Facebook hits 175 million user mark

A little more than a month after announcing it had 150 million active users, Facebook has reached 175 million active users--the statistic the social-networking site prefers to use, rather than registered accounts overall.

Dave Morin, who runs Facebook's application platform team, announced the milestone Friday evening on his Twitter/FriendFeed. Facebook reached 150 million just more than two months after reaching 120 million and about four months after reaching 100 million.

While Facebook got its start at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., in 2004, most of this recent growth is coming from outside the U.S.

"This includes people in every continent--even Antarctica," CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a blog post last month. "If Facebook were a country, it would be the eighth most populated in the world, just ahead of Japan, Russia, and Nigeria."

However, as we have pointed out before, server power is expensive, especially overseas. Facebook has raised a ton of venture capital, is reportedly hunting for more, and says it's in good financial shape. That brings backs the question, however, if it's growing faster than it ever expected to.

[Inconnux]

damn I hate facebook and its horrible layout. Canceled my account because of its redesign.

[musandpix]

Iconnux: 175 million users would tend to diagree. Can you provide an example of a
a layout which improves upon Facebooks? Just curious to see what you think is 'better'.

[iertry]

I personally noticed a surge in users. I've had an account for months but only 1 or 2 friends did In the last week I've had over 50 friend requests. All these requests have been from people moving from Bebo to Facebook.

[Cheese McBeese]

I've noticed a corresponding degradation in performance over the past weeks. Photos have even become unstable. Anyone else?

[knowles2]

Yeah I notice it. It has becoming overall slower to. Especially some of the Apps.

[manualfunky]

1/380,952 of active users are on my friends list...

[ChrisLang]

Wait until these new Facebookers poor into Digg thru Facebook Connect.

Going to be some interesting Diggin days.

[colombia05]

i believe that facebook and other socila netwworking systems can be both good and bad. for example, it can be good because people get to talk to their friends and family and get to meet new people. but they can also meet new people that aren't very nice and might try to hurt them. for example, many bad people such as hackers and abusers of children, have myspaces and facebooks to find people to track down.

[ryanrigney22]

Everything in life can be good and bad. This isn't a very insightful comment FYI

[musandpix]

Nothing succeeds like success. I joned Facebook about 2 month ago, and am pleased with my experience thus far. My life does not center around either Facebook or the internet, as it does for many people. Staring at moniters all day and having 'electronic' interactions is not my idea of LIVING. Facebook, however, provides all the funtionality I think is worthwhile: 'wall-to-wall' communication is quick and easy. Posting links, photos, video, audio - SIMPLE and fast (although file size limitations are currently unacceptable!). As a tool, Facebook excels.
As a 'way of life' - which some of these folks seem to use it for - I have only one response:
GET A LIFE.

[TAMA158]

I personally dont agree with facebook at all...