Competition among social networks is heating up with Facebook announcing this week, two new features that mimic those of its rivals, Google+ and Twitter.“Smart Lists” allows users to classify friends into different groups and specify the information to be shared with each group; a feature that is similar to “Circles” in Google.
“Subscribe” allows users to follow the status updates of any Facebook member; a feature that resembles “Follow” in Twitter.
The Facebook blog announcing these changes has been bombarded with thousands of comments, many of which criticized the social network for making too many changes too often. Recognising the lack of originality in the two new features, some users have also mocked the social network, calling it Facebook+ and the “Twitter-fication” of Facebook.
I am a regular user of Facebook because I find that it is a cheap and effective way of keeping in touch with friends and families in Singapore. In fact, I opened a Facebook account for my mum before I left Singapore just so that she could read my status updates and view my photos.
The new features on Facebook are not important to me because I believe in keeping my private life private. If you recognise that Facebook is a public journal, you would never have any privacy issues with the current version. Who owns the materials that you post on Facebook anyway? Do you honestly believe that only you have the right and access to those materials when the service is provided to you free of charge?
Have a look at the following video. It presented some of the reasons why I am not keen to put too much private information on social networks.
If you need more details on Facebook’s new features, read The New York Times’ (NYTimes) article on Facebook’s New Friend-Sorting Features. It is an excellent article that highlights at least one major shortcoming of “Smart List” – your friends can see where you have “sorted” them under, unless you change your privacy settings. Now, how “smart” is the list?
NYTimes is an excellent news site for several reasons. First, it features more than 50 blogs that cover a large variety of topics ranging from Politics to Culture, Sports and Technology. Written by reporters, experts and guest writers, these blogs provide interesting personal insights that complement the news items.
Secondly, the website offers impressive multimedia that is available in various formats. From interactive maps to timelines and slide shows, these interesting presentations can be accessed via computers, smart phones and tablet PCs. And if you own a Blackberry, the NYTimes application allows you to customise the type of news you receive, when you receive them and the font size to enhance your reading experience.
However, what impresses me most about the NYTimes is the sheer amount of information and customisation available to users online. Under World News Section, you can customise news by country. Under Science, you can tailor news by topics. Under Technology, you are choose from a list of latest headlines from popular technology blogs. Under Sports, you get the latest headlines from news agencies AP and Reuters as well.
NYT is like a constantly updated digital encyclopedia waiting for you to explore. A great example of how news websites should be like in Web 2.0, it allows users to personalise and automate their daily dose of news, and participate in news making as well by contributing comments and articles.
NYTimes is an excellent news site for several reasons. First, it features more than 50 blogs that cover a large variety of topics ranging from Politics to Culture, Sports and Technology. Written by reporters, experts and guest writers, these blogs provide interesting personal insights that complement the news items.
Secondly, the website offers impressive multimedia that is available in various formats. From interactive maps to timelines and slide shows, these interesting presentations can be accessed via computers, smart phones and tablet PCs. And if you own a Blackberry, the NYTimes application allows you to customise the type of news you receive, when you receive them and the font size to enhance your reading experience.
However, what impresses me most about the NYTimes is the sheer amount of information and customisation available to users online. Under World News Section, you can customise news by country. Under Science, you can tailor news by topics. Under Technology, you are choose from a list of latest headlines from popular technology blogs. Under Sports, you get the latest headlines from news agencies AP and Reuters as well.
NYT is like a constantly updated digital encyclopedia waiting for you to explore. A great example of how news websites should be like in Web 2.0, it allows users to personalise and automate their daily dose of news, and participate in news making as well by contributing comments and articles.
Those unexpected changes Facebook make have created a lot of distrust from users. It is practically a surprise how the Facebook features are going to look like from one day to another.
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While Facebook is making a mess of its own product, mobile phones are catching up! I won't be surprised if Facebook becomes redundant one day with with mobile phones increasingly reclaiming its role as the preferred communication tool of choice. Remember the times when we call our friends to catch up and to stay in touch? Facebook usurped this role while mobile technology was playing catch up. What's to stop mobile companies from having their own social networking tool now? And where would that place Facebook I wonder....
ReplyDeleteIt's a really interesting idea that Kim has brought up. When it comes to phone, I immidiately thought of facebook apps, msn apps...etc...but mobile companies apps. I guess if they'll be the case, then in this future, we'll have no mobile number or charge on mins...but charges on internet usage purely.
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