Mark Zuckerberg Wins Time's Person of the Year, Assange Passed Over

Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of the well-known American social networking site "Facebook", was named as the 2010 "Person of the Year" by the U.S. magazine Time on the 15th.

Previously, Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, had a high chance of winning and was leading in the online poll. However, the review team ultimately selected Zuckerberg.

Richard Stengel, editor of Time, explained that Zuckerberg connected more than 500 million people worldwide and mapped out their social connections, an unprecedented innovation. The new information exchange system he founded is now indispensable to the public, though sometimes it can be "a bit scary." He has changed the daily lives of the public in more creative and even more positive ways.

Speaking about the influence of Facebook, Stengel said that this is not only a new technology, but also a social project. "It changes the way we connect with each other. In fact, it is affecting humanity in a way we have never seen before."

Time wrote in the biography of the elected person that within less than seven years, Zuckerberg connected the global public through the social network of Facebook. "We have entered the 'Facebook' era, and Mark Zuckerberg is the one who brought us here."

After learning about his selection, Zuckerberg posted a message on his Facebook homepage saying that being chosen as the "Person of the Year" by Time was an honor for him and a recognition of his team's work. Billions of people hope to make this world "more open and closely connected" through the Facebook website.

Zuckerberg's election as "Person of the Year" sparked much controversy in the United States. According to the U.S. Huffington Post, "from Silicon Valley to Wall Street, many were shocked by this decision." The media reported that shortly after Time announced the news, more than 10,000 protesters rushed to Time's office in Manhattan, New York, to hold a protest.