The Social

Network
Submitted by: Tricia Marie L. Cubillas
2nd year St. Matthew

Submitted to: Everly Abad

The Social Network
Directed by: David Fincher

Plot/Summary:
The framing device throughout the film shows Mark

Zuckerberg testifying in depositions in two lawsuits: one filed by

the Winklevoss twins, and the other filed by Eduardo Saverin. Through

flashbacks from both depositions the Facebook creation story is told.

In 2003, Erica Albright breaks up with Harvard University student Mark

Zuckerberg. Back at his dorm, Mark writes a scathing and drunken blog

entry about her, and is inspired to create a website that rates the

attractiveness of female students when compared to each other. He

hacks into the databases of various residence halls, downloads pictures

and names of female students and, in a few hours, using an algorithm for

ranking chess players supplied by his best friend, Eduardo Saverin, he creates a website called "FaceMash,"

where students can choose which of two girls presented at a time is more attractive. Mark receives six months

of academic probation after the traffic to the site brings down parts of Harvard's network, and becomes vilified

among most of Harvard's female community. However, FaceMash's popularity and its one-night creation, while

drunk, brings him to the attention of Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, identical twins and members of Harvard's

rowing team, and their business partner Divya Narendra. As a result, he gains a job working for the Winklevoss

twins as the programmer of their website,Harvard Connection.

Soon afterward, Mark approaches Eduardo and tells him of his idea for what he calls "Thefacebook", an online

social networking website exclusive to Harvard University students. He explains this would let people share

personal and social information securely. Eduardo agrees to help Mark, providing $1,000 to help start the site.

They distribute the link to Eduardo's connections at the Phoenix S-K final club, and it quickly becomes popular

throughout the student body. When they learn of Thefacebook, the Winklevoss twins and Narendra believe

Zuckerberg had stolen their idea while stalling on their website. Tyler and Divya want to sue Mark for intellectual

property theft, but Cameron convinces them they can settle the matter as "Harvard gentlemen" without the

courts. Meanwhile, Mark continues to add features like "relationship status" to the profile page, since "people

don't walk around wearing signs."

At a visiting lecture by Bill Gates, fellow Harvard University student Christy Lee introduces herself and her friend

Alice Cantwel to Eduardo and Mark. She asks the boys "Facebook us"; Christy's use of this phrase impresses

both of them. Christy invites them to a bar where Mark runs into Erica, who is not aware of Thefacebook

because she is not a Harvard student. Mark decides to expand the site to more schools. As Thefacebook grows

in popularity, they expand to other schools in the Northeastern United States, while the Winklevoss twins and

Narendra become angrier at seeing "their idea" advance without them. Cameron refuses to sue them, instead

accusing Mark of violating the Harvard student Code of Conduct. Through their father's connections they
arrange a meeting with Harvard President Larry Summers, who is dismissive and sees no potential value in

either a disciplinary action or in Thefacebook website itself.

Through Christy, now Eduardo's girlfriend, Eduardo and Mark arrange a meeting with Napster co-founder Sean

Parker. When Christy, Mark, and Eduardo meet Sean, Eduardo becomes skeptical noting Sean's problematic

personal and professional history. Christy thinks Eduardo is jealous of Sean, and attempts to calm him to avoid a

scene. Sean presents a vision for Facebook similar to Mark's and impresses him. In a parting comment, Sean

suggests they drop the "The" from Thefacebook.

At Sean's suggestion, Mark moves the company to Palo

Alto, while Eduardo remains in New York seeking

advertising support. Meanwhile inEngland, while competing

in the Henley Royal Regatta for Harvard, the Winklevoss

twins discover Facebook has expanded to a number of

universities there. Cameron finally relents and they decide

to sue. When Eduardo visits from New York, he is angered

to find Sean is living at the house they have rented and is

making business decisions for Facebook. After arguing with Mark, Eduardo freezes the company's bank account

and returns to New York. Upon returning, Christy argues with Eduardo about his Facebook profile, which still lists

him as "single". When Christy questions Eduardo about why he has not changed his Facebook profile, he tells

her he does not know how to, further infuriating Christy because she believes he is lying. She cites his profile as

evidence he cheated on her with promiscuous women in Silicon Valley and sets fire to a scarf he has given to

her as a gift. While Eduardo extinguishes the fire, Mark reveals on the phone that they have secured money

from an angel investor through Parker's contacts. As a result of Christy's behavior, Eduardo ends his relationship

with her.

Eduardo soon discovers the deal he signed with Sean's investors has allowed them to dilute his share of the

company from thirty-four percent to three hundredths of a percent, while maintaining the ownership percentage
of all other parties. He confronts Mark and announces his intention to sue him. Later that night, during a party

celebrating Facebook's 1 millionth member, Sean and a number of Facebook interns are arrested for possession

of cocaine. In the final scene, a junior lawyer for the defense informs Mark they should settle with Eduardo, since

the sordid details of Facebook's founding and Mark's personality will make a jury highly unsympathetic. The film

ends with Mark sending a friend request to Erica on Facebook, and refreshing the page every few seconds

waiting for a response.

 Reaction Paper
The Social Network directed by David Fincher, starring Jesse Eisenberg is about a sudden
boom about the title itself, social networks. It simply shows the side of reality, application when it
comes to us, users of these social networking sites, such as Facebook. Facebook is one of the top
social networking sites that millions of people who is fond of such entertainment and fun it can bring
to us. Just like in this movie. As Mark Zuckerberg had the idea of a way to communicate and socialize
with others through the net, informations have to be spilled and seen all over the site which our own
personal infos are revealed and somehow our private lives can be affected.
The movie didn’t bring entertainment to us, but it has the touch of reality, and effects of the
modernized technology we have nowadays.
I believe that the movie must be watched by several people, especially teenagers since they
are the most interested and affected by this kind of things. Your personal informations are leaked;
hackers are everywhere, affects your private lives. How can we handle such just because of social
networks?
The movie itself refers to the rules that has been neglected and much of following your wants
and forgets to consult other people to have a glimpse of what they think. It shows the birth of million
dollars with just the creation of “The Facebook” but then, it touched and affects a lot of people,
including Mark’s bestfriend and was able to sue him for such.
Yes, you may have such an intelligent brain, attached to the modern technology but never
neglect the advantage we may get from it. But alongside with what the movie wants to imply, I
simply agree. Social Networks must be used limitedly. Too much of everything may lead to
something. Something we all did not expect and may harm us on a different way.