• On GameFAQs: Xbox 360: Better vertical or horizontal?
January 7, 2009 7:42 AM PST

Zuckerberg: New year, 150 million Facebook users

by Caroline McCarthy

It was only a matter of time. Social network Facebook says it has hit the milestone of 150 million active users, just more than two months after reaching 120 million and about four months after reaching 100 million. The site hit 140 million in the middle of December.

The announcement was made on the Facebook company blog by founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Should Facebook sustain this rate of growth, the 5-year-old site could hit 200 million users before Zuckerberg reaches his 25th birthday this spring.

Nearly half of those 150 million members, Zuckerberg wrote, use Facebook every day. Most of the site's new members now come from outside the United States. "This includes people in every continent--even Antarctica," the post read. "If Facebook were a country, it would be the eighth most populated in the world, just ahead of Japan, Russia, and Nigeria."

But Facebook Nation wouldn't be a financial heavyweight just yet. The company has made it clear that right now, it's focusing on growth over revenues.

That can be precarious, especially during difficult financial times, when Facebook's deep-pocketed backers may find those pockets a bit shallower. As some critics have pointed out, server power and other infrastructure costs are not as cheap internationally as they are in the States.

Reaching a milestone like this is obviously a big victory for Zuckerberg and the rest of Facebook, and the company insists that it's in solid financial shape to handle this kind of growth. That said, it'll only escalate the speculation--did anyone really believe that gossip about Facebook would end along with 2008?

Caroline McCarthy, a CNET News staff writer, is a downtown Manhattanite happily addicted to social-media tools and restaurant blogs. Her pre-CNET resume includes interning at an IT security firm and brewing cappuccinos. E-mail Caroline.
Recent posts from The Social
Going rogue? Palin bans gadgets, reporters from speech
Facebook: We're going after scammy ads, too
Offerpal Media mess gets stickier
After onstage spat, Offerpal replaces CEO
Beatles catalog comes to USB
MySpace changes terms of use to combat app scams
Twitter translates into Spanish
Spotify: A love song
Add a Comment (Log in or register) (6 Comments)
  • prev
  • 1
  • next
by frankceriona January 7, 2009 11:57 AM PST
sure, i know about face book that is a famous social networking website. i have another website related to social networking which compare any other networking site.

thanks
Reply to this comment
by Benigna-Marko January 10, 2009 7:28 PM PST
which one?
Benigna Marko
by WeCanDoBIZ January 8, 2009 4:12 AM PST
That's pretty impressive and will do a lot to help win Facebook Connect more friends amongst the many other sites on the web which, in turn, will make Facebook even more compelling.

Things just get better and better for Zuckerberg. He really starts to need to think about revenues soon though, as all these new users will be eating hardware, which needs money.

Ian Hendry
CEO, WeCanDo.BIZ
http://www.wecando.biz
Reply to this comment
by Benigna-Marko January 10, 2009 7:27 PM PST
Wow, that is amazing. It is no wonder, and sort of makes sense. Think about all the people that are still not in facebook. What other country does it wipe out?
Benigna Marko
Reply to this comment
by author20 February 19, 2009 1:48 PM PST
Major Announcement by Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook
Sneaky policy that permits Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg. to re-impose his claim copyright ownership rights of every message, photo and music file they'd ever put on Facebook. This is quite shocking. People have got to start moving to other social networks.

http://www.actionclips.tv/video/327364-major-announcement-by-mark-zuckerberg-of-facebook.html

<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KlYnTMfTdNQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed>
Reply to this comment
by Benigna-Marko August 22, 2009 10:53 AM PDT
Waiting on this tuype of the ultimate. We will definetly keep our eyes on this. Connecting is the bestthing.
Reply to this comment
(6 Comments)
  • prev
  • 1
  • next
advertisement

FAQ: Buying the right Windows 7 upgrade

Readers still have lots of questions on just which version of the software they need to buy in order to upgrade their PC. CNET News tries to offer some answers.

N.Y. lawsuit details Intel's 'largesse' toward Dell

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's federal antitrust case filed Wednesday alleges a longstanding symbiotic relationship between Intel and Dell.

About The Social

CNET News' Caroline McCarthy is a downtown Manhattanite who believes that, despite popular opinion, the Web can actually help your social life. She's happily addicted to fun social-media tools from Twitter to Yelp to Facebook, sends an inordinate number of text messages, and has a tendency to waste time at the office reading restaurant blogs. Here, she explores all facets of the Web's gregarious side, as well as the unique tech culture in her home city of New York. (Don't call it Silicon Alley.)

Add this feed to your online news reader

The Social topics

advertisement
advertisement

Inside CNET News

Scroll Left Scroll Right