KEY POINTS:
In the Facebook era, where everyone is spilling their secret thoughts for all to read on a social networking site, it is as if nothing is private any more.
So it might seem highly ironic that Facebook's founder Mark Zuckerberg has been pleading with a Boston court to censure a Harvard magazine that has ferreted out and published a personal journal from his university days and his 2001 application to study at the illustrious college.
The judge, Douglas Woodlock, turned him down and ruled that the documents will stay in the public domain.
Now, visitors to 02138 magazine's website can read all about how the slightly younger Mr Zuckerberg hacked into Harvard computers to access student photographs for a joke website.
"I'm a little intoxicated, not gonna lie...Some of these people have pretty horrendous pics. I almost want to put some of these faces next to pictures of farm animals and have people vote on which is more attractive."
And they can also read how Mr Zuckerberg impressed the Harvard admissions staff with his exploits in extra-curricular activities such as computer programming and fencing.
"Every Tuesday evening, the bell over the Academy Building rings out and invites students on campus to convene at the Love Gymnasium. Each Tuesday, I answer that invitation and go to fence with my peers. Amidst a hectic week of work, fencing has always proven to be the perfect medium; for it is both social and sport, mental and athletic, and controlled yet sometimes undisciplined."
The documents are among those uncovered in court filings by 02138 and used to support an unflattering portrait of Mr Zuckerberg and his legal fight against fellow Harvard students who claim he stole the idea and source code for Facebook from them.
The trio, whose own social networking website ConnectU has failed to take off, want Facebook handed over to them or shut down, but Facebook vigorously denies their claims.
Mr Zuckerberg created Facebook from his dorm room in 2004 and it has attracted 40 million users worldwide.
Microsoft bought a small stake last month, valuing the business at $15bn.
Bom Kim, founder of 02138 said: "The judge concluded that the article was an example of core journalism and that the original documents posted on 02138mag.com increased transparency, offering readers unfiltered access to more information with which to evaluate the story."
- THE INDEPENDENT
