Ebook: Facebook: The rise and rise of a social media giant

In February 2004, whilst at Harvard, Mark Zuckerberg and friends created "The Facebook". What started as just a website for one university spread through academic institutions, developed into an application platform, and then became an entire web ecosystem. It has become one of the dominant forces on the internet in the early 21st century. The simple idea of connecting people together into networks of friends sharing their personal details has made Mark Zuckerberg, on paper at least, one of the wealthiest men on the planet. Despite his nationality and computer geek background, in 2011 the Guardian named him as the most influential person in the UK's media. This is the story of the rise and rise of Facebook, as told in six years of original journalism, writing and comment in the pages of the Guardian and the Observer.