In his latest rebranding process, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg changed the designation of Facebook employees. If previously Facebook employees were known as 'Facebookers', now after changing their name to Meta their nickname has changed to 'Metamates'.
Not only changing the designation of employees, Zuckerberg also changed the order of importance in the company. Employees must prioritize the company (Meta), followed by colleagues (metamates), and finally the individual (me).
In an internal company meeting, Zuckerberg also said that Meta is now carrying 'Move fast together' as the company's slogan. Previously they used the legendary 'Move fast and break things' slogan, before changing it to 'Move fast'.
"Now is the right time to renew the values and culture of our operating system," Zuckerberg said on his Facebook page, as quoted by The New York Post, Saturday (19/2/2022).
The change in the company's nickname and slogan was met with ridicule from some Meta employees and netizens. Some employees say the company's values are seen as a form of indoctrination.
Facebook's Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth said the remarks 'Meta. Metamates. Me' refers to a naval term also used by Instagram. The term Instagram uses is 'Ship, Shipmates, Self,' says Bosworth.
In his tweet, Bosworth also said that the term metamates was coined by writer Douglas Hofstadter after an employee contacted him for ideas.
But Bosworth's explanation was even quipped by Meta employees. In an internal company chat, a Meta employee said: "Does this mean we are on a sinking ship?"
Innuendo does not only come from Meta employees, but also from netizens on social media. One netizen said the nickname metamates sounds like a dating app in the metaverse. There are also those who say the name sounds like it was made by children.
"Metamates? More like metastases," joked one netizen on Twitter.
"Sounds like a brand for condoms," joked another, referring to the Mates condom brand sold in the UK.
The change in the designation of Facebook employees to metamates shows Zuckerberg's obsession with realizing his metaverse ambitions. A few months ago, Facebook changed its name to Meta to reflect this ambition.
But Zuckerberg's pursuit of the metaverse has not always been smooth. Reality Labs, the Meta division of AR, VR, and the metaverse, lost $3.3 billion despite making $877 million in revenue.