She said yes! Graph Search is used for good in this social media-made proposal

By Jam Kotenko March 6, 2013

twitbook-proposal — Image used with permission by copyright holder

We know we’ve been doing a lot of reporting that may shed a not-so-attractive light on Facebook’s newest Graph Search feature, but this is not one of those stories. This one might actually leave you with some warm fuzzies for Graph Search, and remind you that social media can be an awesome way to convey real emotion during important life milestones. Take a look at this video and tell us you didn’t crack a smile:

Aptly titled ‘A Twitbook Proposal’, this 9-minute video features Twitter staffer Genevieve Wong being proposed to by longtime boyfriend and Facebook employee, Jon Park. If watching wedding proposal videos is already part of your routine, this one would make a great addition to your list simply for its uniqueness. If you don’t know how Graph Search works, this sort of doubles as a tutorial to help you navigate through the new Facebook service (and help you easily find photos with your significant other so you can properly chronicle your life story together).

Park employed real genius by using products that were developed by the companies they worked for, proving that social media should not be shunned as a tool that takes the romance out of real-life relationships. In fact, much like email and video chatting, sites like Facebook and Twitter help long distance couples cope better with their relationship—just ask these folks.

Thanks for demonstrating why social media is so awesome, Jon and Genevieve – and congratulations!

Editors' Recommendations

2020 forced Big Social to address its flaws, but it’s too late for an easy fix

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

When she's not busy watching movies and TV shows or traveling to new places, Jam is probably on Facebook. Or Twitter. Or…

Social Media

Bluesky barrels toward 1 million new sign-ups in a day

Social media app Bluesky has picked nearly a million new users just a day after exiting its invitation-only beta and opening to everyone.

In a post on its main rival -- X (formerly Twitter) -- Bluesky shared a chart showing a sudden boost in usage on the app, which can now be downloaded for free for iPhone and Android devices.

Computing

How to make a GIF from a YouTube video

woman sitting and using laptop

Sometimes, whether you're chatting with friends or posting on social media, words just aren't enough -- you need a GIF to fully convey your feelings. If there's a moment from a YouTube video that you want to snip into a GIF, the good news is that you don't need complex software to so it. There are now a bunch of ways to make a GIF from a YouTube video right in your browser.

If you want to use desktop software like Photoshop to make a GIF, then you'll need to download the YouTube video first before you can start making a GIF. However, if you don't want to go through that bother then there are several ways you can make a GIF right in your browser, without the need to download anything. That's ideal if you're working with a low-specced laptop or on a phone, as all the processing to make the GIF is done in the cloud rather than on your machine. With these options you can make quick and fun GIFs from YouTube videos in just a few minutes.
Use GIFs.com for great customization
Step 1: Find the YouTube video that you want to turn into a GIF (perhaps a NASA archive?) and copy its URL.

Social Media

I paid Meta to ‘verify’ me — here’s what actually happened

In the fall of 2023 I decided to do a little experiment in the height of the “blue check” hysteria. Twitter had shifted from verifying accounts based (more or less) on merit or importance and instead would let users pay for a blue checkmark. That obviously went (and still goes) badly. Meanwhile, Meta opened its own verification service earlier in the year, called Meta Verified.

Mostly aimed at “creators,” Meta Verified costs $15 a month and helps you “establish your account authenticity and help[s] your community know it’s the real us with a verified badge." It also gives you “proactive account protection” to help fight impersonation by (in part) requiring you to use two-factor authentication. You’ll also get direct account support “from a real person,” and exclusive features like stickers and stars.