Archive for the ‘World Connections’ Category

Showing Connections

Paul Butler is an intern with a data engineering team at Facebook. He came up with a brilliant idea to create a map of the world that shows the connections of friends on Facebook. The project began with a random group of 10 million pairs of friends. As he adjusted the design of the site, continents and individual countries began to appear.

The lines on the map represent connections of people on Facebook. The brighter portions of the graphic represent multiple connections of people between those areas. There are no graphics other than the lines that map friend connections. No boarders, no markings of cities. All of the lines represent interaction.

This interaction is taking place for both individuals and businesses. International commerce is easier than it ever has been. I have done businesses with firms in Africa, Europe and Australia through my Internet connections. And a lot of my communication with these people is through Facebook.

A Map Of The Free World

This is a map of the Social Media revolution. And that revolution has taken place primarily in the free world. The United States and Canada nearly run together. Eastern Europe and India are well defined. Indonesia, the Philippines, New Zealand and the populated portions of Australia showing the connections between the cities around Perth and cities of the country’s east coast. South Korea and Japan look like a pair of islands in the middle of nowhere.

The Missing Communist Nations

Take note of the lack of connections in China. The lines that pass this area are connecting individuals from neighboring nations. Russia is nearly vacant with some faint lines coming out of Moscow.

Facebook Connections:

Click on the image for a larger view.

Who do you connect with around the world?

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