Lawsuit seeks to shut down Facebook - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Dion · 07-24-2007, 07:00 PM

http://calgary.theglobeandmail.com/s...gtfacebook0724

BOSTON — The owners of a rival social networking website are trying to shut down Facebook.com, charging in a federal lawsuit that Facebook's founder stole their ideas while they were students at Harvard.
The three founders of ConnectU say Mark Zuckerberg agreed to finish computer code for their site, but repeatedly stalled and eventually created Facebook using their ideas.

The lawsuit's allegations against Zuckerberg include fraud, copyright infringement and misappropriation of trade secrets. It asks the court to shutter Facebook and give control of the company and its assets to ConnectU's founders.

Facebook has responded by asking a judge to dismiss the lawsuit. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Boston.

FireFly · 07-24-2007, 08:02 PM

Shutting Facebook down would just piss off the people on facebook. I know I wouldn't join the site for the people who shut it down. They're better off to try and take ownership of it.

Hemi-Cuda · 07-24-2007, 08:04 PM

why don't they just work on making their site the next big thing. first it was myspace, then facebook, and in a year or two it'll be something else

OutOfTheCube · 07-24-2007, 08:06 PM

I bet it goes more like this:

Everyone but the programmer thought their idea sucked so they gave up on it, then the progammer did it himself and it turned out to be a hit. Now the people are just trying to cash in.

HOOT · 07-24-2007, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

why don't they just work on making their site the next big thing. first it was myspace, then facebook, and in a year or two it'll be something else

Exactly. There are how many of those exact websites hanging around on the internet, it just happen to be facebook people choose, for whatever reason. I still haven't figured out the difference between Facebook or Hi5, but appartently everyone had to leave one for the other.

HelloHockeyFans · 07-24-2007, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HOOT

Exactly. There are how many of those exact websites hanging around on the internet, it just happen to be facebook people choose, for whatever reason. I still haven't figured out the difference between Facebook or Hi5, but appartently everyone had to leave one for the other.

Yeah, whatever it is, Facebook is the site of choice now for people to use. As you mentioned, there have been tons of similar sites (Hi5, Friendster), but none have caught on like Facebook has.

The key was the creators of Facebook took a good, but flawed idea, and improved it. Comparing Friendster and Facebook, they are pretty much exactly the same (profiles, Facebook has its 'Wall' and Friendster has its 'Testimonials') except Facebook took all of Friendster's concepts and added the ability to re-connect with friends of old by implementing the highschool and university networks.

Bobblehead · 07-24-2007, 08:33 PM

This has been in the courts for 3 years already.

Quote:

After beginning to work on the brothers' site, Zuckerberg "then went MIA for a few months and suddenly came out with Facebook," according to one Harvard grad familiar with the dispute. On January 11, 2004 Zuckerberg registered thefacebook.com, three days after sending the Winklevoss brothers an email promising to deliver a "functioning website" for Harvard Connection. On February 4, 2004, Zuckerberg officially launched Facebook, a move the brothers say "usurped" their "valuable business opportunity."

link

Thor · 07-24-2007, 08:34 PM

Facebook wont shut down, at most this is a settlement.

JohnnyB · 07-24-2007, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HelloHockeyFans

Yeah, whatever it is, Facebook is the site of choice now for people to use. As you mentioned, there have been tons of similar sites (Hi5, Friendster), but none have caught on like Facebook has.

The key was the creators of Facebook took a good, but flawed idea, and improved it. Comparing Friendster and Facebook, they are pretty much exactly the same (profiles, Facebook has its 'Wall' and Friendster has its 'Testimonials') except Facebook took all of Friendster's concepts and added the ability to re-connect with friends of old by implementing the highschool and university networks.

There's actually quite a history behind Facebook in the US, which provides explanations for why it's so big. It's only become a big thing in Canada recently, but in the US it started as a university only networking tool (originating at Harvard), which required you to have a '.edu; email account to join. That provided a social status reason for being a part of Facebook in the US, as well as the foundations for the networks that reconnect you with old friends now.

Torture · 07-24-2007, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

There's actually quite a history behind Facebook in the US, which provides explanations for why it's so big. It's only become a big thing in Canada recently, but in the US it started as a university only networking tool (originating at Harvard), which required you to have a '.edu; email account to join. That provided a social status reason for being a part of Facebook in the US, as well as the foundations for the networks that reconnect you with old friends now.

facebook was the same in canada until this year

JohnnyB · 07-25-2007, 01:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Torture

facebook was the same in canada until this year

Really? I had never heard of it in Canada until this year, whereas my friends at American universities had been familiar with the program for ages and it was very popular among them.
I guess it just wasn't popular in Canada until recently.
Anyways, it's history still relates to explaining the reconnecting friends bit, and one part of why it's so popular.

icarus · 07-25-2007, 02:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

Really? I had never heard of it in Canada until this year, whereas my friends at American universities had been familiar with the program for ages and it was very popular among them.
I guess it just wasn't popular in Canada until recently.
Anyways, it's history still relates to explaining the reconnecting friends bit, and one part of why it's so popular.

I joined in summer of 2005 and there were already a gazillion people on the Queen's network...

cgy2london · 07-25-2007, 02:33 AM

i liked the good old days when you had 2 be part of a univeristy network now you have every pre teen in the league joining requesting all these stupid aplications

STeeLy · 07-25-2007, 03:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cgy2london

i liked the good old days when you had 2 be part of a univeristy network now you have every pre teen in the league joining requesting all these stupid aplications

Completely agree with you. I joined facebook in September of last year since that was my first year of University. I liked it then, I don't like it as much now because of all these stupid kids who use it.

tripin_billie · 07-25-2007, 07:01 AM

Here here to all those opposed to Facebook opening up. I liked it when it was university only. Now all I get is spam from people I should have never accepted as friends. No, I do not care that you are going clubbing in a city across the country from me, so stop sending out mass invitations you attention whores!

Resolute 14 · 07-25-2007, 07:15 AM

Anything that shuts facebook down is good. Anything that wants it restarted under someone else's control is bad.

Superflyer · 07-25-2007, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dion

BOSTON — The owners of a rival social networking website are trying to shut down Facebook.com, charging in a federal lawsuit that Facebook's founder stole their ideas while they were students at Harvard.
The three founders of ConnectU say Mark Zuckerberg agreed to finish computer code for their site, but repeatedly stalled and eventually created Facebook using their ideas.

Sounds like someone went to the Bill Gates school of software enginering.....get hired to write a program and stall until your contract is up and then tweek it just a little bit so that you can use it yourself to make millions\billions, GENIUS!

GreenTeaFrapp · 07-25-2007, 09:18 AM

This is just a publicity grab by ConnectU. Who had ever heard of ConnectU until this thread?

Now people that want to escape Facebook might recognize this option.

mykalberta · 07-25-2007, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superflyer

Sounds like someone went to the Bill Gates school of software enginering.....get hired to write a program and stall until your contract is up and then tweek it just a little bit so that you can use it yourself to make millions\billions, GENIUS!

Funny you mention that, after Zuckers disciplanary action for hacking Harvard's student directory site for his hot/not pic knockoff he dropped out. In an article it mentioned that Zuckers attended a guest lecture by Gates where he had pretty much encouraged students to drop out and persue opportunities because you can do that at Harvard and it has no impact on your economic standing.

I still dont know what the premise of the lawsuit is. Facebook is not a new idea (myspace etc) so the suit must be in respect to code. And unless there was a non-compete clause Zuckers is in his right to take that idea and run with it. Might not be ethical but isnt illegal.

Facebook is strong right now because of its US College roots and because of the recent sale of myspace to NewsCorp.

I personally hate Facebook because it connects you with people who you wouldnt otherwise be connected with. NewsFlash - I havent talked to you since HighSchool for a reason, I didnt like then and I that hasnt changed so quit sending me damn Facebook invitations (19 so far).

MYK