at Facebook, I just want to say to all the people out there who use Facebook and our products, thank you.”
He’s right, it’s all us. Which is a sweet sentiment, though not as sweet as the billions we earned him.
Despite all this, I don’t expect an exodus. A critical mass has been reached, and projections suggest the site will continue to grow in the foreseeable future. I am not fighting against Facebook; Facebook has already won. By next year, one seventh of the world’s population will have an account on the site. Facebook is not a bubble that can burst—it has become a reality unto itself. Still, I’m enjoying life as a conscientious objector. I don’t need or want a third-party to manage my personal relationships for profit.
So, if you want to catch up, just email me. But in the meantime, can you “like” this article? The button is at the top of the page.
editorial@observer.com
