Face Squatting
Did you stay up until midnight (eastern time) on June 12 to get your Facebook URL? I did, despite a bad case of jet lag in Indiana. You can find me at facebook.com/benmartens. I set an alarm, got up, watched the countdown clock, and snagged it within the first thirty seconds. I wasn’t alone. It was a massive land grab. 500,000 people signed up in the first 15 minutes, 1 million in the first hour, and 3 million in the first 12 hours.
Why is it important? I don’t know. If Facebook really is around for a long time (the odds are against that) then it will be an easy way to send people to my profile. Since you only get one name and you can’t change it, it’s nice to know that I snagged the name I wanted.
Did you? If you haven’t yet, go to facebook.com/username and get your address. The odds are that it will never matter, but if it does, you’ll be prepared.
Kudos to Facebook for handling the incredible rush of traffic!