'Facebook Is ‘Just Trying to Keep the Lights On’ as Traffic Soars in Pandemic' diff viewer (1/2)

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Facebook Is ‘Just Trying to Keep the Lights On’ as Traffic Soars in Pandemic	Facebook Is ‘Just Trying to Keep the Lights On’ as Traffic Soars in Pandemic
2020-03-25 02:16:17 UTC	2020-07-09 08:04:26 UTC (4 months later)
SAN FRANCISCO — As the coronavirus spread around the world and people everywhere were ordered to stay home, phone calls over Facebook’s apps more than doubled. In many countries, messaging on Instagram and Facebook soared by over 50 percent, while group calls in Italy jumped by more than 1,000 percent. And hungry for information, people clicked repeatedly on virus news stories shown by the social network.	SAN FRANCISCO — As the coronavirus spread around the world and people everywhere were ordered to stay home, phone calls over Facebook’s apps more than doubled. In many countries, messaging on Instagram and Facebook soared by over 50 percent, while group calls in Italy jumped by more than 1,000 percent. And hungry for information, people clicked repeatedly on virus news stories shown by the social network.
Inside Facebook, that meant the pressure was on.	Inside Facebook, that meant the pressure was on.
“We’re just trying to keep the lights on over here,” Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief executive, said in an interview last week.	“We’re just trying to keep the lights on over here,” Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief executive, said in an interview last week.
As airlines, hotels, restaurants and other companies struggle to stay afloat during the pandemic, Facebook is also laboring to cope with the fallout. But unlike those other businesses, the Silicon Valley giant is being strained by the coronavirus in a different way: Its usage is going through the roof.	As airlines, hotels, restaurants and other companies struggle to stay afloat during the pandemic, Facebook is also laboring to cope with the fallout. But unlike those other businesses, the Silicon Valley giant is being strained by the coronavirus in a different way: Its usage is going through the roof.
Skyrocketing traffic and a crush of new users are now stressing Facebook’s systems just as its 45,000 employees are dealing with working remotely for the first time. The company is also trying to keep its users’ data secure while employees who sift through posts to moderate content do so from home. At the same time, Facebook has added to its workload by promising to do more to limit virus misinformation.	Skyrocketing traffic and a crush of new users are now stressing Facebook’s systems just as its 45,000 employees are dealing with working remotely for the first time. The company is also trying to keep its users’ data secure while employees who sift through posts to moderate content do so from home. At the same time, Facebook has added to its workload by promising to do more to limit virus misinformation.
It is a pressure test moment for Facebook, which has for years grappled with a backlash over privacy and toxic content, but now has a chance to change that narrative and be seen as an essential communications and information tool during the outbreak.	It is a pressure test moment for Facebook, which has for years grappled with a backlash over privacy and toxic content, but now has a chance to change that narrative and be seen as an essential communications and information tool during the outbreak.
“The usage growth from Covid-19 is unprecedented across the industry, and we are experiencing new records in usage almost every day,” Alex Schultz and Jay Parikh, two Facebook vice presidents working on infrastructure, said in a blog post on Tuesday. “Maintaining stability throughout these spikes in usage is more challenging than usual now that most of our employees are working from home.”	“The usage growth from Covid-19 is unprecedented across the industry, and we are experiencing new records in usage almost every day,” Alex Schultz and Jay Parikh, two Facebook vice presidents working on infrastructure, said in a blog post on Tuesday. “Maintaining stability throughout these spikes in usage is more challenging than usual now that most of our employees are working from home.”
What has saved Facebook’s network from crashing altogether, Mr. Zuckerberg said, was that the virus and the quarantines have had the largest impact in just a few areas where Facebook operates. Facebook is banned in China, where the virus first appeared, for instance.	What has saved Facebook’s network from crashing altogether, Mr. Zuckerberg said, was that the virus and the quarantines have had the largest impact in just a few areas where Facebook operates. Facebook is banned in China, where the virus first appeared, for instance.
Those areas that have the highest concentration of people using Facebook’s services during peak hours from home are also spread out by time zone, Mr. Zuckerberg said, which staggers the swell of traffic.	Those areas that have the highest concentration of people using Facebook’s services during peak hours from home are also spread out by time zone, Mr. Zuckerberg said, which staggers the swell of traffic.
“It really is a big technical challenge,” he said. “We’re basically trying to ready everything we can.” He said Facebook had mobilized its engineers to make sure the company has enough computing capacity and adequate support to handle the surges.	“It really is a big technical challenge,” he said. “We’re basically trying to ready everything we can.” He said Facebook had mobilized its engineers to make sure the company has enough computing capacity and adequate support to handle the surges.
The strain has been compounded by Facebook’s work force adapting to working from home, which had been discouraged in the past.	The strain has been compounded by Facebook’s work force adapting to working from home, which had been discouraged in the past.
The company’s executives have long preached internally that face-to-face meetings and in-person collaboration were central to Facebook’s success. The importance of in-person conversation was so great that employees at offices from Singapore to New York were frequently asked to travel to the company’s headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., for quarterly meetings.	The company’s executives have long preached internally that face-to-face meetings and in-person collaboration were central to Facebook’s success. The importance of in-person conversation was so great that employees at offices from Singapore to New York were frequently asked to travel to the company’s headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., for quarterly meetings.
That has made the transition to working from home especially difficult, said four Facebook employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.	That has made the transition to working from home especially difficult, said four Facebook employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
To communicate, Facebook employees were told to use BlueJeans, which provides technology for videoconferencing calls, they said. But they quickly found that calls were frozen, or the video quality so bad that it was hard to make out who was speaking. Many employees instead turned to Apple’s FaceTime feature, Google video hangouts or Zoom conference calls. Some even built their own version of a video conference call, according to two employees.	To communicate, Facebook employees were told to use BlueJeans, which provides technology for videoconferencing calls, they said. But they quickly found that calls were frozen, or the video quality so bad that it was hard to make out who was speaking. Many employees instead turned to Apple’s FaceTime feature, Google video hangouts or Zoom conference calls. Some even built their own version of a video conference call, according to two employees.
Issues quickly piled up.	Issues quickly piled up.
Two days into working from home, some Facebook managers sent the engineering teams a message: limit idle chat on work message boards.	Two days into working from home, some Facebook managers sent the engineering teams a message: limit idle chat on work message boards.
Facebook employees had been posting on those boards at a record rate, according to one employee. While some workers were sharing tips and best practices of how to set up a home office, others were sharing links to buy heirloom seeds for at-home farming, and instructions on how to sew their own face masks, one employee said.	Facebook employees had been posting on those boards at a record rate, according to one employee. While some workers were sharing tips and best practices of how to set up a home office, others were sharing links to buy heirloom seeds for at-home farming, and instructions on how to sew their own face masks, one employee said.
Other snafus surfaced.	Other snafus surfaced.
Last week, a bug within Facebook’s system began marking thousands of posts by major news outlets like Politico and The Sydney Morning Herald as spam, which resulted in the removal of the posts. It took Facebook a day to correct the mistake, as engineers struggled to communicate remotely with one another over how the bug had been introduced and what it would take to fix it.	Last week, a bug within Facebook’s system began marking thousands of posts by major news outlets like Politico and The Sydney Morning Herald as spam, which resulted in the removal of the posts. It took Facebook a day to correct the mistake, as engineers struggled to communicate remotely with one another over how the bug had been introduced and what it would take to fix it.
While they scrambled, rumors spread among Facebook’s users over the source of the bug, with many accusing the company of censoring people’s speech. Internally, Facebook managers said that while the bug was routine, the amount of time it took to fix it was not.	While they scrambled, rumors spread among Facebook’s users over the source of the bug, with many accusing the company of censoring people’s speech. Internally, Facebook managers said that while the bug was routine, the amount of time it took to fix it was not.
“This was just a technical error, and we’re still doing the post-mortem to understand what happened so we can operationalize any learnings from that,” Mr. Zuckerberg said last week.	“This was just a technical error, and we’re still doing the post-mortem to understand what happened so we can operationalize any learnings from that,” Mr. Zuckerberg said last week.
	Updated July 7, 2020
	The coronavirus can stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, mounting scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain super-spreading events reported in meatpacking plants, churches and restaurants. It’s unclear how often the virus is spread via these tiny droplets, or aerosols, compared with larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, said Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech. Aerosols are released even when a person without symptoms exhales, talks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have outlined the evidence in an open letter to the World Health Organization.
	Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
	Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles.
	A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.
	The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.
	The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.
	So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
	Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
	A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
	If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
	If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
Working from home has also made moderating Facebook’s posts more difficult. This month, Facebook put its army of global contractors from outside agencies on paid leave. Those contractors, who number over 15,000, are responsible for sorting through the posts, images and videos that flow through Facebook’s services on a daily basis to weed out sensitive, explicit or hateful material.	Working from home has also made moderating Facebook’s posts more difficult. This month, Facebook put its army of global contractors from outside agencies on paid leave. Those contractors, who number over 15,000, are responsible for sorting through the posts, images and videos that flow through Facebook’s services on a daily basis to weed out sensitive, explicit or hateful material.
As the outbreak spread, contractors were ordered not to come into the office, where they worked on protected networks behind virtual firewalls to maintain user privacy. Many of those contractors do not have the same technology setup at home.	As the outbreak spread, contractors were ordered not to come into the office, where they worked on protected networks behind virtual firewalls to maintain user privacy. Many of those contractors do not have the same technology setup at home.
Facebook is still trying to figure out how to let the contractors continue working. For now, it is relying on full-time employees, who do not have the training or the time, to moderate the posts themselves.	Facebook is still trying to figure out how to let the contractors continue working. For now, it is relying on full-time employees, who do not have the training or the time, to moderate the posts themselves.
Given that, Facebook employees have been asked to remove only the most sensitive, fringe posts, said one employee. The company also told employees that it would rely more heavily on their artificial intelligence systems to flag and remove posts.	Given that, Facebook employees have been asked to remove only the most sensitive, fringe posts, said one employee. The company also told employees that it would rely more heavily on their artificial intelligence systems to flag and remove posts.
“I do think it’s reasonable to expect that for some of the other categories where the severity might not be as imminent or extreme, that we may be a little less effective in the near term while we’re adjusting to this,” Mr. Zuckerberg said.	“I do think it’s reasonable to expect that for some of the other categories where the severity might not be as imminent or extreme, that we may be a little less effective in the near term while we’re adjusting to this,” Mr. Zuckerberg said.