Coffee Talk: Likes, Not Links!
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Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of social internet juggernaut Facebook, recently announced their updated approach to the web, Open Graph a little over a week ago. To avoid getting bogged down in the web jargon, this is essentially means that Zuckerberg wants Facebook and its user information to be accessible outside of the original website. Does this mean that users’ information will be visible from wherever without consent (you might want to find that tin foil)?
Well, sort of. Profiles will still have the option to be private, but if they wish to share their experiences of the internet outside of Facebook, Zuckerberg’s Open Graph policy will require them to be logged in and be public. How will this work exactly and what will it mean for the future of the web? Since we know you’re just itching to find out, we put it right behind that link down there. See you on the other side.
Warning: This is not a button!
The primary method Facebook will use is the “Like” button. You’ve probably seen it on your favorite sites and blog posts. That is, if you clicked past your RSS feed to notice (who does that anymore?). Much similar to established services like Digg and StumbleUpon, clicking the Like button will automatically share the fact that you read this piece of content and enjoyed it for whatever reason.
Beyond posting it to your wall, “Liking” something will contribute to a greater collection of information based on what you browse while logged in to your Facebook account. Using this information, Facebook could contribute to an organically social web where simply clicking a button while browsing will share your interests and network content better than ever. Not to mention this information might be beneficial to content publishers looking for more tangible metrics with which to rate their offerings (before you ask, we’ve already seen my thoughts on Facebook’s approach to privacy).
It’s alright, we’re all jealous of the guy (Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg)
Instead of sharing clunky links and explaining why you’re sharing, the Like button does both quickly and simply. Speaking of which, Likes share a striking similarity with traditional hyperlinks. They have the ability to provide a direct portal to information on the web. When you post a link, you’re essentially sharing that information and giving the end user the place to find it.
However, links have a fundamental flaw: the connection they have to the greater web is tracked by what websites post that information, not individuals. Sure, tracking links is totally possible, but it takes work. Likes, on the other hand, naturally post that information in reference to a specific user. This makes for a metric that directly displays the people behind the numbers not to mention a tangible network for users.
This raises a few potential “what if’s”. What if this whole Like business takes off? Since Google cannot track Likes as well as it does links, will Facebook become the new standard to which websites aspire to? What if users don’t want their every move on the internet tracked (while logged in on Facebook) for the benefit of publishers and advertisers? This could polarize Facebook’s user base. Or it could mean nothing as one could assume a large majority of Facebook users are unaware of the Open Graph anyway. Perhaps a public service announcement is in order.
I am on the fence regarding whether or not I should delete my Facebook account (and I mean DELETE, not “Discontinue”). Facebook’s questionable ethics record and their pursuit of manipulation and control of user data inches me closer and closer. The problem is that it’s a big fence, and I’m quite stable on it. Meaning, I have reconnected with old friends in ways I can’t elsewhere, and knowing that I have the ability to contact any of them if/when necessary is unprecedented.
My termination as a member will do nothing to end the steamroll path FB is currently on. It’s frightening in a way, due to the ambivalent ignorance of a substantial majority of users to the important details of a membership to this potentially damaging platform. Zuckerman is likely aware of the general population’s lack of awareness and is looking to capitalize on it. Do we congratulate him or stone him?
@ Lawrence: I hear that actually deleting a Facebook account completely from their database is tough. If you decide to take that road, let me know how that works out as I’d love to hear your experience.
Facebook’s benefits pretty much outweigh its growing privacy issues for me as well, this is purely because, honestly, what web corporation isn’t using our private browsing data these days? Google uses it to refine searches now. There’s no real escaping it. Defeatist, I know, but I would say that some serious legislation would need to be employed to stop this if that route ever worked.
In that case, let’s hope the revenue model for the internet changes somehow from eyes to perhaps direct purchase (mobile, people!) so that this personal information isn’t as desirable to your Googles and Facebooks.
While I commend Zuckerberg’s savvy, I agree that he’s 100 percent taking advantage of the general public’s ignorance of the internet. Stoning people was a bit harsh even when it was in style, I like “cease and desist” letters.