Lei Fisiiahi

On Sunday, March 15, 2011, J.B. Smitts, a reporter from the tabloid Weekly World News, wrote an outrageous hoax that Facebook will close on March 15 of next year. Fans around the world believed it, became furious at the decision that Mark Zuckerberg has supposedly made and some were relieved.

According to wikipedia, from February 2004 to now, Facebook  has become a great deal to societies entertainment. So why would it be shutting down? Once this this article was published, people around the world were furious. According to Facebook’s Director of Corporate Communications, Larry Yu, the news about Facebook shutting down is absolutely false.

The main concern of some parents, teachers, and students were that so many people are using Facebook as another way of “getting out of the house” and not actually interacting with others verbally and physically.

“I’d be pissed if [Facebook] was shutting down,” said Facebook fan Auriel Dela Cruz, a student at Patterson High School in Patterson, California. “It has everything that a person needs without actually  moving anywhere.”

“I like facebook, but I could also care less about it. Why not just pick up the phone and call a family member or go visit them. Let’s get back to basics by communicating, expressing your true feelings toward your family & friend,” said commenter on Smitts article, who goes by he name Shelly A. Stetenfeld. “Be real, no more show boating or trying to impress other people. I’m with Mark, the money doesn’t matter. This world needs more Human interaction. Maybe it should only be available a couple hours a day, that way people don’t waste their [life] on it all the time.”

Some parents, teachers, siblings and even studnts were ecstatic to read the false news about Facebook’s plans to close. They are mainly concerned with the time and effort their kids, siblings, and students put into trying to access Facebook at school using proxy websites and rushing home just to check their Facebook  and updating their status’ every two minutes.

“My children spend half of the day ‘camping’ on [Facebook],” said parent Lute Fisiiahi. “They say they are staying ‘updated’ and staying in contact with their friends. I don’t know what they do, but I am glad that Facebook is shutting down. I can finally come home and not see my kids stuck to the computer screen.”

Another concern was all the personal data that was on Facebook. According to commenter on Smitts Article, who goes by the name Philip Sanderson, his main concern was the personal data. How would it be handled? Will they destroy the HDD or save it just in case they run it back up?The answer is this. Even though Facebook will not be shutting down, those that have personal information in their Facebook page or photo’s are best advise is to delete it now and your photos.

To make it clear, Facebook  will not be closing down. The article on Facebook was a mixture of two different stories that became this big problem about Facebook , a  million dollar company, shutting down. According to the comments on Smtts Article, the commenter’s were gullible enough to believe in Weekly World News, even though all their other stories were a bit ridiculous.

“You guys, its a rumor. Facebook is not shuting down,” said commenter On Smitts Article, who goes by the name Roy. “It said on some other sites that facebook was going to shut down on March 15, 2011, but it [is past that date and now it says it’s going to shut down on] March 15, 2012. So dont worry!”