As far as connection goes, 2G sounds about as antiquated as a fax machine.
But to many people worldwide, especially in emerging markets, that is the standard connection available. Now, Facebook wants its staff to experience what that might be like.
The company is starting what it calls “2G Tuesdays,” to help close the “empathy gap” between Westerners with 3 or 4G, and people in emerging markets when it comes to speed, according to Business Insider.
“I felt like, ‘Whoa!’ ” Facebook engineering director Tom Alison told Business Insider. “It definitely tested my patience — it felt like parts of the product were just broken.”
Facebook employees will have the option of working at 2G speeds for an hour every Tuesday a.m. While an hour is no comparison to living with 2G all the time, they’re hoping it helps them better understand and develop the site’s feeds for audiences where 4G is not available.
