The internet is flipping out over the rumor that Facebook will be done and over starting March 15th, 2011. This story has gone so far as to reach Huffington Post, a sensationalist periodical in their own right. What everyone who didn’t take the time to do a quick search of the term “Facebook Shutting Down” and click a couple times haven’t realized is that the source of the rumor is none other than the OG of fake-news hype, Weekly World News.
This newspaper, now supposedly defunct has been creating fake news since waaay before the Onion was ever conceived of. Images of drug dealers being sawed in half, young adults moving into nursing homes, Bat Boy making such an impact on the world as to be worthy of an off-Broadway play – wacky!
*But wait, Chris Burns, editor for SlashGear – isn’t the post I’m reading right this second all about hype as well? No. Dispelling a rumor isn’t the same as burning a fat one before breaking out the keyboard to create and speed up rumors that have no basis in reality. If this post gets hits, it’s because people are curious about the real truth in the matter, and they’ve found their way here, to the truth mill.
Take a peek at the original text of the WWN post that started a furious lol-fest:
PALO ALTO, CA –Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook will be shut down in March. Managing the site has become too stressful.Huffington Post quote :
“Facebook has gotten out of control,” said Zuckerberg in a press conference outside his Palo Alto office, “and the stress of managing this company has ruined my life. I need to put an end to all the madness.”
Zuckerberg went on to explain that starting March 15th, users will no longer be able to access their Facebook accounts.
“After March 15th the whole website shuts down,” said Avrat Humarthi, Vice President of Technical Affairs at Facebook. “So if you ever want to see your pictures again, I recommend you take them off the internet. You won’t be able to get them back once Facebook goes out of business.”
Zuckerberg said that the decision to shut down Facebook was difficult, but that he does not think people will be upset.
“I personally don’t think it’s a big deal,” he said in a private phone interview. “And to be honest, I think it’s for the better. Without Facebook, people will have to go outside and make real friends. That’s always a good thing.”
Some Facebook users were furious upon hearing the shocking news.
“What am I going to do without Facebook?” said Denise Bradshaw, a high school student from Indiana. “My life revolves around it. I’m on Facebook at least 10 hours a day. Now what am I going to do with all that free time?”
However, parents across the country have been experiencing a long anticipated sense of relief.
“I’m glad the Facebook nightmare is over,” said Jon Guttari, a single parent from Detroit. “Now my teenager’s face won’t be glued to a computer screen all day. Maybe I can even have a conversation with her.”
Those in the financial circuit are criticizing Zuckerberg for walking away from a multibillion dollar franchise. Facebook is currently ranked as one of the wealthiest businesses in the world, with economists estimating its value at around 7.9 billion.
But Zuckerberg remains unruffled by these accusations. He says he will stand by his decision to give Facebook the axe.
“I don’t care about the money,” said Zuckerberg. “I just want my old life back.”
The Facebook Corporation suggests that users remove all of their personal information from the website before March 15th. After that date, all photos, notes, links, and videos will be permanently erased.
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 Trends and 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: 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."
Source : Slashgear ; weeklyworldnews ; huffingtonpost
0 comments:
Post a Comment