Date: 03-12-2008
Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive of Facebook, admitted to a series of missteps in a keynote address at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival during an onstage interview with BusinessWeek’s Sarah Lacy, who was widely criticized by the audience in attendance. Zuckerberg, who did not get to properly respond to Lacy’s sometimes irrelevant questions, did speak about Facebook’s controversial Beacon venture, stating that “we probably got a little bit ahead of ourselves” and “we are still learning as a company.” Zuckerberg also talked about the Microsoft deal, his overall plans for the company to “help people to communicate and connect,” and the launch of Facebook’s French-language version, which is targeted at millions of francophones worldwide. After the interview, he told media sources that he preferred people talking about the company’s plans rather than focusing on the meaningless sensation created by the audience backlash against Lacy.
