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Facebook Gets New Integrated IM Client
Stitch_Surfs writes "Blognation is reporting that the IM client FriendVOX has gone live for Facebook. This is the first time that Facebook users (of which there are now some 32 million) can communicate with one another from directly within the Facebook application. This development, by UK-based Techlightenment, effectively closes the loop for any external applications to be used (or necessary) for communication among Facebook users.'It will be interesting to see how quickly FriendVox is adopted and could it ever replace Twitter by simply using the Facebook status. The other question is what will Facebook do if FriendVox ever became too popular? Would they seek to buy it or replicate it themselves? This is the real dilemma facing all Facebook developers living inside the Facebook walled garden, and recently this happened when a developer showed Facebook their new marketplace application which would run inside of Facebook. Inside of two weeks Facebook had suddenly launched their own marketplace!'"
This is the first time that Facebook users (of which there are now some 32 million) can communicate with one another from directly within the Facebook application.
Really? The first time they could communicate with each other? what were they doing on the site before?
The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
As if facebook wasn't creepy enough... now people can see if I'm online at that VERY moment? Thats not scary at all.
It was always so hard for me to click on someone's screen name in their profile to open up an AIM window to use them.
Popular instant messaging systems be damned, we need another way to send our friends links to shock sites that doesn't work with any others!
While I definately prefer Facebook over MySpace, and while I have found it to be EXTREMELY useful (located some friends I hadn't seen or heard from since middle school...a couple from as far as back as elementary school) I absolutely despise this application crap...part of the allure facebook had for me was that it was clean, simple, and not flashy. While I know that all of these applications are entirely voluntary and they don't just toss them in your face (i.e. you have to actually go browsing in the application section to see them) it still bothers me that Facebook continues to expand like this.
Don't get me wrong...from a business sense, I understand why it's being done. From a lot of my friend's point of view, I notice that a large portion of them like the idea of of the applications...but still. Slowly, Facebook is becoming more and more like MySpace....and that's definitely not good.
Living With a Nerd
When I signed up, I had to enter my password first into gmail to confirm, and then into facebook for it to grab my contacts. The second step was skippable. That was only a couple weeks ago. You sure you didn't do that?
perhaps his username and password are the same in gmail and facebook, and thought facebook was asking for his facebook credentials when they were actually asking for his gmail credentials. :)
They used to do that, but the difference being that they asked for your Gmail password and they would log in and yank your contact list for this purpose, and it was optional.
Read radical news here
This is the first time that Facebook users can communicate with one another from directly within the Facebook application.
This is great! Someday, maybe this tool will allow Facebook users to communicate with users on other websites. Imagine the possibilities!
Right now, the web is fragmented into many different isolated islands. Each service requires a different registration, uses different protocols, and are generally incompatible with one another. It's difficult for UserA on Facebook to communicate with UserB on MySpace. Users on AOL Instant Messenger can't talk to users on Yahoo Instant Messenger!
My parents don't use Facebook, AIM or any other social networking technology. Let's think of a solution for them too!
I propose we connect all of these large websites and services, possibly using a series of interconnected networks, well defined common protocols. I think we should call it 'The Interweb'.
"Can of worms? The can is open... the worms are everywhere."
"National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
There has been a Meebo app out for ages, so I don't know where this "first time" thing is coming from.
http://auburn.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=2354779593
Ye Gawds.... Facebook apps are news worthy? Then again, maybe Slashdot also needs opportunities for me to turn Taco into a Vampire.
Three Squirrels
Wow. Somebody just outed himself on Slashdot. Is there any procedure for handing in one's geek credentials? ;)
What about Mosoto, currently in alpha? At first glance, it looks rather interesting as well... interface is slick, it lets you mouse over friends to see common interests, and it is said that you can use this to stream music to your friends. It has buttons for using a webcam, too; I haven't played with Mosoto much yet but it's worth a look if we're talking about IM through Facebook. -- Joren
-- Joren
I know you're trolling, but with valuations ranging from $1 Billion to $10 Billion and ~32 million users, it is a big deal.
Great, just add it to the long list: AIM, Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger, skype, google talk, QQ, etc. Stop the madness developers!
If you actually paid attention to what you were typing in during the sign up process you would notice that you provided Facebook the password to your e-mail account and gave them permission to access it and find all your contacts. Since you apparently did not realize that this was going on I would suggest that you both:
A) Learn to read things before you fill them out/agree to them, and
B) Resign any position that gives you signing authority at your current job.
I may agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to face the consequences of saying it.
why not create a jabber/xmpp based solution?
that way any recent non-specific im client should be able to access it, and gtalk at the same time.
comment first, facts later. http://chem.tufts.edu/AnswersInScience/RelativityofWrong.htm
The site's down. Is there a mirror anywhere?
games journalism blog
Facebook may replicate it, but they tend to be better behaved than myspace who like to block applications from their site - youtube, photobucket, revver, imeem, hoooka have all been blocked from myspace. A myspace exec even made a comment that if they'd seen youtube sooner they would have shut it down and stopped it becoming the titan they are, with imeem they don't intend to make that mistake again. (you can't eve say imeem.com without it getting edited)
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Good post; it's clear that every new site has to expand until it subsumes all functions of the Internet to maximize the apparent valuation to any deep pocketed and preferably extremely stupid buyer (eBay, are you listening?) In the process of trying to be all thing to all people, it then loses what made it distinctive and useful in the first place.
(Courtesy of b3ta.com)
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w89/pickledpizza/facebook2.jpg
Just brilliant.
That's the only reason? A web app fills the giant void AOL left behind. *Yawn*
Tell me when chatrooms make a come back, ok? Oh God, that's what this integrated IM thing is going to turn into.
Yay, it's "OKAY, EVERYBODY, ASL? =-)" all over again.
When you're done backfilling all the things that made AOL faaaaantastic, could you get around to fixing email spam?
Thanks, just wake me up again when web 3.0 gets here.
The problem is, they never asked me to check for my contacts.
I was amazed!
Read and Comment at my BLOG
!!!
Slashdot-as usual gets victimised by someones professional PR agenda it seems.
I expect some big media scandal coming from Facebook soon. It is completely unexplainable to me, it must have some form of thing going on.
It is _really_ stinking PR since Facebook is not implementing XMPP, they are just coming up with a new propetioary closed protocol.
This is the Digg scheme. Post a PR crap to some blog, make it digg up by dedicated "Web 2" monkeys (actually getting paid) and really profit.
Can Zonk explain what kind of "light" he saw in this story to make into front page of Slashdot? I have never used "serious problems with story? Alert" which is appearing on "future stories" when you are subscriber but if I saw this story, I really would.
What the hell is Facebook? What kind of unique thing it offers? What kind of this IM client offers? Working in web page? Jabber guys implemented it at Netscape 6.2 days for Gods sake! Even AOL mail client has AIM working inside along with Yahoo mail.
Is anyone paid to publish this story or submit this story to Slashdot "news for nerds?".
If this kind of junk makes into front page of slashdot second time in a month (check http://developers.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/09/23/0019224 which is there on APPLE topic with a referrer? URL), why the hell are you suggesting us to pay/subscribe to get rid of ads? I could care less about ads, there are 3 layers of disabled software which would allow me to erase them. We, subscribers pay so Slashdot wouldn't have to post this kind of PR junk to front page.
Also, the accepting editor should know that besides whatever he hears on IRC or Web, Slashdot community aren't really lifeleless nerds who doesn't know how things work.
First, there was a completely off topic (Apple topic? Come on) story with a referrer URL and now this story.
If this kind of PR junk , site abuse makes to front page, lets all go elsewhere and "fix that" instead of trying to fix a broken thing.
If they are going to develop a really good IM for Facebook (which I'd quite like) then they really nned a libpurple plugin no? That way it would work with e.g. Pidgin and Adium...
And LiveJournal provides a jabber server. So what?
It's been done before, MySpace has that MySpaceIM thing.
I didn't see such a commotion over LJ providing Jabber or MySpace doing that MySpaceIM thing.
Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
That's the only reason? A web app fills the giant void AOL left behind. *Yawn*
Ok, in what way is Facebook like AOL? I can't see any connection, or reason to suspect people left AOL for Facebook.
If myspace is the armpit of the internet, Facebook is like the sweaty taint.
And Slashdot is...?