Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Facebook

2009-06-02T19:45:36Z

TruthandJustice:

[[Image:Newfacebooklogo3.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Facebook logo]]
'''Facebook''' is a social website originally used by college students but has recently been opened up to include high schools, middle schools, geographic regions, places of employment, and celebrates. Users can upload pictures of themselves, write blogs, and add people as their friends thus creating a large social network.

==Origins==
Facebook was founded in February 2004 by [[Harvard]] sophomore Mark Zuckerberg, with help from Andrew McCollum and Eduardo Saverin. By December of 2004, after expanding the site to other universities the number of registered users exceeded one million. In August 2005 Facebook obtained the domain name facebook.com and dropped the "the" from the site.

==Value==
It is rumored that Facebook generates around $1 million per week in revenue. <ref>[http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/04/26/facebook-goes-beyond-college-high-school-markets/]</ref>
In September 2006, Yahoo! began talks with Facebook about a possible acquisition for as high as $1 billion. In October Google allegedly offered $2.3 billion.<ref>[http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2006/10/10/first-youtube-now-facebook-rumors-circulate]</ref>

==Privacy Issues==

Compared to [[Myspace]], Facebook gives the user many more options for privacy controls. Under the default private settings, only Facebook users in the same network, or friends of the user, can access another user's profile. There are also separate privacy controls for each type of information (blogs, messages, address and telephone numbers, photos). A user in a completely different network will have no access to another user's profile unless they are added as a friend.<ref> [http://en.allexperts.com/e/f/fa/facebook.htm]</ref> Despite these controls, the same problems exist as with any other networking website:

* Many users post their full address, e-mail address, birthday, and telephone number, and these can be available to their entire network. This information in the wrong hands can be used for purposes of phishing, stalking, or even identity theft.
* Some universities have begun to use students' pages to investigate underage drinking and other violations of university policy. This is very possible, since university faculty and staff can sign up for the same network as their students through their campus e-mail account.<ref> [http://en.allexperts.com/e/f/fa/facebook.htm]</ref>
*The so-called "news feed" has aroused some discomfort among Facebook users, as it collects all changes among one's friends and posts whenever a user logs in.
*The "wall" feature allows a user to send a message to another user which remains on their profile page. This posting is viewable to everyone who can view the page, and shows up on the news feed for all friends of both the sender and the recipient.
*As with Google ads, Facebook collects profile information, and places ads on the page that reflect the user's personal information.

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Online social networking]]

General Motors

2009-06-02T19:41:59Z

TruthandJustice:

'''General Motors''' (GM) automobile manufacturing company was founded in 1908 by William C. Durant, and rose to become the world's leading auto manufacturers from the 120s to 2008, with plants in the United States, Canada and Europe. In 2006, over 9 million GM cars and trucks were sold. Since then a series of massive losses have brought GM to the verge of bankruptcy. Where once it had a 50% share of the market for new vehicles in the United States, the company hopes at best to at least hang on to its current 18% share in the face of fierce competition from Asian makers, and a [[Recession of 2008|recession]] that has forced millions of people to postpone major purchases.

Some of the popular brands of autos designed, produced and marketed by GM include:
*[[Buick]]
*[[Cadillac]]
*[[Chevrolet]]
*[[GMC]]

Brands that are slated to be sold or closed:
*[[Hummer]]
*[[Pontiac]]
*[[Saab]]
*[[Saturn (car)|Saturn]]
* Oldsmobile was closed in 2004.

GM headquarters is located in [[Detroit]], and the company manufactures cars and trucks in 33 countries, employing about 284,000 people globally in 2006, but far fewer in 2009.
==History==
General Motors was originally formed by joining several independent companies: the Olds Motor Vehicle Company, owned by Ransom E. Olds, (maker of the [[Oldsmobile]]); Cadillac Automobile Company owned by Henry M. Leland; Buick Motor Company, founded by David Dunbar Buick, and the Oakland Motor Car Co, the original maker of the Pontiac.

One former head of General Motors, John Z. DeLorean, went on to start his own car company, Delorean Motors, and manufactured the [[DeLorean]] car, famed for its role in the move "Back to the Future"

==Crisis of 2008-9==
see [[Recession of 2008]]

GM went into crisis mode in 2008 as sales fell in half, with dealers' lots jammed with unsold cars. Losses mounted and only emergency loans from the federal government, approved by President [[George W. Bush]], staved off bankruptcy, but the danger perists. On March 29, 2009, the [[Obama Administration]] forced the head of GM to resign, and on March 30 issued a do-or-die ultimatum for the struggling industry, demanding strict financial standards that the carmakers must meet to get more government aid; Obama declared that their industry must survive because it is "like no other, an emblem of the American spirit." In late April 2009 GM announced further downsizing that will reduce its American workforce to 38,000 union employees in 34 plants, compared with 395,000 at 150 plants at its peak in 1970. Nearly half the dealerships will close, striking hard at the economy of many small cities. To restructure itself GM will need to borrow another $11.6 billion from the government. <ref> [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/28/business/28auto.html?hp Bill Vlasic And Nick Bunkley, "G.M.’S Latest Plan Envisions a Much Smaller Automaker," '' New York Times'' April 27, 2009]</ref>
On June first, however, the Obama Administration allowed this once great company to file for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy.
==See Also==
* [[Automobile]]
*[[General Motors Corp. v. Tracy]]
*[[United States v. General Motors Corp.]]

==References==
<references/>
==External links==
*http://www.gm.com/company/corp_info/history/
*http://www.nndb.com/company/018/000046877/
*http://www.ugs.com/about_us/press/press.shtml?id=5464

[[Category:United States Businesses]] [[Category:Commerce]][[Category:Cars]]

Metallica

2009-06-02T19:25:38Z

TruthandJustice:

'''Metallica''' is an American [[thrash metal]]/[[heavy metal]] band known for establishing the thrash metal genre along with Slayer, [[Megadeth]], and Anthrax (known as the "Big Four of Thrash Metal"). Formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by guitarist and lead vocalist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich<ref>http://www.metallica.com/Band/history.asp</ref>, they have become one of the most popular in-concert bands while selling about 90 million records worldwide.<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/artist/2q8c/</ref>

They have released a total of eight studio albums, the most well known being Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets, and Metallica, and plan to release a ninth in September 2008.<ref>http://www.metallica.com/index.asp?item=14828</ref>

The band has come under criticism following their campaign to sue internet users who shared their music on Napster.

==Original lineup==
Originally, the band consisted of;
*James Hetfield (Rhythm Guitar and vocals)
*Lars Ulrich (Drums)
*Dave Mustaine (Lead Guitar)
*Ron McGovney (Bass)

==Kill 'Em All lineup==
Before Metallica's first album was recorded, both McGovney and Mustaine were fired, Mustaine due to his struggles with alcohol and drugs, and McGovney due to his inability to get along with other members. Metallica hired Kirk Hammett to replace Mustaine, and Cliff Burton to replace McGovney. This would be known as the "classic" Metallica lineup.

==After Master Of Puppets==
After Master Of Puppets, widely believed to be Metallica's best album, bassist Cliff Burton died in a tour bus accident in Sweden. He was replaced with Jason Newsted.

==St. Anger==
Just before te recording of Metallica's 8th studio album, Newsted left the band, due to never feeling like he fit in. Producer Bob Rock took over the duty of playing the bass for St. Anger.

==Current lineup==
*James Hetfield (guitars and vocals)
*Lars Ulrich (drums)
*Kirk Hammett (guitars)
*Robert Trujillo (bass)

==Discography==
*''Kill 'Em All'' (1983)
*''Ride the Lightning'' (1984)
*''Master of Puppets'' (1986)
*''...And Justice for All'' (1988)
*''Metallica'' (1991)
*''Load'' (1996)
*''ReLoad'' (1997)
*''St. Anger'' (2003)
*''Death Magnetic'' (2008)

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://www.metallica.com/ Official Metallica Website]

[[Category:Bands]]
[[Category:Rock Bands]]
[[Category:Heavy Metal]]