Facebook's drive for global pervasiveness

BusinessWeek has an article describing how Facebook has raced ahead to #1 in global audience growth, ahead of rival MySpace. Overall its membership grew 153% year-over-year in June, the bulk of that growth coming from outside North America. Those members now account for nearly 63% of Facebook's 132 million users. What's interesting is how they've managed to accomplish this.

Unlike MySpace, which expanded outside the English-speaking world by launching local offices and versions of its site, Facebook built translation tools that allow users to personalize the existing site in their native tongue. This approach gave it an early presence in foreign markets that grew exponentially as users encouraged friends to join the site. Facebook, which had been translated into 20 languages including French, Spanish, and Mandarin, has recently added 69 more.

Let's just hope that their translation engine isn't based on the same technology recently used by this fast food joint in China:
















[Via BusinessWeek and AdFreak.com]

Researchers turn to Second Life to promote healthy real-world lifestyles

The University of Houston is launching a worldwide effort to recruit 500 participants for a study of the effectiveness of health promotion activities. The study will take place entirely within Second Life, the Internet's largest virtual world.

The project is part of the UH Texas Obesity Research Center's (TORC) International Health Challenge, and hopes to offer an enjoyable way for participants to learn about preventing and treating obesity through education, skills training and outreach.

Participants will have the opportunity to earn Linden-bucks (that's cold hard cash for you real-worlders) by participating in virtual activities such as walking on treadmills, riding bikes and eating virtual healthy food. "This is an excellent opportunity to learn and practice these new behaviors in a virtual environment and in real life," said Rebecca Lee, associate professor and director of TORC. "It's also a great place to meet other avatars and share information and experiences."

All that virtual exercise and low-calorie dieting may do wonders for your avatar's figure, but wouldn't would-be participants benefit more by spending less time in front of the screen and more time exercising in the REAL world?

[Via Physorg.com]