Facebook is going to be exploding with new applications over the next year. Facebook Enthusiast would like you to list or nominate your favorite products and reasons why you like them so much. Just add a comment to this blog entry. Feel Free to come back and add your thoughts so it may benefit other Facebook users.
If you are a developer of a product or working on a new application, please feel free to post here as well.
Have Fun!
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Facebook Reaches Thirty Million - What Does that Mean to the World?
According to a posting in the official Facebook Corporate Blog, today Facebook passed thirty million members. With this announcement of growth comes a wave of announcements of venture capitalists, developers, angel investors and others joining into a Facebook "gold rush".
Facebook unleashed this growth by moving away from exclusive networks where you needed to connect via an e-mail address with your college domain or corporate domain to being completely open. It expects 75% of its members to be non-college age in a very short time.
This growth of members is also accompanied by an explosive growth of applications. Many of these new Facebook applications are coming from small innovative companies, including some run by 1 to 3 people. Facebook has allowed them to scale by using the Facebook platform to distribute,receive user feedback, and support the project. This tells me that the barriers to entry are very low at this point and that there will be a rush to attract large audiences. The difference between a Facebook application is generally its simplicity or ease of use - no steep learning curve. Most applications can be installed and mastered within minutes.
Also an indication this week of Facebook's emerging clout, is the arrival of the Facebook COO at an annual conference of media moguls sponsored each year by Allen and Co. These include Rupert Murdoch, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Google's leaders, and a host of other A-listers. Why is this important? Media companies are looking at ways to protect their brands from the onslaught of changes brought by the digital age. Facebook provides them various ways in which they might find a new distribution method of digital media.
The last part for those not so familiar with Facebook is its viral distribution capabilities by allowing you to see every minute of the day, what applications your "friends" have installed or removed. Also the applications which appear on friend's profile pages also show even more clearly how the applications look and feel. There is even the ability to grab them for free from those profile pages by clicking the "Share" button within each application. No need to download to your computer and then reinstall. This is all done on the web.
So congratulations Facebook! It is quite a milestone. Facebook is a true platform for the new "eWarriors"
Facebook unleashed this growth by moving away from exclusive networks where you needed to connect via an e-mail address with your college domain or corporate domain to being completely open. It expects 75% of its members to be non-college age in a very short time.
This growth of members is also accompanied by an explosive growth of applications. Many of these new Facebook applications are coming from small innovative companies, including some run by 1 to 3 people. Facebook has allowed them to scale by using the Facebook platform to distribute,receive user feedback, and support the project. This tells me that the barriers to entry are very low at this point and that there will be a rush to attract large audiences. The difference between a Facebook application is generally its simplicity or ease of use - no steep learning curve. Most applications can be installed and mastered within minutes.
Also an indication this week of Facebook's emerging clout, is the arrival of the Facebook COO at an annual conference of media moguls sponsored each year by Allen and Co. These include Rupert Murdoch, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Google's leaders, and a host of other A-listers. Why is this important? Media companies are looking at ways to protect their brands from the onslaught of changes brought by the digital age. Facebook provides them various ways in which they might find a new distribution method of digital media.
The last part for those not so familiar with Facebook is its viral distribution capabilities by allowing you to see every minute of the day, what applications your "friends" have installed or removed. Also the applications which appear on friend's profile pages also show even more clearly how the applications look and feel. There is even the ability to grab them for free from those profile pages by clicking the "Share" button within each application. No need to download to your computer and then reinstall. This is all done on the web.
So congratulations Facebook! It is quite a milestone. Facebook is a true platform for the new "eWarriors"
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
10 Reasons for the LinkedIn Crowd to Spend Time on Facebook
Where LinkedIn is more like being in a business meeting, Facebook is more like a block party.
I was one of the early adopters of LinkedIn and find it extremely useful for serious businsss connections including finding resources for my business or even looking at various career opportunities might present themselves. Many of my more meaningful business contacts who are involved with Web 2.0 areas such as social media, blogging and podcasting are early adopters of LinkedIn as well.
At the beginning of July, I took the leap into the world of Facebook and have found it has deepened my relationships with my contacts from LinkedIn as well as others whom I met via my local social site called www.linktocharlotte.com.
In a Yahoo Group for LinkedIn power users, there was a debate about moving from LinkedIn to Facebook. This seems to be "grass is greener" thinking where an individual member would drop LinkedIn "cold turkey" and move to Facebook.
So what is the differentiator in all of this.
1. Facebook is friendly
2. Facebook allows you to relax and laugh
3. Facebook let's you have a glimpse into the daily routines of your contacts
4. Facebook shows you the thoughts and beliefs of your contacts
5. Facebook has a diversity of shared applications including games and media sharing
6. Facebook has a marketplace
7. Facebook has a sense of community in its group area
8. Facebook integrates other tools such as Skype and StumbleUpon
9. Facebook has more of a "creative class" of artists
10. Facebook can connect families including parents and children
So while a discussion may be out there about whether to move to Facebook. About 20% of my friends on Facebook were first timers whom I invited to join after I set up my profile. About 50% of these newcomers who were my business contacts also quickly have also begun to build their profiles and communities as well.
So take a moment, spend some time on Facebook each day and have some fun, while deepening your relationships. It may turn out to be your new "guilty pleasure" as well.
I was one of the early adopters of LinkedIn and find it extremely useful for serious businsss connections including finding resources for my business or even looking at various career opportunities might present themselves. Many of my more meaningful business contacts who are involved with Web 2.0 areas such as social media, blogging and podcasting are early adopters of LinkedIn as well.
At the beginning of July, I took the leap into the world of Facebook and have found it has deepened my relationships with my contacts from LinkedIn as well as others whom I met via my local social site called www.linktocharlotte.com.
In a Yahoo Group for LinkedIn power users, there was a debate about moving from LinkedIn to Facebook. This seems to be "grass is greener" thinking where an individual member would drop LinkedIn "cold turkey" and move to Facebook.
So what is the differentiator in all of this.
1. Facebook is friendly
2. Facebook allows you to relax and laugh
3. Facebook let's you have a glimpse into the daily routines of your contacts
4. Facebook shows you the thoughts and beliefs of your contacts
5. Facebook has a diversity of shared applications including games and media sharing
6. Facebook has a marketplace
7. Facebook has a sense of community in its group area
8. Facebook integrates other tools such as Skype and StumbleUpon
9. Facebook has more of a "creative class" of artists
10. Facebook can connect families including parents and children
So while a discussion may be out there about whether to move to Facebook. About 20% of my friends on Facebook were first timers whom I invited to join after I set up my profile. About 50% of these newcomers who were my business contacts also quickly have also begun to build their profiles and communities as well.
So take a moment, spend some time on Facebook each day and have some fun, while deepening your relationships. It may turn out to be your new "guilty pleasure" as well.
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