If you’re reading this post right now you probably are already very aware of the major outage that Facebook and its sister companies experienced this week – one of the worst in the platform’s history. The outage couldn’t have come at a worse time for the social media giant as a whistleblower recently came forward to discuss problems with the platform. Some people are thinking the outage was too convenient to not have something to do with the whistleblower investigation; namely, destroying evidence. While these conspiracy theories are just that, Mark Zuckerberg still felt it necessary to post a very lengthy update regarding the matter.

It’s a lot to read – but here are the main things we took away from this post:

• A LOT of people think it’s a joke. We aren’t saying it’s an actual “joke,” but people have been “laugh” reacting to it and making fun of it by the thousands. Akemi Sue Fisher, the top commenter on the post reads “CAN WE GET THIS POST FACT CHECKED PLEASE??” only to be followed up by a slew of additional jokesters poking fun at the situation. Can we blame them?
• It sounds like it was written by lawyers. We of course have no way of proving this, but the technical jargon mentioned in the post makes it sound like it was very carefully written by someone with the knowledge of how not to prosecute themselves – and we already know what Mark is like in court.
• It’s garnishing tons of media attention. News platforms are having a field day with Mark’s post, even getting experts to comment their opinions on it. In fact, it’s one of the top-trending topics of the week. Is this just another representation that bad press is still press?
• People are angry — and Mark is trying really hard to defend himself. Self-preservation is a real thing, even on social media. This top comment sums up some of the public’s frustration with Mark’s post, “Here’s what is “illogical” and “doesn’t make sense” (to quote your own words): Why you continue to deny and use backwards logic to deflect from responsibility. All the advertisers here (including some true giants) claim the problems outlined in this week’s Congressional testimony exist. Yet they continue to advertise only because you (FB/IG etc) are too big and they have no other choice. In other words – THEY WOULD STOP ADVERTISING WITH YOU IF THEY COULD BUT THEY FEEL THEY HAVE NO CHOICE BECAUSE YOU’RE A MONOPOLY. So you’re a good guy, with good intentions? Obviously, you believe that. We’d like to believe it. So prove it.” And it’s true, Facebook has been sued by the FTC for their monopoly.
• This is a great example of the problems big business owners face. While we all have dreams of making as much money from our businesses as Zuckerberg, it’s apparent that a lot of stress comes from that kind of job. Maybe flying under the radar and being a small business owner making a moderate living isn’t such a bad thing after all.

What were your takeaways from the post? Do you think you would have handled the situation differently if you were in Zuckerberg’s shoes? Let us know!