Looking Forward to the New Facebook Controls and Chat

Not a Portfolio.com Insider?

In This Issue of Condé Nast Portfolio

Home > Views > Blogs > Tech Observer > Looking Forward to the New Facebook Controls and Chat

Your Name

Your Email Address *
Send a copy to me

Recipient's Email Address *

Separate multiple email addresses (max 20) with commas.

Subject *

Message

0/1500

Email Confirmation

Tech Observer

Main

Commentary on Our Times: Meebo Worth... New Site Songkick: An iLike for Live...

Mar 18 2008 4:11PM EDT

Facebook obviously does a lot of things right. Other things, it's a mystery why they've been so long in coming -- which is how I feel about the privacy controls and chat coming this week.

Now, for instance, you'll be able to fine-tune privacy settings, so college students could block their parents from seeing the spring break bacchanal photos but still let them view the homecoming parade shots. Not even close to being a ground-breaking concept. Probably should've been part of Facebook a year ago.

Chat could be interesting, for the first time making Facebook real-time instead of only asynchronous. You'll actually be able to see who's online -- the kind of "presence" you get with something like AIM -- and shoot them a message. This could be great for Facebook, although there's a danger it will change the feel of being on the site. (Chat has been possible using a downloadable, non-Facebook app called Live Chat, which apparently few people use.)

More once the new services go live...

See more in

Add Your Comment

Already a Portfolio.com Insider? Sign In

Comments*

Thank you for registering as a Portfolio.com Insider. Your comment has been added.

Create Your Public Profile

Recent Blog Posts

First Bytes: SEC Eyes Tweets, Waiting on a Verizon iPhone
Apr 27 2009 9:10AM EDT
Last Bytes: A New MySpaceFace, Technological Necessities
Apr 24 2009 5:22PM EDT
What the One Billionth Downloader Won
Apr 24 2009 2:37PM EDT
The End of Innocence at Apple
Apr 24 2009 11:25AM EDT
First Bytes: Social Videos, 1 Billion Apps, Mt. Everest Calls
Apr 24 2009 10:23AM EDT
Last Bytes: Microsoft and Amazon, Two Tales of the Economy
Apr 23 2009 5:40PM EDT
Dell's Plastic Surgery
Apr 23 2009 3:12PM EDT
Why High Tech Needs the Wall Street Quants
Apr 23 2009 11:20AM EDT
First Bytes: New Blood at MySpace, Steve Jobs Testimony
Apr 23 2009 9:05AM EDT
Last Bytes: Apple Profit Soars; eBay Profit Falls
Apr 22 2009 5:04PM EDT
Earth Day Special: Gadgets to Green Your Lifestyle
Apr 22 2009 1:52PM EDT
First Bytes: Cyberspies and Belgian Bots
Apr 22 2009 9:55AM EDT
Last Bytes: Is Texting Passé? Not Yet.
Apr 21 2009 5:52PM EDT
Happy 20th Birthday, Game Boy
Apr 21 2009 4:11PM EDT
Gaming Geeks (and Curt Schilling) Unite!
Apr 21 2009 12:43PM EDT

Links

Also in Portfolio.com

Visit our partner sites

Subscribe to a magazine:

Visit our sister sites:

Quotes delayed 15 minutes for NASDAQ. 20 minutes for NYSE and AMEX. Market Data provided by Interactive Data. Terms & Conditions. Powered and implemented by Interactive Data Managed Solutions. Company fundamental data provided by Hemscott. Economic data provided by Econoday. News provided by Comtex. Sec Filings data provided by Edgars. The Wall Street Horizon National Consumer Interest Rate Survey. ©2009 Wall Street Horizon. PMMS Mortgage Data ©2009 Freddie Mac. Mortgage averages are for conforming mortgages with 20% down.