It was my birthday yesterday, and of the messages and cards I did receiev there was one from an unexpected source, Facebook! This may not be new but as it would only occur once a year all I can say is that it wasnt in place last year. A nice happy birthday message on my homepage when I signed in made me feel loved by the social network.
facebook remebered my birthday
A nurse in Sweden has been reportedly suspended for posting mobile phone pictures of brain surgery and major back surgery on her Facebook page. The nurse apparently did it to “impress friends with her high-powered job”. I’m sorry, but how dumb is that! This isn’t the first time somebody has suffered on a professional level for their social media activities, when are people going to learn? Remember the story of the budding athlete who was suspended for pictures showing him under the influence of alcohol? Or what about the public schoolboys suspended for being members of a dogging group?
People have got to start waking up to the fact that Facebook and other social networking sites are mainstream channels of information now. Just because you have to log in to see information doesn’t make it a secure environment. People have long been punished in their professional lives for actions in the private lives it is just the case now that people put more information about their out of hours antics in the public domain. If there is anybody you wouldn’t want to know about something, don’t put it on Facebook! If you do Big brother will most definitely see it!
The creators of Facebook have given it a facelift! I have just logged into the new version for the first time and so have probably not seen the full extent of the changes but thought Id post my initial findings. On logging in for the first time you are displayed a message from Facebook explaining the changes to their interface, nothing mentioned but I have posted the message below. Apparently the three goals of the facelift were:
Apparently this is all based upon recommendations made by Facebook users although Im sure I was never asked my opinion! Anyway to the initial observations. The main change appears to be the introduction of tabs on the pages, both profile and home page. On the homepage they have separated out top stories, status updates, photos and posted items. Obviously aimed at objectives 1 and 3. On initial use I actually think this works really well. I do agree that peoples profiles were getting far too cluttered and this enables you to see more easily the information you want. The first page is the wall and minifeed, and expansion on the original minifeed which includes photos and actual wall postings rather than just notifications. This will satisfy the avid facebook user who wants a snapshot of what everybody is up to and in a way brings Facebook and the status updates function closer to the Twitter concept.
The page layout has also changed slightly, with a reduction of content in the left hand margin whilst keeping the 3 column format. They remove this in the photos tab though and you get more of a full album view which makes photo browsing easier. It is also removed when viewing group and fan pages and the navigation which was once on the left has now moved to the header bar.
If I notice anything else interesting I will be sure to post it but the initial observation is that the objective of clean, clear, uncluttered layout has been achieved. I just hope to god that the point about profile control isnt going to lead to the flourescent flashing profile pages that make Myspace so annoying.
I have previously blogged about the increasing use of social media impacting the number of users accessing webmail accounts and now it appears the same is happening with instant messaging services. The number of minutes spent on instant messaging services has dropped by 1 billion minutes in the past year! A billion! bringing the total time spent to 2.9 billion, that over a 25% drop in usage.
The drop is being blamed on the emergence of social networks as communication tools. With Facebook now offering instant messaging and also the multitude of ways you can use to keep in touch through social network, messaging services are apparently becoming unnecessary. As with anything else it is unlikely to be “the end” for these services but it has certainly had an impact. I use messenger for work purposes and Facebook is obviously never going to take the place of that, and you could argue that Facebook is only a rival to messaging to the people who are constantly online, and wont apply to people who only check their account once a week. Either way, 1 billion minutes is a lot to lose.
Is microsoft about to revive the rumours and constant wondering about Facebook buyouts? After every billionaire tycoon and his dog were linked with buying the social media phenomenon it has all been quiet for a while. Now apparently it has come out that Microsoft has put the feelers out about a purchase of the social network. Full article from search engine watch below:
Though Bill Gates was out there telling people Microsoft is not interested in making non-Yahoo acquisitions right now (at least in the search/social world), word comes that Microsoft bankers have sent “feelers” to Facebook about a full acquisition.
Here’s why this is a solid move:
1. Microsoft already owns 1.6% stake in Facebook, worth $240 million
2. Microsoft formed a data portability partnership with Facebook and 4 other networks
3. At least two Google execs have jumped ship to Facebook in recent months
While Facebook has yet to “overtake” MySpace in the social media market, it is a viable competitor. And I’m sure Ballmer would love for Microsoft to own a social network that even Apple has used as a marketing ploy as of late. Recent commercials for the iPhone entice potential customers through the ability to access Facebook on the popular mobile device.
Additionally, internet users are turning to their social networks during their search process. Consumers want answers and reviews and social networks help them get opinions from trusted sources.
The Facebook move would likely be seen by many as a better fit than Yahoo. But expect just as many to see it as a negotiating ploy in their bid for Yahoo. Though Microsoft has officially withdrawn its bid for Yahoo, many analysts expect Ballmer and the team to return to the table for another stab at a grab for the search engine.
