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Hey yo and welcome to another edition of Tales From The Fish. I am going to talk about Facebook. Yes, that’s right Facebook. I bet you are think why Facebook? Sure we talk about it lots, but I wanted to touch on it and the story that is in the current issue of Rolling Stone magazine.

Facebook as we all know has had it’s share of controversy. That is nothing new. As you may or may not know, there have been allegations of Facebook storing and using your information immoral and possibly illegal purposes. There are those conspiracy theorists who do believe that. This has been going on now for a few years.

We fast forward to 2008 and Rolling Stone magazine has published an article in their current issue about how this idea of Facebook was stolen from a dorm room in Harvard and launched from the very same room. If everybody bitched about someone stealing their idea, than we everybody would point fingers more than they do now. What if Mark Zuckerberg didn’t launch Facebook.com, the Internet’s largest social networking site, would Zuckerberg’s four fellow students have been so quick to point the finger? We will never know.

The problem is he was only one of two people who co-founded Facebook. We always hear of Mark Zuckerberg this, Mark Zuckerberg that and nothing about Dustin Moskovitz, the co-founder. If they are going to hold Zuckerberg accountable than they should hold Moskovitz accountable as well? I have never heard of Dustin Moskovitz till well… now!

You would think that those four students wouldn’t go after one person. If there is more than one founder than why not accuse all parties involved? Those four people do realize that even though they thought of the idea that because they didn’t copyright the idea they legally have no leg to stand on. That’s where taking them to court would lead them to epically fail. On those grounds alone they should leave well enough alone.

I know, I know, you are going to go on the fact that it’s the morality of it all. In business, morals are thrown out the window at many times. Internet business and business in general can be cut-throat at times. That’s why copyrighting, even if it’s an idea is so important. Without an idea being copyrighted, the idea is free for anybody to use.

I understand that Zuckerberg could have gave them credit for coming up with the idea, but their is no code, even though it could be seen as the right thing to do, that credit had to be given. Some would even argue that giving credit could be seen egotistical and used as a way to rub it in their faces that: “We created it first! We created it first!” type mentality. But than again, those four students could have the child-like attitude of: “Stop copying me!” It begs the question, does credit need to be given so he doesn’t look like a thief to people?

Speaking of thief, if everybody were tauted as a thief for using someone’s idea then we would all be guilty of being petty criminals. Again I stress, without copyrights it is anybodies idea.

I guess this won’t be the end of people pointing the finger at Facebook especially Mark Zuckerberg for the things he has done or will do.

Thanks for reading and see you on the flipside…
Mr. C.C.