What? Displaced? The common man? Reality check, dude.

Nobody is on Facebook constantly. It was down for about 30 minutes, tops. The "common man" just did whatever common men do for all those minutes when they're not on Facebook. Maybe, maybe not, they'll make up the slack later.

Sure, someone was inconvenienced because they relied on being able to find some information or send a message on Facebook and couldn't, but I'll bet far, far more people are inconvenienced on a daily basis in a similar way when their smartphone runs out of battery or is stolen or otherwise lost. Or the network (mobile or fixed line) is down.

I didn't use the word "common man" in an "elitist" context, I used it for avid users, which is a lot of people. Most people inside the tech world underestimate the role of facebook for a person who, all their friends, family and loved ones are using it on a daily basis.

I do agree that a lot of people, if not, everybody will not go crazy or be inconvenienced by a 30-minute downtime, not everyone is on it 24/7. I'm just saying I'm interested on where all those man-minutes went to for avid users.

Probably ringing on their neighbours' door, playing Xbox or having lunch with their family, etc.

I think you underestimate facebook addiction.

We'll probably see a peak in birth rate in 9 months.

Part of it is going to HN, obviously :) (case in point)

baby boom in 9 months?

I don't know, maybe ring the neighbours door?

The worlds population is increasing as suddenly people discover relationships in meat space ;-)

Displaced? You probably use it too much. You're very very grossly overestimating the importance of facebook in people's lives.