Letting readers call all the shots is great for community but bad for business
By Edmund Lee of The Big Money
Facebook, the world’s largest social network, suffered under the tyranny of its own users in early February after the company rewrote its long-standing terms of service. Many members interpreted the revised rules to mean that the company would own every bit of uploaded ephemera, resulting in closed accounts and a rash of anti-Facebook groups—on Facebook. Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg clarified the company’s position, but users wouldn’t budge, many commenting with the same four words: “Delete my account, please.” After three days, Facebook reinstated the original terms.
