MIKE ZUCKERBERG just announced Facebook has one billion active users. Really? What does this monumental milestone actually signify? How does one prove there are one billion active viewers? One thing is certain, there should be more than a trillion targeted marketing messages and advertisements populating Facebook sites. Facebook’s public offering six months ago opened at $38 per share and is still sinking into a faceless abyss. A few years ago I was totally dialed into the power of social media—I reminded students, “If you’re not on Facebook, you don’t exist.” The incessant flood of advertising is impacting the hyper-technical millennials who are looking for places to call their own. One begins to imagine what happens after Facebook? Perhaps the socially positive aspects of Facebook such as, political freedoms, humanistic needs, community safety and overall physical well-being will find a new digital paradigm with one billion active users.
Martin Mendelsberg's Graphic Issues 
Back in the noughties, about 1999 and 2000, we in the finance industry used to value websites by the number of users. Where the profits were coming from was something we would worry about later.
It seems they still haven’t figured out that on the Internet, like everywhere else, you value companies by how much money they earn. Facebook is a charity really, offering a free service to the people of the world. And it’s not sustainable indefinitely. The bubble will burst.
Veronica, Thanks very much for the reply to the post. I did champion the virtues of social media marketing as a brand consultant but these past few months have been teaching me the value of human voice, the physicality of books and engagement with all tactile experiences. Best, Martin
Thank you for this, Martin. Nearly one year ago I un-plugged from Facebook. My hundreds of ‘friends’ didn’t seem to notice (no emails yet). I am waiting for the digital paradigm you mention in the closing comment.
Shalom.
Thanks Michael, I’m still plugged but I use the 80/20 rule of professional work teaching and family. You do a wonderful job with your teaching blog. Best, Martin
Well stated Martin. I never joined Facebook because I prefer the “old school” approach of face to face communication. Cheers, Hugh Alexander
Hugh, Thanks for your reply. I haven’t given up on Facebook completely. However, I think we can achieve a balance between face-to-face interactions as well as the more global communication opportunities social networks can offer for meaning conversations and dialogs. Last year I joined Research Gate: a fantastic place for discussions on a myriad of topics. Best, Martin