About 400 folks gathered at the Bethesda Marriott and Convention Center to listen to Chris Hughes Co-founder of Facebook and Developer of My.BarackObama.com.The event was hosted by the Tech Council of Maryland as part of their TECHknowledge Speaker Series.
Steve Silverman director of Montgomery County Economic Development Board set the mood when he said he wanted to ask Chris how parents could become their kid’s Facebook friends..
Chris Hughes started by saying that “Information is a record of an idea” and Chris made light of the fact that opening a presentation with the word “information” is nerdy and described himself as a nerd. The current information revolution is driven by the size of your screen now unlike the early days of print there was a different measure for capacity . Everyone has become a information creator. Everyone in the room raised their hands when asked if they were on Facebook and Chris Hughes joking remarked that “ and they say Facebook is for kids”
The 3 principles behind the creation of Facebook were :
1. Trust and privacy
2. Focus on utility
3. Believe in the power of crowd
When Facebook opened up to let users create their own apps the many ways in which users used Facebook grew including people doing their own language translations.
Facebook is way for people to find people you know and you may have lost touch and to connect again and lead a better life. Facebook has uses during natural disasters. Facebook not a place to meet people or to broadcast messages – its to connect with people you already know.
Facebook is creating a digital imprint of all our actions, feelings, comments and turns this information into a record.. Facebook helps in creating transparency removing the barriers to open communication. Chris Hughes left Facebook in Feb 2007 to go and work for the Obama Campaign. The campaign raised more than 2M in donations that were less than $200 each.
Fundraising, knocking on a lot of doors, events, making people talk to friends is a basic thing for political campaigns. Social tools help make this easier. Share, connect and act my.barackobama.com was a set of tools to help people connect with other similar people who wanted to be involved. 1500 videos were shared with thier stories of helping the campaign and everyday stories of the campaign volunteers.A majority of Obama fundraising was done online
Every business has a different way to adapt to technology. You cannot replicate Facebook and expect to succeed.
Opportunity:
Make it easy for people to share and spread information that gets them excited. If people don’t like your company they will tell their friends. everyone has a network and they use it for good and bad. Greater pressure than ever to make customers happier.
Opportunity for companies to listen and I am glad at Network Solutions has been listening to customers in the Social Media and helps customers on Twitter as @netsolcares
Other folks who wrote or Tweeted about the event:
exilauren: #ChrisHughes – co-founder of facebook & one of the best presenters I’ve ever seen/heard thanks #mdtechcouncil!
juliaworth: @chrishughes thanks for sharing your social media insight today at the techcouncil of MD!
HeatherLynn11: ” #tech is not just for geeks…not only for kids!” Chris Hughes
gbtc: RT @shashib Companies are actually responding on twitter says Chris Hughes – absolutely check @netsolcares
FinTel: Chris Hughes, Facebook, impressive presentation for a 24 yr old w a brief work history. Engaging.
jenmiller13: FB is in 70 languages and 70% of users are not in the US (according toChris Hughes).
techcouncilmd: Chris Hughes speaking about Facebook + technology
ClearedJobsNet: information is a record of an idea Chris Hughes
KarenKalantzis: I am about 20 feet away from Chris Hughes, co founder of Facebook at a TCM breakfast.
meararanadive: Hearing @facebook founder Chris Hughes speak at MDYC breakfast!
colbcox: Just talked to Chris Hughes, now getting ready to listen to him speak at the TCM event in Bethesda
and http://colbcox.wordpress.com/2009/12/02/anyone-everyone-is-part-of-the-new-information-revolution/
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