
Facebook goes beyond
2 November 2021It’s official: Facebook got a new name and became Meta. Mark Zuckerberg announced it as we were almost going to press, in a video and a post on his famous social network: Facebook will not be limited to social media exclusively; it will become a piece of a new and improved technological “universe.”
Let us make it clearer: Facebook will still be called Facebook, but it will be part of an updated and redefined social puzzle, a “metaverse.” “We are at the beginning of the next chapter for the internet, and it’s the next chapter for our company too,” Zuckerberg explained. “To reflect who we are and the future we hope to build, I’m proud to share that our company is now Meta. Our mission remains the same — it’s still about bringing people together. Our apps and their brands aren’t changing either. We’re still the company that designs technology around people,” he added.
The “Facebook galaxy,” which includes Instagram and WhatsApp among other things, aims to become a “metaverse.” “The next platform will be even more immersive,” Zuckerberg said, promising that the user will be “in the experience, not just looking at it. We call this the metaverse, and it will touch every product we build. The defining quality of the metaverse will be a feeling of presence — like you are right there with another person or in another place. Feeling truly present with another person is the ultimate dream of social technology. That is why we are focused on building this.” Zuckerberg continued. “In the metaverse, you’ll be able to do almost anything you can imagine — get together with friends and family, work, learn, play, shop, create” or even live “completely new experiences that don’t really fit how we think about computers or phones today.”
There is also a “future project” where “you will be able to teleport instantly as a hologram to be at the office without a commute, at a concert with friends, or in your parents’ living room to catch up. This will open up more opportunity no matter where you live. You’ll be able to spend more time on what matters to you, cut down time in traffic, and reduce your carbon footprint.”
But why “Meta”? “I used to study Classics, and the word ‘meta’ comes from the Greek word meaning ‘beyond.’ For me, it symbolizes that there is always more to build, and there is always a next chapter to the story. Ours is a story that started in a dorm room and grew beyond anything we imagined,” becoming “a family of apps that people use to connect with one another, to find their voice, and to start businesses, communities, and movements that have changed the world.” “We have built things that have brought people together in new ways,”, Zuckerberg added. “Now it is time to take everything we’ve learned and help build the next chapter. I’m dedicating our energy to this — more than any other company in the world. If this is the future you want to see, I hope you’ll join us. The future is going to be beyond anything we can imagine,” he concluded.
Oscar Giacomin / General Manager, Facto Edizioni
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