Meta

3996 snips

Oct 28, 2024

Dive into the world of Meta, where over 3 billion users connect daily. Discover the fascinating backstory of Mark Zuckerberg, from coding ZuckNet to launching Facebook. Explore the revolutionary 'Like' button and the bold innovations that shaped social media. Delve into the intense rivalry with Google and the challenges of privacy and misinformation. Finally, experience the ambitious shift towards AI and augmented reality, as Meta navigates its evolving identity in the tech landscape.

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ANECDOTE

Early Influences

Mark Zuckerberg's passions were video games, programming, and classics.
Civilization's 4X strategy and multiple win conditions influenced his approach to business.

ANECDOTE

Precocious Programmer

At age 10, Zuckerberg learned C++, an advanced programming language.
His passion for coding led to early projects like ZuckNet, a family chat tool.

INSIGHT

AIM's Impact

AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) was the first viral consumer software, unintentionally hackable and extensible.
This provided a canvas for young programmers like Zuckerberg to experiment and learn.

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Perl for dummies

Paul E. Hoffman

Perl For Dummies provides an introduction to Perl programming, aiming to help beginners learn the basics of the language. However, some editions have been criticized for their structure and clarity. The book includes tools and instructions for creating Perl programs and using pre-written scripts.

Ender's Game

None

Orson Scott Card

Set in a future where humanity is threatened by the Formics, an insect-like alien species, the novel follows Ender Wiggin, a child prodigy who is drafted into Battle School at the age of six. Ender undergoes intense military training, including zero-gravity battles and psychological manipulation, to prepare him to lead the human fleet against the Formics. The book explores themes of war, leadership, and the moral complexities of using children as soldiers. It is known for its deep and complex sensibilities, and its ability to pose profound questions about the nature of war and humanity.

The Facebook Effect

The Inside Story of the Company That is Connecting the World

David Kirkpatrick

This book provides the exclusive inside story of Facebook, from its inception in a Harvard dorm room to its current status as a global phenomenon. David Kirkpatrick, with the full cooperation of Facebook’s key executives, chronicles the company’s creation, its rapid growth, and its significant influence on social life, marketing, politics, and business. The book highlights Mark Zuckerberg’s unwavering vision and his focus on growth over profits, as well as the company’s successes and missteps. It also explores how Facebook has become instrumental in various aspects of modern life, including political protests and social interactions worldwide.

C++ For Dummies

7th Edition

Stephen Davis

C++ For Dummies, 7th Edition, is a highly acclaimed guide that makes learning C++ easier. The book is fully revised for the 2014 update, with over 60% new content, including a new focus on Big Data. It provides step-by-step instructions from the ground up, helping beginners become programmers and allowing intermediate programmers to sharpen their skills. The book covers classes, inheritance, optional features, and teaches 10 ways to avoid adding bugs. It also includes a companion website with all the code mentioned in the text, an updated GNU_C++ compiler, and other applications. This guide is designed for hands-on learning and is suitable for both new programmers and those familiar with other languages.

The Prize

The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power

Daniel Yergin

The Prize chronicles the struggle for wealth and power that has surrounded oil for over a century. The book spans from the drilling of the first well in Pennsylvania through two great world wars, the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, Operation Desert Storm, and the Iraq War, to current climate change. It is a definitive work on the subject of oil, addressing its role in shaping major world events, global power dynamics, and the ongoing energy crisis. Yergin's narrative includes the rise of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil, the discovery of oil in various regions, and the geopolitical clashes over oil resources, making it crucial for understanding world politics and the global economy[2][3][5].