Comments on: With Twitter Envy, Facebook Adds (Near) Real-time Web Capabilities

By: Social Media Evangelist

Social Media Evangelist — Sat, 23 May 2009 07:41:57 +0000

Twitter has opened up a whole new paradigm and other social networks are sure to take a step toward either replicating the same model or something near to that.

Facebook had to something to stop the exodus since the new competition-Twitter- was eating into the time spent by Facebook users on Facebook. I think it is a first good step by Facebook and can really see faithful bookers staying there rather than going to Twitter. now the next big challenge has to be to find a way to attract Twitter users to Facebook, which I am sure will ask for all the brainstorming they possibly can do.

Manish Pahuja

By: TaiTran

TaiTran — Mon, 04 May 2009 08:39:18 +0000

Facebook’s change in the newsfeed is for the newsfeed to comply with its business architecture which promotes businesses behind public profiles and applications, rather than an envy with Twitter.

By: lindsay

lindsay — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 10:11:37 +0000

Benjamin, if you go to the story CNN did on the changes that Facebook has made, you will find that the ratio of people that dislike the changes to people that like them is about 10 to 1. (Approx 700,00 to75,000). I think this is a significant statistic, don’t you?

By: Carl Romain

Carl Romain — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:09:35 +0000

I have to agree with a lot you said in your article. For marketers this is a big leap and if realized it will expand rapidly between the two popular sites. I would like to be able to fill in my profile page with my own business card or somthing of that nature instead of having a blank center page.
The Internet eveloution Iam sure will continue more into real time application where people will be instantly talking face to face.
Carl Romain

By: anon

anon — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:45:18 +0000

The advantage that Twitter has over Facebook is that Twitter doesn’t try to control every little behavior. It left itself open to be innovated by users and it easily adapted to something useful for people and businesses. Facebook has undergone so many renovations, controlling users behavior more and more at each turn, that it really only ends up being for contacts and photo sharing. Their mission is supposedly to make the world more open and connected, but they come across as having a mission to only be the next Microsoft.

The numbers on Facebook are huge, but it is a company that relies very heavily on itself being a current trend. Unlike Google, which was fundamentally useful, Facebook engineers its stickiness by making it hard to leave all the work you’ve put into it behind. Once they open the doors to that, they are opening doors to competition.

By: DAG

DAG — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 18:32:59 +0000

Nice article Brendan. Right on.

By: thegeniusfiles

thegeniusfiles — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:07:33 +0000

Yeh, I hafta agree FB is not worried about Twitter. Apples & oranges. As for the assertion of the “now web,” God save us from the narcissistic 140-character insights of the technorati, let alone the general(ly annoying mindless) public. I suppose we must be grateful for the 140-character limit which means that LOL can be repeated at most 36 times per tweet.

By: Benjamin

Benjamin — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:18:02 +0000

Are they handing out twitter stock for everyone in silicon valley lately? I am certain that Twitter has a bright future ahead of them, but as of late people (bloggers) have been foreseeing the death of Google and FaceBook at the hand of Twitter. Most of the notions you propose in your post is highly unsubstantiated, and to be honest, factually incorrect.

“That has sparked a gold rush for app developers, many of whom have been frustrated by the restrictions handed down to them by Facebook.” What developers are leaving FaceBook for the gold at Twitter?
The developers at twitter are there because they had an idea for an app that would not work on FaceBook. The apps that work on FaceBook does not work on Twitter, as they are based on the social reality that is not present at Twitter.

The gold rush you mention for twitter developers, am I to assume, that you seriously mean that the gold rush at twitter is larger than on FaceBook? NO! I would actually like you to name a few developers bringing in serious revenue from Twitter?!

“Furthermore, as Facebook adapts its platform to stave off the Twitter threat, it will be interesting to see how the community reacts, as they’ve been notably resistant to change.”

Yes, they have been notably resisant to change, but you seem to hint at possible exodus from FaceBook due to this fact… This is certainly not case. If you believe to have any proof or numbers showing users leaving FaceBook I would like to see them.

As to your last remarks of FaceBook staving off the Twitter threat, I again, must beg to differ. They are simply picking up on different trends (friendfeed being a major one) and implementing them on their own platform. They are doing the same thing to Digg: does that mean that they are scared of Digg?

I would actually like to see you reply on some of the things I’ve stated, so I hope you would take the time to answer a few.

Best regards
Benjamin

By: Arleen Anderson

Arleen Anderson — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 01:48:09 +0000

Not surprising to see Facebook want to be more real time interactive. Though, Facebook is growing much more rapidly than Twitter, it’s not about to “crush” it. Twitter is mainstream now, with momentum only beginning to go into full swing.

There’s still a huge difference between the two communities.
Twitter is where people meet others and get connected.
Facebook is where you can go to then learn more about someone in depth.
Then you go back to Twitter to hold a conversation.

Though many people will spend more time in one or the other,
Twitter and Facebook are a beautiful compliment to each other.

Mahahlo! Yes, feel free to “friend” me on Facebook: Arleen Anderson
And DO TWEET ME! on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com AlohaArleen

Aloha!
Arleen AKA @AlohaArleen

By: Blue Danube

Blue Danube — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 19:05:49 +0000

Brendan, I know you’re a research assistant, but you may want to have someone look at your piece. A copy-editor. There aren’t spelling errors or anything but parts of it are unclear and poorly worded.

For example, “Facebook today announced several (and somewhat big) changes to their homepage/newsfeed.”

This is your first line. Don’t hedge. How about:

“Facebook today announced several major changes to their homepage and newsfeed.”

Do you see what I mean? I’d be happy to assist you further, either publicly or privately.

All the best,