"February 4th, 2004" Gage reads.
(COMPUTER SCIENCE LAB)
Mark is working at a station. It's a frigid, snowy February day in Cambridge but Mark's in his hoodie and cargo shorts nonetheless. It looks like he hasn't slept in days. On his monitor we can see that he's working on the profile page for theFacebook. Dustin Moskovitz steps up to him quietly.
"Mark?" Dustin says, trying to get his attention.
Mark turns his head and looks at him...
"There's a girl in your art history class. Her name is Stephanie Attis. Do you happen to know if she has a boyfriend?" Dustin asks.
Mark just keeps looking at him--barely even blinking--"Why am I being interrupted?"
"Have you ever seen her with anyone? And if not, do you happen to know if she's looking to go out with anyone?" Dustin asks.
"Dustin, People don't walk around with a sign on them that says--" Mark starts to say.
And Mark stops short right there. Because in his head, he's just come up with a brilliant idea.
Mark gets up and runs out of the room as if there were a bomb about to explode. But the only bomb was the one in his head.
"Mark?" Dustin asks as he watches his friend randomly leave the room.
(KIRKLAND HOUSE/LOBBY)
The heavy door bursts open and Mark comes busting through. He makes his way with speed and intent up a flight of stairs. He gets to his floor. He sprints down his hall toward his dorm room and barely notices Eduardo leaning against the door.
"We were supposed to meet at 9," Eduardo says.
Mark is searching the pockets of his shorts for his keys.
"Have you slept yet?" Eduardo asks Mark.
Mark opens the door and they go into his suite.
"I have to add something," Mark says.
"What?" Eduardo asks.
Mark's in his own world as he sits at the computer and calls up theFacebook. The home page fills the screen.
"Shit, Eduardo says. "That looks good, that looks really good!" He says with a smile.
"It's clean and simple. No Disneyland, no Live Nude Girls," Mark states.
"But watch." He says.
Mark's called up the Emacs program and quickly writes out several lines of code...
"What'd you write?" Eduardo asks.
Mark goes back to the profile page. There's a new area to be filled in....
"Relationship Status", "Interested In". "This is what drives life at college. Are you having sex or aren't you. It's why people take certain classes, and sit where they sit, and do what they do, and at its, um, center, you know, that's what theFacebook is gonna be about," Mark explains. He continues, "People are gonna log on because after all the cake and watermelon there's a chance they're actually gonna-- "
"get laid." Eduardo says as he assumes that was what Mark was going to say.
"meet a girl. Yes." Mark says.
"That's really good!" Eduardo exclaims.
"And that's it," Mark says.
"What do you mean?" Eduardo asks.
"It's ready," Mark says.
"It's ready?" Eduardo asks.
"Yeah," Mark answers.
"Right now?" Eduardo asks.
"That was it, and here's the masthead." Mark says.
Mark hits another couple of keystrokes and the website's masthead comes up.
"You made a masthead," Eduardo says as he sees the masthead on the screen.
"Yeah," Mark says.
"Eduardo Saverin. Co-Founder and CFO." Eduardo reads off the screen.
"Yeah," Mark says again.
"You have no idea what that's going to mean to my father," Eduardo says with a huge smile.
"Sure I do," Mark says as he smiles back.
"When's it gonna go live?" Eduardo asks.
"Right now," Mark says. "Get your laptop out," he finishes.
"Why do we need my laptop?" Eduardo asks.
"Because you've got e-mails for everyone at the Phoenix," Mark explains.
"I'm not sure if it's gonna be cool with them that I spam their--" Eduardo starts to say.
"This is not spam," Mark interrupts.
"No, I know it's not spam--" Eduardo starts to say again.
Mark interrupts again,"If we send it to our friends it'll just bounce around the Dworkin," Mark says.
"I haven't gotten in yet," Eduardo says referring to the Phoenix.
"These guys know people and I need their e- mails," Mark says.
"Sure," Eduardo says as he finally gives in.
"Good," Mark says.
Eduardo takes out his laptop.
"Gimmie the mailing list," Mark says.
"Jabberwock12.listserv@Harvard E-D-U." Eduardo reads the email adress.
Mark opens up an e-mail and is writing a short message, then includes a link to the site.
"These guys. They're literary geniuses because the world's most obvious Lewis Carroll reference-- " Mark says about the Phoenix guys.
"They're not so bad," Eduardo defends them.
"I'm just saying," Mark says.
"You're right," Eduardo says now agreeing with Mark.
Mark hits "Send".
"The site's live," Mark says with a smile.
"You know what? Let's go get a drink and celebrate. I'm buying," Eduardo says.
Mark is staring at the computer.
"Mark?" Eduardo tries to get Marks attention.
Mark doesn't hear him. He is stuck in his own mind full of happiness and shock. Mark has just launched what is going to make him a zillionaire.
YOU ARE READING
The Social Network
Non-FictionHarvard student Mark Zuckerberg creates the social networking website that would become known as Facebook, but is later sued by two brothers who claimed he stole their idea, and the co-founder who was later squeezed out of the business.
