The Facebook

I often wonder if people feel like I do after watching a movie again that you may have watched years in the past. I find that the movie communicates to me in a different way because my life experiences have changed, I’ve seen more, done more and my mind has developed based on our ability to overcome challenges and cope with change. I watched The social Network when it first aired nearly a decade ago, on television and didn’t side with Mark Zuckerberg at that time. I shared the opinion of his ex girlfriend who broke up with him in the opening scene. Life has a way changing our perception, empathy and reliability of our instincts and prejudices. Communication is unavoidable, so much so that even not communicating is still communicating something. Mark Zuckerberg’s character embodies this very notion.

My overall impression of the movie The Social Network is that there either needed to be a sequel or more explanation of the nature of the relationship between Mark and the Winklevoss twins. It is only in the deposition as testimonial evidence is being exposed that we learn that Mark had avoided them. I think that it’s hard to empathize with Mark, if we the audience aren’t in on the points where the emails are coming in from the twins. It sets the tone I think for Mark’s character. However, if the message of this movie is the triumph in the end, that Mark would win this battle in court, no matter what charges, law suits or claims were brought up against him, then that’s probably why the focus wasn’t on the details of Mark and the twins relationship. Or, maybe omitting their relationship in detail was some evil plot to make sure Mark was as compelling as the twins who were (I’m assuming the antagonists). That is if you believed that Mark is the good guy who had an amazing mind that couldn’t fit in the Winklevoss twin’s box.

To numerate one of the most memorable moment in the film for me was when Mark addressed the judge in his case who asked “don’t I deserve your respect?” And he answered in the most poetic manner ending with, “did I adequately respond to your condescending question?

The point in question is whether (the) Facebook was stolen or not. In our discussion while watching the movie, we were divided as an audience. Some of us believed the idea was stolen while I believe the idea is only stolen if you grab the entire concept without your own originality, creativity and thought in it. As a business owner for 15 years, my ideas have been stolen numerous times, yet I stand with Mark because he did what the twins could not. He was able to take what he had an obvious passion in (and demonstrated it in an indisputable manner) and turn it into something groundbreaking. Had Mark failed, he would not have faced a lawsuit or any attention. If Mark was the missing element to the twins having any sort of success in their own venture, I think it’s safe to assume that the Winklevoss’s had nothing to begin with.

What I learned and hope the twins learned was to get the ball rolling in protecting intellectual property early on in the process of creating a business. Not forgetting that signed non disclosure forms are required before spilling any trade information. Communication between new business partners is key especially when the venture has such high stakes. The break down in communications ended up paying off 65 million ways for the twins. Like I stated early on, communication is unavoidable, so much so that even not communicating is still communicating something.