How Facebook Changed the Face of Communications

Fan or not of Facebook, it can be readily argued that this social networking giant has become the champion communication medium of all time. Yes, there are other contemporary applications, like Twitter, Pinterest and Snapchat; however, when it comes to sheer numbers, Facebook sits atop the clouds. It has expanded beyond its wildest dreams and seeks total world domination as Earth’s primary communication medium. Much like Amazon controls the world of online commerce, Facebook dominates the communication spectrum.

Billions

As of the third quarter of 2016, Facebook had 1.79 billion monthly active users. Additionally, there are now over 1 billion Messenger users worldwide. Most importantly, Facebook makes money—lots of it. Facebook’s annual revenue will reach $12 billion in 2016!

Facebook is the innovator on communication speed, and they have built an empire on creating the largest communication medium in the world. Moreover, they are expanding it by searching out methods to bring the Internet to more and more peoples.

They are quite keen on connecting the world, and this includes the use of unmanned drones to “light up” the world with Internet access. Using a solar-powered plane, technicians on the ground control and monitor the drone, which is designed to help bring Internet access to the 4 billion people who are not connected. To fully implement “Operation Internet,” they have formed Internet.org (www.Internet.org) as a Facebook-led initiative with the goal of bringing Internet access and the benefits of connectivity to the two-thirds of the world that does not have it. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said, “Our goal with Internet.org is to make affordable access to basic Internet services available to every person in the world.”

In an article written on May 21, 1968, titled “Comm Procedure over Long Distances,” L. Ron Hubbard states:

“When a positive method of fast comm is established, that system is improved and other impositive methods are given secondary importance.”

Facebook certainly embodies that concept, as they keep working on their communication system in all forms from Internet to mobile. Just when you think they have peaked, they somehow come up with more users. They want to bring the Internet to more people so they can get more users. Facebook keeps its core qualities while adding on infrastructure (acquisition of Instagram, WhatsApp and Oculus VR).

Positively Yours

Facebook’s mission is to make the world more open and transparent, which they believe will create greater understanding and connection. This places a very positive spin on everything they do. Communication is as close to instantaneous as you can get, whether making a comment on someone’s status, sending a personal message, or going live with your own miniature broadcast network.

No Anarchy Here!

Not wanting to paint Facebook in too rosy a light, it is important to note that Facebook is not a democracy; it has a corporate structure that seeks to have its way. And things can get completely crazy—witness the recent few months of election insanity. It was like an online civil war, with friends turning on friends and families turning on each other. As a result, you cannot count on Facebook for your daily news report. It got to the point where you could not tell the truth from the lies, and even the truth was too much to bear. Bottom line: Facebook could be complete anarchy if they did not have policy and terms of engagement in place. Somehow these stable points keep it going.

Facebook has developed a set of community standards to make it a safer place (although, as stated during the presidential election process, you may question this). Nevertheless, Facebook lives by its policies; to violate them puts you at risk of banishment, and to many, there cannot be a worse punishment than to be cut off from your community. (Their policies clearly state, “We want people to feel safe when using Facebook.”)

Anyone who has encountered the dreaded suspension message knows that Facebook enforces their policies.

As can be seen, Facebook has a very strong purpose and mission to connect the peoples of Earth and create a community, and they follow that purpose very closely.

But it is this speed that has increased the scope and power of their organization, in alignment with this datum from Mr. Hubbard in his 1968 article where he states:

“Power is proportional to the speed of particle flow external and internal in an organization.”

It sure seems that Facebook has accomplished this speed of particle flow and, in fact, continues to do so.

Is your communication system operating at optimal speed?

oOo

Send us your feedback. E-mail: prosperity@wise.org

Issue: 16120702INT