Facebook Enters Location Market Amid Concerns

Upon many expectations, Facebook announced its new location feature this week called Places. Location services such as Foursquare and Gowalla have become increasingly popular over the last year and now Facebook is joining the hype.

The feature is called Places and lets users share where they are, find out who is around them, and check out other events and services taking places in the surrounding area. In addition, users can check-in to places that already exist, add new places, and tag other people.

Facebook entering the geolocation market comes as no surprise, especially since it attempted to purchase Foursquare earlier this year. What is a bit surprising is the fact that Foursquare, Gowalla, Booyah, and Yelp are all partnering with Facebook and will be integrated into Places. Many people are wondering what will happen to these standalone services now that Facebook is in the game. Can they survive?

Early reactions from people still indicate strong support for them. For example, Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley tweeted that yesterday was the services “biggest day ever in terms of new user signups.”

Privacy is another issue that is raising concerns about Places. Facebook has had its share of privacy mishaps and it looks like Places will not be an exception. The primary issue is that a user’s check-ins will appear by default on his profile, in the news feed, and in the activity stream for the place in which he checked in. Also, by default, friends can check-in other friends without seeking permission or approval.

Although Facebook allows its users to customize their settings to their own preference, the ACLU has already spoken out about these concerns.

What is your take on Facebook Places? Do you think other location services will be able to compete with Facebook? What about privacy – do these issues concern you?

Facebook Places is currently available in the U.S. on the most recent version of Facebook’s iPhone application and through touch.facebook.com, if your mobile browser supports HTML5 and geolocation. The social network said it would expand the feature to other countries and other mobile platforms in the near future.

Facebook to Take on Google?

Although it’s only 6 years old, Facebook has reached a considerable level of success. It is the largest social network, and just last month, it announced that it had more than 500 million users. Not many companies have this much success in such a short period of time, and those that do, make up an elite group.

Incidentally, another company that is included in this select group is Google. Although Facebook has been likened to the search and advertising giant on many occasions, the list of similarities might get a little longer in the near future. Speculation has it that Google is in the process of developing a Facebook rival called “Google Me.”

Google has had several failed attempts in social with products such as Sidewiki, Wave, and Buzz. However, there are no signs that it is giving up in its quest for social success, especially, since it recently acquired Slide and Jambool.

Even if it is developing the rumored “Google Me,” could it really compete with Facebook? As we all know, Google is clearly the leader in both search and advertising. So, is social the only element it is missing?

WebProNews spoke with Ed DeRosa, News Editor with the Thoroughbred Times, who said he did not believe Google could create a product that could legitimately compete with Facebook.

“If you’re already on Facebook, I don’t really see any migration to another platform that Google would offer. We’ve seen what Facebook did to MySpace – they crushed them,” said DeRosa.

On the other side of the equation, since Facebook has the social component mastered, is it trying to extend its success to other areas? It already has access to valuable user information. In addition, there is speculation that it could expand its advertising platform to other sites, which could pose a direct threat to Google’s AdSense. All that said, is Facebook the one that is trying to outpace Google?

Emily Sandford of Office Suites PLUS tells WPN that she believes the two companies will grow more and more similar with time. She said, “It’s really going to be an interesting fight to watch.”

What are your thoughts on this issue? Do you believe Google wants to be a viable social competitor to Facebook? Or, is the social network looking to take on the search and advertising giant?

Living without Facebook, Twitter, and IM – Is It Possible?

Facebook, Twitter, and Instant Messaging have become natural parts of our everyday life. They also play key roles in many businesses. But is there a downside? Can they dominate too much time?

We all know that each of these platforms can be extremely valuable to business. However, many businesses do not allow their employees to use them due to a lack of productivity. For this reason, WebProNews would like to extend a challenge to you to see how long you can go without Facebook, Twitter, and Instant Messaging.

We are, by no means, suggesting that you drop these platforms entirely. Instead, we would like to see if you notice any changes to your personal well-being, your business, and your level of productivity.

For starters, you could try going without the 3 mentioned platforms, or any other technologies that consume vast amounts of your time, for 1-2 hours each day. When you turn everything off for the first time, it will probably seem way too quiet. In addition, you will likely struggle with the urge to share something.

Once these instincts pass, chances are, you will develop a stronger focus. Not only could you dedicate more time and energy toward one project, but you could also generate a greater appreciation for what you do. What’s more, you may find yourself developing new ideas and strategies that could take your business to the next level.

So, are you up for the challenge? How long can you go without Facebook, Twitter, and Instant Messaging? And, are you more productive for doing so?

Why You Should Advertise on Facebook

Facebook has a constantly evolving advertising platform, and according to Addie Conner of Avenue100, it provides many new opportunities for advertisers. She tells WebProNews that Facebook reaches an entirely different segment of audience than Google reaches.

Since Google is all about search, people are actively querying for information. On the other hand, Facebook is completely “demand creation.” As Conner explains, Facebook allows advertisers to reach an audience that they couldn’t reach unless they existed across all Google’s content network and all the other content networks.

Google just doesn’t have the data that Facebook has. The social network has access to its users’ demographics, which is very valuable to advertising. Conner says the data is accurate as well.

With Facebook, advertisers can create applications and send users to it. The app engages with users in a way that is unique to them and also unique to the product. Conner calls it, “a different engagement than you are able to get on any other platform.”

She goes on to say that Facebook is actively working to make its platform better for both users and advertisers.

Why You Should Advertise on Facebook

Facebook has a constantly evolving advertising platform, and according to Addie Conner of Avenue100, it provides many new opportunities for advertisers. She tells WebProNews that Facebook reaches an entirely different segment of audience than Google reaches.

Since Google is all about search, people are actively querying for information. On the other hand, Facebook is completely “demand creation.” As Conner explains, Facebook allows advertisers to reach an audience that they couldn’t reach unless they existed across all Google’s content network and all the other content networks.

Google just doesn’t have the data that Facebook has. The social network has access to its users’ demographics, which is very valuable to advertising. Conner says the data is accurate as well.

With Facebook, advertisers can create applications and send users to it. The app engages with users in a way that is unique to them and also unique to the product. Conner calls it, “a different engagement than you are able to get on any other platform.”

She goes on to say that Facebook is actively working to make its platform better for both users and advertisers.

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