Tag Archives: facebook updates
September 3, 2010 Facebook Testing
Facebook is apparently testing a new subscription feature that would allow users to receive alerts any time a specific friend takes certain actions on the social network.
AllFacebook reports that it has noticed the new feature popping up on friends’ profiles. Facebook told the blog, “This feature is being tested with a small percent of users. It lets people subscribe to friends and pages to receive
notifications whenever the person they’ve subscribed to updates their status or posts new content (photos, videos, links or notes).”
In other words, when you click to subscribe to a user, you’ll get a new Facebook notification in your notifications bar at the top of the site or on the mobile device of your choosing any time that other user posts content. We’re not sure yet if you can subscribe to someone who’s not a friend, which is much more stalker-like, or if notifications include likes and comments (right now, it sounds like they won’t).
We at Mashable are hoping this is an opt-in (or at least an opt-out) feature. If Facebook thinks subscriptions are a useful for the majority of average users, people who might want to get special notifications for family members’ or loved ones’ activities, they’re also potentially damaging if rolled out to jealous “frenemies,” vindictive exes or nosy bosses.
What do you think of the “subscribe” button? Is there anyone in your life you’d subscribe to? What about others subscribing to you — would you like or dislike that feature?
Tags: Facebook, facebook news, facebook updates, Social information processing, Social Media, social media network, social network
- 315 comments
- Posted under Social Media
August 12, 2010 Facebook Enters the Google-Verizon
Facebook has entered the net neutrality debate with a statement critical of the key provisions of Google and Verizon’s net neutrality proposal.
Ever since we found out Google and Verizon were in talks over net neutrality’s future, the web has been awash with an endless stream of opinions, most of them expressing outrage. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is not happy, and neither is the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).
Facebook, it seems, isn’t a fan of the Google-Verizon proposal as it’s currently written. Here is the company’s statement (emphasis ours):
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“Facebook continues to support principles of net neutrality for both landline and wireless networks.Preserving an open Internet that is accessible to innovators — regardless of their size or wealth — will promote a vibrant and competitive marketplace where consumers have ultimate control over the content and services delivered through their Internet connections.”
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There are several sections of the proposal that trouble a lot of people, but the biggest sticking point is the exclusion of wireless networks from net neutrality regulations. Verizon and Google exclude it from their proposal for wired connections because “imposition of too many rules up front would not allow us to optimize this network in a fashion that would supercharge the growth we’ve seen in the past.” Critics say that Google and Verizon are trying to protect their own interests, especially their highly profitable Android partnership.
Facebook’s statement doesn’t surprise us; the Google and Facebook are now at war, and allowing Google to define net neutrality on its own terms presents a grave threat to the social network’s business.
For now, expect more of these nuanced statements from all of the parties involved — that is, until the Google-Verizon proposal makes its way to Congress. That’s where you’ll find the real fireworks.
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Tags: facebook and google, facebook blog, Facebook Inc, facebook updates, google blog, google net, google updates, google version, Internet connections, Network neutrality
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- Posted under Uncategorized
Noman Ali: Gadgets, Websites, Google, Social Media and SEO 