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A brief history of Facebook 

Sarah Phillips reports on the development of Facebook, from a Harvard social-

networking website to a global internet phenomenon

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Photograph !P

Mark Zuckerberg, "#, founded Facebook while stud$ing ps$cholog$ at Harvard

%niversit$. ! keen computer programmer, Mr Zuckerberg had alread$ developed anumber of social-networking websites for fellow students, including &oursematch,which allowed users to view people taking their degree, and Facemash, where $ou couldrate people's attractiveness.

(n Februar$ "))* Mr Zuckerberg launched +he facebook+, as it was originall$ knownthe name taken from the sheets of paper distributed to freshmen, profiling students andstaff. ithin "* hours, /,")) Harvard students had signed up, and after one month, overhalf of the undergraduate population had a profile.

he network was promptl$ e0tended to other 1oston universities, the (v$ 2eague andeventuall$ all %S universities. (t became Facebook.com in !ugust "))3 after theaddress was purchased for 4")),))). %S high schools could sign up from September"))3, then it began to spread worldwide, reaching %5 universities the following month.

!s of September "))6, the network was e0tended be$ond educational institutions toan$one with a registered email address. he site remains free to 7oin, and makes a profitthrough advertising revenue. 8ahoo and 9oogle are among companies which havee0pressed interest in a bu$-out, with rumoured figures of around 4"bn :;<=3m> beingdiscussed. Mr Zuckerberg has so far refused to sell.

he site's features have continued to develop during "))=. %sers can now give gifts tofriends, post free classified advertisements and even develop their own applications -graffiti and Scrabble are particularl$ popular.

his month the compan$ announced that the number of registered users had reached #)million, making it the largest social-networking site with an education focus.

?arlier in the $ear there were rumours that Prince illiam had registered, but it waslater revealed to be a mere impostor. he MP @avid Miliband, the radio @A Ao hile$,the actor Brlando 1loom, the artist race$ ?min and the founder of ikipedia, Aimm$ales, are among confirmed high-profile members.

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his month officials banned a flash-mob-st$le water fight in H$de Park, organisedthrough Facebook, due to public safet$ fears. !nd there was further controvers$ atB0ford as students became aware that universit$ authorities were checking theirFacebook profiles.

he legal case against Facebook dates back to September "))*, when @iv$a Carendra,and the brothers &ameron and $ler inklevoss, who founded the social-networkingsite &onnect%, accused Mr Zuckerberg of cop$ing their ideas and coding. MrZuckerberg had worked as a computer programmer for them when the$ were all atHarvard before Facebook was created.

he case was dismissed due to a technicalit$ in March "))= but without a ruling.