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I'd take issue with that number, since the inertia of authenticated user count, or unique HTTP session count, or even raw network request traffic isn't profoundly relevant at this point. In fact, it hasn't been for a while. Authentic user identification ceased to matter, when two things happened. 1. facebook opened its doors to non-collegiate email address account creation (a throttle that actually regulated real names and authentic identity). 2. major news outlets started pushing facebook as part of "The Blogosphere" which offered a fundamental signal to TV land, that viewers could find the next AOL on facebook. After that, user head count became smoke and mirrors, and a lie. Sure, you can gain an understanding of how many people know who Mario and Luigi are, by how many Nintendo consoles are sold, but that's not what matters, when your making movies, holding conventions, and you've got business agreements cemented with global news outlets, for perpetual free publicity, for as long as news gets pushed through channels like CNN and Fox News. There's enough brainwashing power in that, such that people feel safe to dump casual banter and get sloppy with conversations inside facebook, revealing locations and insight to give a glimpse of a cut of social activity for the safe-for-work crowd. And that's what Facebook is up to by now. It's just forum software, to replace old school bulletin boards, and offer impromptu mix of craigslist style performance art and classifieds, that maybe grandma might see. |