Come look at this
Hey, guys, check this out.The Social Network · 2010 — Chapter 3 of 23 · 2'15" · B2
Mark Crashes Harvard's Network, Explained: an awful lot of
Mark builds Facemash overnight and floods the campus with it, while the dorm's network traffic spikes past anything normal. When the system buckles, the students realize the cause is their own project: "Unless it's a coincidence, I think this is us." The scene is the film's first taste of what Mark can unleash.
What happens
Late at night, Mark creates Facemash, a site that lets students rank women by their photos, and it spreads across campus in hours. The traffic is so heavy that it overwhelms Harvard's network. The students watch the numbers climb and realize the crash is their own doing.
Listen for
check this outan awful lot ofget into troublenot a coincidence
00:00 / 02:15Space play · ← → lines · R repeat
Now
Tap a line to replay it
Phrase of the scene
an awful lot of
A surprisingly large amount of
看到流量飙高，有人说 that's an awful lot of traffic，替后面的崩溃铺垫。
There were an awful lot of forms to sign that morning.
Also in this scene
- check this out
Come look at this
- get into trouble
End up in trouble
- not a coincidence
Not by chance
Everything marked in this scene
19 notes across 41 lines
He blogged about you.Get the hell out of here!A surprisingly large amount of
Man, that's an awful lot of traffic.stress
Man, that's an awful lot of traffic.You think maybe we shouldn't shut it down before we get into trouble?End up in trouble
You think maybe we shouldn't shut it down before we get into trouble?before-clause: The before-clause names the trouble that has not arrived yet.
You think maybe we shouldn't shut it down before we get into trouble?Well, there's a very unusual amount of traffic to the switch at Kirkland.No, this'd be unusual for halftime at the Super Bowl.Harvard's network is about to crash.be about to: be about to marks an event on the verge of happening.
Harvard's network is about to crash.liaison
Harvard's network is about to crash.I can't connect.Unless it's a coincidence, I think this is us.unless-clause: Unless removes the only innocent explanation.
Unless it's a coincidence, I think this is us.weak form
Unless it's a coincidence, I think this is us.Not by chance
It's not a coincidence.Holy shit.Mark Crashes Harvard's Network, explained
What's really going on
The scene marks the moment Mark's talent stops being a private game. Facemash is cruel and fast, built from photos taken without consent, and its success is measured in the only number he cares about: traffic. When the network begins to fail, the line "Unless it's a coincidence, I think this is us" turns awe into responsibility, though no one yet treats it as wrongdoing. The film lets the thrill stand — the crash is impressive before it is dangerous. That excitement, more than any plan, is what the rest of the story will try to manage.
Theme
AmbitionMark turns a dorm experiment into something that takes down Harvard's network in a single night.
PowerFacemash shows how fast one skilled person can disrupt a whole institution, and Mark enjoys the scale of it.
What you'll learn
- Use about to in the same situation
- Hear shut it down as pressure, not small talk
- Catch who the line is aimed at
Listen for
- an awful lot of traffic — stress
- about to crash — liaison
- this is us — weak form
Unless it's a coincidence, I think this is us.The realization line: the crash is not random, and the students know their own project caused it.
Harvard's network is about to crash.A calm, technical announcement of disaster, said as the traffic becomes impossible to ignore.
Man, that's an awful lot of traffic.Awe at the size of the response, and the first sign that the site is out of anyone's control.
No, this'd be unusual for halftime at the Super Bowl.A comparison that puts the traffic in perspective: the spike is larger than one of the busiest moments on American television.
Questions about this scene
What is Facemash?
A site Mark builds overnight that lets Harvard students rank women by their photos. It draws enormous traffic and crashes the university's network.
Why does the traffic crash the network?
So many students visit at once that the switch at Kirkland cannot handle the load. The spike is compared to Super Bowl halftime, which is bigger than normal campus use.
What does Mark's friend worry about?
He asks whether they should shut the site down before they get into trouble. It is the first hint that the fun experiment has consequences.
What does "this is us" mean here?
It means the network failure is caused by their own site, not luck. The line replaces the earlier maybe with certainty about responsibility.
The Social Network · 23 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 4make an example out ofZuckerberg Faces the Ad Board
Chapter 1speak in codeErica Dumps Mark at the Bar
Chapter 2take my mind offMark Builds Facemash
Watching · Chapter 3an awful lot ofMark Crashes Harvard's Network
Chapter 4make an example out ofZuckerberg Faces the Ad Board
Chapter 5a no-brainerWinklevoss Twins Pitch Their Site
Chapter 6in a stampedeMark Pitches the Facebook Idea
Chapter 7off the recordEduardo's Deposition Turns on Emails
Chapter 8bounce aroundFacebook Launches Relationship Status
Chapter 9give someone the fingerThe Winklevosses Debate Suing Mark
Chapter 10Facebook meEduardo Recalls Facebook's Launch
Chapter 11monetizeMark and Eduardo Argue About Money
Chapter 12the minimum amountMark Answers with Minimum Attention
Chapter 13written in inkErica Confronts Mark Over the Internet
Chapter 14the shoe's on the other footSean Parker Wakes Up at Stanford
Chapter 15make that callThe Winklevosses Meet President Summers
Chapter 16a dog in this fightSean Parker Wins Over Mark
Chapter 17stir the potEduardo's Chicken Deposition Story
Chapter 18once-in-a-generationSean Parker Meets Mark in Palo Alto
Chapter 19at our disposalThe Winklevosses Decide to Sue Mark
Chapter 20get left behindEduardo Confronts Mark Over Sean
Chapter 21let bygones be bygonesEduardo Freezes the Company Account
Chapter 22in all honestyEduardo Signs Away His Shares
Chapter 23lawyer upMark Dismantles Eduardo at FacebookChapter 3 of 23 · about 61 min to go