BizJournals Portfolio
Home >   Business Views, Opinions and Blogs >   Business Blogs >   Tech Observer >  

Looking Forward To The New Facebook Controls And Chat

Tech Observer

by Kevin Maney
Main
Commentary on Our Times: Meebo Worth More than Bear Stearns?   New Site Songkick: An iLike for Live Music

Recent Blog Posts

Links

Mar 18 2008 12:00am EDT

Looking Forward to the New Facebook Controls and Chat

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...

. □

Comments

If you are commenting using a Facebook account, your profile information may be displayed with your comment depending on your privacy settings. By leaving the 'Post to Facebook' box selected, your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below.


Connect With Portfolio.com
Like Portfolio on Facebook

Come on, like us—you know you want to.

Follow Portfolio on Twitter

Follow us and if you're an innovative entrepreneur, we'll return the favor.

The Mix

Today's top stories, conversation starters, and the back nine business bites.

spotlight on

Slideshows

500 Startups Hits New York

Dave McClure's brainchild makes its way to New York and introduces East Coast money folks to some intriguing new companies. View Slideshow