Social networks are used by two-thirds of the estimated 220 million online users in the USA, says Karsten Weide, an analyst at IDC. (IDC) An estimated 200,000 new folks sign up for Facebook each day.

Facebook’s influence runs deep because the Internet is at the same stage that the computer operating system was in the mid-1980s, says analyst Peck. The tech company that controls the mechanism for buying and selling ads online will hold remarkable sway over the Internet industry for years to come — just as Microsoft did through its Windows operating system.

Throughout, the magazine features a cleaner, bolder look with department slugs and oversized page numbers that are designed to aid navigation. To elevate the profile of BusinessWeek’s long-form stories, Adler recently appointed Robert Hunter as assistant managing editor for features; with the redesign, features will open with dramatic spreads.