Facebook

Well, Facebook has definitely broken through. And not just because I've joined it. In the last few weeks I've encountered more and more people talking about it. There are over 10,000 members of the BBC group (for which you have to have a bbc email) alone. That's about half the entire organsiation. London is now the second biggest "network" on the site. It's become mainstream - and for grown ups as well as the young digerati. If you have no idea what I'm talking about Jemima Kiss has written a good primer (other than the fact it refers to me as "venerable" which I'm surely not). As she says, people who object to the idea are a little like those who questioned why anyone would ever need a mobile phone.

Being curious, and a digital addict, I've explored a whole bunch of social sites; Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, Ning, Jaiku, Del-icio.us, Technorati, Dopplr, Plazes, and many more. Only about 3 of them do I use with any regularity.

There is, however, the issue of how much of your life and connections you want to lay out for the rest of the world.

Frankly, so much of my background is already out there it makes little difference to me. And I've been hauled around in the press enough to have a particularly thick skin about it anyway. However, I do preserve anonymity for close friends, family and a private life - but you have to think about it rather than just offer all the information sites like this prompt you for.
Why bother? For me it's three things: Digital media is transforming society, but you have to get your hands dirty to really understand it. (Resist adopting the lofty "I have people to understand that for me" attitude I encounter which may just be a cover for fear of the new....)
Secondly, it's about communication, both with work colleagues and now a wider set of people I would not have met or got to know any other way. (For me professional and personal networks are largely still seperate however).
And finally, yes it's fun. If you havn't jumped yet with facebook, twitter or any of the others, come on in, the water's fine.

Comments

[Jemima Kiss]

Soooo right about execs to "have people to understand things for them".

Why would you not directly explore and play and properly understand all of the tools that are critical to understanding your business and your audience?

/gets off soapbox.

[williamt]

The design and implementation of Facebook is superb - both aesthetically and the programming/ease of use. They don't seem to have missed a trick with features such the email address restriction that enables the BBC group you mention.

The issue of trust in online services isn't just about privacy, but the fact that they might temporarily or permanently manage to lose your data.

I wonder how many people with photos on Flickr have bothered to retain backup copies themselves (you can argue it in reverse of course and regard the online material as a handy backup for the more probable failure of your own machine).

I suspect not all these web 2.0 apps will still be around in a year or two either..

[Krupo]

Although I believe there are ways around the email address restriction for those feeling clever.

[ourman]

It's broken through all right and it has been eating up my time since I joined. However, I can really only see two uses:

1. Anything that wastes time in the office is good.
2. Keeping tabs on old friends.

Eventually something else will be flavour of the month for 1 and 2 will be an occasional task three or four times a year.

And guitar groups are going out of fashion.

[whomwah]

BBC Radio in Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=2357049935