FaceBook Develops Inbuilt SPAM System aka Gives Users Personal Email Addresses

You may or may not have seen that FaceBook recently issued all users with their own FaceBook email address.

What does this mean?

What in essence it means is that you now have an email address you can use with the FaceBook messaging system, the email takes the form of {username}@facebook.com and any email sent to that email will appear in your FaceBook messages, just like direct messages sent via FaceBook.

This does means that now your FaceBook account is freely open to receive SPAM from people who are not your facebook friends, so get ready for the marketing material.

Why?

This email is an attempt by FaceBook to further get people to use the website and become more relient on FaceBook, by bringing use of the website into your main stream life. So no longer will you ust use FaceBook to keep up to date with your friends, but you will now use it for direct communications with people that may not be your FaceBook friends.

It is a direct attempt by FaceBook to increase the user numbers and use of the website, as they continue to face an uphill struggle to define exactly what FaceBook is and where it fits into peoples lives. This now takes a direct attack on GMail and other email systems, but just on a different style and a direct attempt to increase user engagement on FaceBook.

Its not so bad though as it does mean that you can use FaceBook as your messaging system and not get stuff you dont want to your main account.

What if I dont like this?

First off you have the email address no matter what, and as its free so I would just leave it at that and either use it or not, its your choice.

The only thing I would say is that your FaceBook email will now be shown on your profile as your default email, so if you dont want to use it you need to change this back to your original email address, which is straight forward, just do the following.

1. Go to your profile page on FaceBook i.e facebook.com/you, either go to your private facebook url directly or just click your name on the right of the facebook screen.
2. Click on the about section, the bit with your work, education, location, etc on the left handside under your name and profile pic.
3. Scroll down to to the Contact info section, just on the right below your basic info, click on Edit.
4. You should now see a popup with all your emails listed at the top.
5. Next to the FaceBook email click next to the circle and change the option in the drop down to hidden from timeline, then if you want an email shown on your timeline, next to the one you want click next to the circle with a line through it and select shown on timeline.
6. Then just scroll down and click save.

Thats it you are now showing your original email rather than your FaceBook one.

SPAM

Now here is my prediction for the FaceBook email future, in one word SPAM. by using peoples usernames means that anyone can create a huge email list of facebook users, and anyone with any development skill at all and using the FaceBook Open Graph API can now harvest a vast amount of email addresses, to which they can send spam, in fact just by spending sometime on FaceBook can turn up usernames and thus email addresses.

What this means is that unlike normal email systems with inbuilt SPAM filters the email system is an open door to crap, and the most you get is a small yellow triangle warning you of the inability to authenticate the sender. But you still get the SPAM. You dont have to be friends with people to send them FaceBook email, so lets open the FaceBook SPAM floodgates.

Thanks
Sean J Connolly
 FaceBook Me
Follow Me @Potissimus

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GM pulls out of FaceBook Advertising - Is this the End before the IPO?

Well if you have not heard, GM or General Motors has cut it's $10million spend on FaceBook advertising claiming poor results. and although the revenue of FaceBook is in the Billions and no doubt FaceBook execs will pay no attention to this. The fact that a global company the size of GM has pulled out is only the beginning.

After all had they gotten better results the advertising revenue would no doubt have been raised, but FaceBook results have prompted a swift depart from this, and what is the reason?

Well I know the main factors that have caused this and will continue to cause this mass departure.

1. The FaceBook founder Mark Zuckerberg continues to see FaceBook as a bit of a social project with no idea of social media and how to profit from it, there has never been a real business model behind facebook. The pure success of FaceBook has been almost due to luck and being in the right place at the right time, as Mark started FaceBook whilst still at Harvard, and although he failed to complete his studies he gained so much more, as he had a ready platform of fellow students willing to try his new toy. this lead to huge online traffic and users. Had he started FaceBook and not been at Harvard (or uni in general) the success would be no where near as big.

2. The FaceBook team continue to lack some basic understanding of business fundamentals, and unlike their Google counter parts they dont really know how marketing and business work together or even who they are targeting, and it is for this reason that the advertising model of FaceBook doesn't work. There is no real integration between FaceBook advertising and the users, and as such putting all your revenue on this will be the downfall of FaceBook unless something is done about it

3. Advertising and Socialising just dont mix. FaceBook must remember that it's main goal in the world is a social network, and although advertising can play its part in this mix, it must be done to not have adverse effect on the overal goals. For example the recent addition of adverts into peoples timelines is more invasive than useful, plus there is no real connection behind the adverts. Even if they were linked to the sorts of things I like that would be a good start, instead I have been greeted with adverts for all sorts of things I just dont care about and in a place I dont notice. Remember FaceBook people using FaceBook are in a different mindset to those who are searching on Google. Simple Social vs Purpose.

So it is in my not so humble opinion that unless FaceBook pay attention to the fact they have lost a large advertiser in GM, then I see this FaceBook bubble about to burst. I think in short the solution lies in a few simple things.

1. FaceBook adverts need to integrate more into the social experience and be more relevant to my interests, likes, etc
2. FaceBook needs to remain social as its core function, as unlike google people use FaceBook for socialising and this is the key to revenue and success.
3. The business model needs to be taken seriously and although having huge sums of IPO money thrown at it doesn't make it work.
4. I feel the adverts need to give advertisers better value for money, for example why not integrate adverts into the way people use FaceBook, such as maybe an advert between processes, such as before I view a picture, a page or similar, something like a full page advert would be a better integration without being invasive and be much better value and make use of the huge screen real estate FaceBook has. This could even be done in the form of the FaceBook Dialog boxes with adverts in them.

If these steps and others are not taken I can see the following happening

1. Other large advertisers will pull out of FaceBook Advertising, leading to an increase in Google advertising revenue.
2. FaceBook will need to go back to its roots to regain market share and find an identity.
3. I expect FaceBook's IPO to get a bit of a lack luster start, and by the end of trading the share price may even be lower than at the start.
4. It is also my prediction that the actual value of FaceBook will fall to nearer the $50 billion mark and the share price will fall and stay at under $30 in the mid $20s, actually round about the original price before the increase in the IPO offering, leaving hundreds of traders out of pocket.

Now these little thoughts are only a few things I know will happen if FaceBook does not sit up and pay attention, "although I will keep my exact thoughts private on this one, well that is unless FaceBook wish to pay me to help them", so FaceBook needs to release huge online traffic is not the key to their success.

But in all honesty as I use FaceBook and think the work Mark and his team has done in such a short period of time I take my hat off to him. But just sending this little warning, as its like the old saying goes "if you look after the pennies the pounds will take care of themselves".

Thanks Sean J Connolly
 FaceBook Me -

BuzzProperties.co.uk - Online Property Sales and Letting

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FaceBook Timeline

OK so if you have not already seen it or heard of it FaceBook has just launched the new addition to its social networking site known as timeline. The first stab FaceBook took at this was a few month back when it basically copied Google+ in the layout of your news feed, by showing everything from your friends in a timeline, with new stories or updates showing at the top.

Now FaceBook has taken this a step further and now your profile is a Timeline, but this time of your life. The idea is simple really FaceBook wants you to share your whole life, including things that happened before FaceBook even existed, everything from your birth right up to the modern day including your other online presence such as websites, blogs, etc. The idea is that your friends can now see more about you and in doing so get a better understanding of who you are.

If you have not yet seen this or had your profile updated take a look at http://www.facebook.com/about/timeline where you can update your profile if you so wish, but in essence the timeline looks like this.

my profile on FaceBook

As you can see it now shows everything you do on FaceBook right on your profile, this takes the side bar updates that step further, so anyone can see what you have liked, posted, commented on or anything else simply by looking at your profile.

As for the layout it makes me think of another popular social networking site MyYearBook in the look and feel, it is even a bit of a retro look of MySpace in it. Looks to me like FaceBook is trawling the web and taking what they think is the best of it and adding their own flair to it.

Like or DisLike the New FaceBook Timeline?

Well I kinda like the look and feel of it, although it will take a bit of getting used to, and sharing stuff I feel is the whole point of social media, after all if you went into a bar you would interactive with other people outside your social circle, which is socialising and the web should be no different, and no matter what your chosen theme its all the same thing.

Yet as for showing all your activities I think this is a step too far, I mean yes share who I am and what I am doing or have done, but everything I do on FaceBook now thats a bit much. However, you can hide anything you wish to be hidden from your profile by simply editing it on your profile page, so if you dont want everyone to know that you liked something, said something or posted something just hide it.

Remember what Social Means

Ok so whilst sharing all your activities is not a good thing, we need to remember that sharing is what social networking is all about. Having the option to hide some stuff is great but dont go over board, try to keep it social. After all if you wish to increase your FaceBook friend count or Page likes you need to be social, for a great reference to how to use FaceBook more effectively take a look at this reference book here


Thanks Sean J Connolly FaceBook Me - Visit AJAX Web Development Store BuzzProperties.co.uk - Online Property Sales and Letting

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Google + Goes Live to Public

Well after months of invites, BETA testing and alike the new kid on the clock has finally arrived. Google + is now live to the public. So what does this mean for you, me and FaceBook, LinkedIn.

In reality it means that with this launch there are now two big social networking sites to use for your social side of life, LinkedIn is still the only truely business social networking site.

 But what about Twitter you ask, well in reality nothing will change for Twitter as it is and always has been a social media micro blog or stream, simply put its like a hit of espresso to keep you up to date with stuff that interests you, unlike the more cappuccino like take a seat you may be here a while approach of FaceBook and Google +.

In my view the launch of Google + going public will pretty much leave twitter untouched, but as for FaceBook there will be some people who more over to the new player, and others who stay put. I still think at present FaceBook is a bit more interesting than Google +.

I am going to stick my neck on the line and say FaceBook will continue to dominate this area for a while at least.

But what about the New FaceBook Changes?

As you may have noticed FaceBook's response to this go live of Google + has been to add new features to its platform, side news feed, larger photos, sharing etc. This is aimed at retaining FaceBook users, however I dont really see the benefit of copying Google +, after all that is just like admitting "yes it is better than FaceBook". I think FaceBook does know some users will leave to go to Google +, but I think overtime FaceBook will continue to have a larger continuous userbase than Google +.

So although Facebook feel it necessary to fight and copy the new platform, it seems daft to copy. Why not keep FaceBook as FaceBook and come up with new original ideas, not copied ones.

The Future

This is pretty simple really I think that the following will become reality for the platforms.

FaceBook - Continue to have the largest base of users on a regular basis, and introduce new features like video chat, etc.

Google+ - Will have the largest overall registered users, but a lower daily user rate.

Twitter - Will continue to be the daily aggregator of everything social, news and media. Users levels will continue to grow as people want and need instant updates without all the bells and whistles.

LinkedIn - Continue to have a large following with people keeping this platform solely for business and business connections. In most cases having totally different social circles than Google+ or FaceBook.

What About Me

Well at present I still use FaceBook, Google+, LinkedIn and Twitter. My most used platform has to be Twitter (its the only one I use on my mobile), it gives me the quick hit of info I need on the go. I keep social side of my world to FaceBook and Google+ and my business side solely to LinkedIn.

Feel free to connect with me on which every platform you choose.

Follow Me on Twitter
Add me on FaceBook
Connect on Google +
Add me on LinkedIn

So as it what the future holds for social networking, only time will tell, but in the mean time please feel free to connect.



Thanks For Reading
Sean J Connolly

 FaceBook Me
BuzzProperties.co.uk - Online Property Sales and Letting

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FaceBook Launches FaceBook for Business

Google+ has announce it intends to allow the use of business profiles on its site, as presently you can only create a profile for yourself. Now in response to this FaceBook has launched FaceBook for business a page dedicated to showing you what you can already do on FaceBook and how to use it for your business.

It is worth noting that although there are several large companies who use FaceBook Pages for their business including our own BuzzProperties not to mention Pepsi, Coca Cola and many more, the use of these pages in normally limited to offering promotions and offers to the consumer, they are not really about the business, they are more about the products they sell.

So my word of wisdom is this, if you wish to create either a FaceBook or Google+ page / profile for your business by all means do so, by I recommend for you business social networking to use a dedicated social networking site such as LinkedIn which is aimed at your business and not at your personal life.

Think about it how many companies have actually banned people from accessing FaceBook, so if you wish to networking in your private life use FaceBook or Google+ for your professional life use LinkedIn.

Thanks Sean J Connolly Visit AJAX Web Development Store

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BuzzProperties.co.uk - Online Property Sales and Letting

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