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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
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550 Facebookers Per Second Vie for New URLs

Members claimed vanity addresses at more than 550 a second

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(Newser) – Facebook’s offer of personalized URLs drew 500,000 members in 15 minutes after midnight today, Bloomberg reports. “We saw higher than usual traffic,” said a spokesman. “Planning allowed us to handle that traffic well.” The feature, designed to make Google searches easier, allows the site’s 200 million users to name the URL attached to their profiles—but analysts say it could backfire.

“Squatting”—users grabbing names to prevent others from having them—may ensue, and companies could feud over vanity URLs. “Facebook is going to spend a lot of time mediating these disputes,” said one attorney. But one eager user in Singapore had no complaints: “It was a really funny experience," she said. "Sadly, this is the most fun I have had all week.”

A newly acquired Facebook URL. The caption she wrote on Flickr:
A newly acquired Facebook URL. The caption she wrote on Flickr: "Got that over with."   (Flickr)
Facebook is added to XBox Live online community at Microsoft's XBox 360 media briefing to open the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) on June 1, 2009 in Los Angeles, Calif.
Facebook is added to XBox Live online community at Microsoft's XBox 360 media briefing to open the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) on June 1, 2009 in Los Angeles, Calif.   (Getty Images)
In this photo illustration the Social networking site Facebook is displayed on a laptop screen on March 25, 2009 in London, England.
In this photo illustration the Social networking site Facebook is displayed on a laptop screen on March 25, 2009 in London, England.   (Getty Images)
Facebook said members registered new user names at a rate of more than 550 a second after it offered them the chance to claim a personalized URL.
Facebook said members registered new user names at a rate of more than 550 a second after it offered them the chance to claim a personalized URL.   (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)
Facebook said members registered new user names at a rate of more than 550 a second after it offered them the chance to claim a personalized URL.
Facebook said members registered new user names at a rate of more than 550 a second after it offered them the chance to claim a personalized URL.   (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg smiles in this file photo.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg smiles in this file photo.   (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
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3 comments
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IN RESPONSE:
Jezze
Jun 13, 09 7:42 PM CDT
Im guessing you tried these social networking sites and didnt like them because you have very few, if any friends... which makes you a loser, retard.
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shonangreg
Jun 13, 09 5:19 PM CDT
I think the social networking sites are not nearly not nearly as useful or good as they are portrayed. I have only 30 or so facebook friends, for example, but I have to try pretty hard to keep the number down. The people with 200+ facebook friends are compensating for something, or they are totally missing the point and just giving facebook more ad money by selling off their privacy. .................. However, I did get my ID url's -- one within a few seconds of the opening. I had the name already on my clipboard, so I might have been one of the first. And they shouldn't be called "vanity url's." Facebook should have made the link to your account a version of your account name from the beginning. What a clusterfuck this has turned into now with people being able to get other user's ID's as their link. .................... Bad facebook! Bad! Reply
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IN RESPONSE:
Mr.C
Jun 14, 09 1:09 AM CDT
if i can handle more than 30 friends in real life I think I can handle them online.
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